Make Way for XONARA’s Debut Track, ‘TABI’

XONARA has arrived in the most explosive way. They are 1Z Entertainment’s first girl group, composed of Eurekah, Megumi, Namie, Ella, Dominique, Tin, and Lei. Debuting on May 15 with their first single, “TABI,” the group enters the scene determined to challenge expectations under the guidance of one of the country’s pioneering idol labels. 

“TABI” is backed by a trap instrumental that consists of a whistle melody, an aggressive horn section, and flurries of machine‑gun‑like hi‑hats. The chant in the intro signals a clarion call with lines from the intro that go like “Hey, fresh crew, yeah, we settin’ up the pace / Outta ten went from zero just to ace / So raw we be makin’ our wave.” It’s characterized by a hip‑hop rap backbone, with Megumi and Lei referencing Sisyphus — of all mythical figures — overcoming the boulder up the hill, a curveball name‑drop if there ever was one. In its pre‑chorus, Nami and Dominique sing about feeling “brand new,” delivering the most memorable part of the song,  where the melody truly sticks, though it only lasts a few seconds, like every other K‑pop songwriting formula designed to catch every nanosecond of your attention span.

The production intensifies with Tin and Eurekah’s more aggressive yawps, their rapping way sharper than the first verse. The song then suddenly eases up, showing a “duality‑of‑man” effect, balancing ferocity and cutesiness in equal measure. The song’s bridge adds an extra lift of hopeful energy as the girls tell you to “step aside” while they enter the scene. XONARA is in their own lane, just to be clear.

Impressively, “TABI” doesn’t overstay its welcome nor drown itself in bloated production. The vocal lines are distributed evenly between rapping and singing. And with all the hype from their Escolta live debut on May 15, it’s clear this isn’t meant to define them just yet. As excitement sinks in, one question hangs over XONARA: can they keep their fire burning? 

“TABI” is a debut worth paying attention to. The P‑pop world should probably be watching its back; a hungry group like XONARA isn’t one to underestimate.