G-Dragon (GD) is making waves on the charts with his first full-length album in 11 years. On Feb. 25, he released his third studio album, “Übermensch,” with the title track “TOO BAD.” The song had already garnered significant attention prior to its release, especially due to the feature from Korean-American singer-songwriter, Anderson Paak, as well as a music video appearance by aespa’s Karina.
Upon release, “TOO BAD” quickly topped major domestic music charts, including Melon, Genie, and Bugs. Notably, not only did “TOO BAD” secure the no. 1 spot, but all eight tracks from the album entered the Top 20 of Melon’s Top 100 chart, a rare feat that reaffirms GD’s lasting influence.
Though GD’s return enthralled most, some fans were disappointed because they felt like this comeback didn’t show GD’s true colors. “It’s a great delight to see GD perform again,” Joseph Kim (12), long-time GD fan, said. “The songs show that GD was able to catch and incorporate music trends and genres. However, I feel like he wasn’t able to digest it as his own to make it his own style. It felt like he was just going with the flow. Though his experimental attempt is nice, I think many fans miss the original GD from the previous albums.”
Still, the “return of the king of K-pop”’s impact remained undeniable. Prior to the album’s release, GD’s long-awaited solo comeback had excited many. His pre-release singles “POWER” and “HOME SWEET HOME” both dominated the charts and media, proving that his star power remains as strong as ever.
“In a previous interview, GD said his life is like a ‘Truman show.’ Likewise, in the MCountdown performance or his music videos, he kept on outlining the theme that all this storyline is just a drama for the audience to consume, and that he has the power to influence the media. I think he wanted to highlight that he will keep expressing himself and not be trapped by the media, whether his life is just another drama for someone else to consume or not,” Joseph said. “Either way, his legacy will forever remain iconic.”
In addition to his musical comeback, GD is expanding his presence in entertainment. After making appearances on various variety shows, he has secured a permanent role on MBC’s upcoming variety program “Good Day” in collaboration with renowned producer Kim Tae-ho.
“Good Day” will follow GD as he takes on the role of producer, working with actors, broadcasters, chefs, and other figures from different fields to create the “Song of the Year.” Essentially, the show marks GD’s first solo variety program, and his partnership with Kim Tae-ho, the mastermind behind the legendary “Infinite Challenge,” has already captured the attention of the broadcasting industry.
“When I first saw the teaser of ‘Good Day,’ I was really happy,” Aidan Han (11), fan of “Infinite Challenge,” said. “I was really excited about the airing of the show because I really like GD and Jung Hyung-don’s chemistry, which they have shown since ‘Infinite Challenge.’”
