xikers return on 2 November with ROUTE ZERO: The CALLING and the title track "DIENAMITE"

xikers are back on Monday, 2 November 2026. The group's eighth mini album, ROUTE ZERO: The CALLING, arrives at 6 p.m. Korean time, which is 2:30 p.m. in India, 9:00 a.m. in London and 4:00 a.m. in New York.

What we know about the record

The title track is "DIENAMITE". Leader Minjae co-wrote the lyrics and co-composed it, and the group have described the song as energetic and bold, with a mischievous streak. Two music video teasers have already gone out, the first on 31 October and the second on 1 November (Korean time), after an album trailer on 6 October and a first teaser built around the line "follow the calling, into the unknown" on 11 September.

The tracklist was shared on the group's official channels on 7 October, and a preview of the album followed on 22 October, with a horror-game feel to the visuals. Minjae has said the record took about three months of intense work. The group also fronted the November cover of the fashion magazine THE STAR, shot in red and black.

Where it sits in the story

For readers new to them: xikers are a ten-member boy group from Seoul agency KQ Entertainment, the same company behind ATEEZ. The lineup is Minjae, Junmin, Sumin, Jinsik, Hyunwoo, Junghoon, Seeun, Yujun, Hunter and Yechan.

ROUTE ZERO is their current chapter. It began with the seventh mini album, ROUTE ZERO: The ORA, released on 19 May 2026, and The CALLING is its follow-up, arriving about five and a half months later.

How to listen

Check the group's official YouTube channel and your streaming app of choice at the release time for the music video and the full record. We will add a proper guide to the tracklist once we have heard it, and we will not call it good or bad before then.