FIRST READ · MON 7 AM ETTHE WEEKEND LEXICON · SAT 9 AM ETCocona
- Stage name
- Cocona
- Born
- Dec. 6, 2005
- Position
- Rapper, vocalist and performer
- Agency
- XGALX
- Fandom
- ALPHAZ
- Debut
- 2022
- Generation
- 4th gen
Cocona is the rapper, vocalist and performer of XG, the seven-member Japanese group formed by the XGALX label that debuted in March 2022. Known for low, sharp rap verses delivered across English, Japanese and Korean, Cocona was one of the four rappers whose 2022 "Galz Xypher" clips went viral. In December 2025, on their 20th birthday, Cocona publicly shared that they are AFAB transmasculine nonbinary and had undergone top surgery earlier that year. They use they/them and he/him pronouns. Cocona is currently on the road with XG's second world tour behind the group's first full album, THE CORE.
Where they grew up
Cocona grew up in Japan and, like the rest of XG, spent roughly five years as a trainee under XGALX, moving between Japan and South Korea before the 2022 debut. Training included heavy study of English and Korean, which let the group perform in several languages. Cocona's rap voice became a calling card once the "Galz Xypher" cypher spread on YouTube and TikTok in late 2022. The cypher was where Cocona's trilingual verses first reached a wide audience outside the group's core following.
Birth details: cvmsekai.com
In their own words
“The hardest thing I've ever faced was accepting and embracing myself.”
“Now, I can finally say, 'There's nothing wrong with who I am inside.'”
“May these words gently light a spark in someone's heart.”
Timeline
- 2022Debut with XG
After about five years of training between Japan and South Korea, Cocona debuted with XG in March 2022 with the digital single "Tippy Toes."
- 2022"Galz Xypher" goes viral
In November 2022, Cocona, Maya, Harvey and Jurin each took a verse in a cypher video that spread widely on social media and drew praise from Jackson Wang.
- 2023First international performance
XG played Head in the Clouds in New York in May 2023, their first show outside Japan, and then appeared at the Los Angeles edition.
- 2023First mini-album NEW DNA
The mini-album arrived on September 27, 2023, preceded by "GRL GVNG," "TGIF" and "New Dance."
- 2024AWE and the first world tour
XG released the mini-album AWE in November 2024, and it entered the Billboard 200. They also began their first world tour, which included a run of US dates.
- 2025Coachella and Tokyo Dome
XG performed on the Sahara Stage at Coachella in April 2025, and the first world tour ended at Tokyo Dome on May 14, 2025, before about 50,000 people.
- 2025Coming out
On December 6, 2025, Cocona's 20th birthday, they shared on Instagram that they are AFAB transmasculine nonbinary and had top surgery earlier in the year, with XGALX CEO Simon voicing public support.
- 2026THE CORE and second world tour
XG released their first full album on January 23, 2026, changed their name to Xtraordinary Genes that month, and began the second world tour in February.
Latest
- XG WORLD TOUR: THE CORE
Cocona is performing on the group's second world tour, which began in February 2026 in support of their first full album.
xgalx.com - THE CORE, the first full album
Cocona is part of XG's first full-length album, released January 23, 2026, which became the group's first Top 100 entry on the Billboard 200.
xgalx.com - Group name change to Xtraordinary Genes
XG announced its name changed from Xtraordinary Girls to Xtraordinary Genes, a shift tied to the group's growing maturity and to Cocona's public embrace of their gender identity.
dazeddigital.com
- rollingstone.com: XG's New Era Is Limitless
- dazeddigital.com: XG: The Japanese ‘X-pop’ group who want to change history
- joysauce.com: XG's Cocona comes out as transmasculine non-binary
- xgalx.com: PROFILE | XG --Official Site
- elle.com: XG Are Ready for Pop Stardom—and Outer Space
- yahoo.com: XG's Cocona Comes Out as Transmasculine Non-Binary ...
- cvmsekai.com: COCONA XG Profile 2026: Career, Facts and Videos
- nme.com: XG say their music is "really inspired" by Beyoncé and Rihanna
- billboard.com: Can Japanese Girl Group XG Make ‘X-Pop’ the Next K-Pop?
- nme.com: Girl group XG talk new single ‘Shooting Star’: “I want people to remember us as ‘Xtraordinary’”
Fan sites
- CVM Sekai: COCONA XG profileA fan-run profile and reference page on Cocona's career and releases.
Last researched Nov. 12, 2026