G-Dragon’s time has started again. He made a comeback after 7 years and 4 months, unleashing the GD power with his new song ‘Power.’ G-Dragon released the digital single ‘Power’ on the 31st of last month. He also surprised fans by unveiling the new song on his Instagram Live in the early morning. This marks his return after about 88 months since 2017.
The powerful impact was evident right after the release. As of 11 a.m. on the 1st, it ranked No.1 on ‘Bugs’ real-time chart and No.1 on ‘Naver Vibe’s’ domestic rising chart. It reached No.2 on ‘Melon’ Top 100 and Hot 100, and ‘Genie’ Top 200. Especially on Melon, the number of ‘Power’ users increased by more than 80,000 within 5 minutes of the release.
The music video surpassed 100,000 concurrent viewers right after its release and reached 7.7 million views by 17 hours after release that morning. ‘Power’ is a Kwon Ji-yong style hip-hop song, expressing his energy through music. It captivates listeners from the start with its upbeat rhythm.
Most powerful of all is G-Dragon’s rapping, delivering a unique rap performance over a distinctive rhythm. The lyrics, particularly their double meanings, stand out. It merges personal expressions with social messages, as seen in lines like ‘Sharing memes while chatting and shouting out,’ ‘I am beautiful because I am myself,’ and ‘I got the power the power 88 fly.’
Once again, G-Dragon listed his name in the credits for songwriting and composing. He collaborated with renowned producers like Tommy Brown, Theron Thomas, and Steven Franks.
In a program, G-Dragon stated, “‘Power’ is a song about strength, and to me, strength means ‘music.’ I felt the overwhelming power of the media. The song satirizes power and aims to harmonize various forms of strength.” Foreign media are also paying attention.
Billboard highlighted, “He has embarked on a new musical journey through a partnership with the U.S. record label ‘Empire,’ expressing positive and intense will through ‘Power.’” CNA spotlighted G-Dragon as a leader of K-pop. Quoting the CEO of ‘Empire,’ they evaluated him as a cultural force laying the foundation for the globalization of K-pop.
Starting from this new release, G-Dragon is expected to have a busy end of the year. On the 23rd, he will attend the ‘2024 MAMA Awards’ in Japan, where he is expected to perform ‘Power.’
<Photo source = Galaxy Corporation>
