K-pop star G-Dragon released his first full-length album in over a decade, “Übermensch,” on Tuesday, Feb. 25. The eight-song collection, released through Galaxy Corporation in partnership with indie label EMPIRE, opens with the rock-influenced track “Home Sweet Home,” featuring former BigBang members Taeyang and Daesung.
The album showcases G-Dragon’s signature blend of singing and swaggering rhymes over dynamic beats and polished pop production. Notable tracks include the funky collaboration with Anderson .Paak, “Too Bad,” alongside “Drama,” “Ibelongiiu,” “Take Me,” “Bonamana,” and “Gyro Drop.”
G-Dragon explained the album’s title, referencing philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s concept of the “Übermensch,” or “overman,” as an ideal human. “Übermensch means ‘Beyond-Man,’ representing an individual who transcends themselves,” he said in a statement. “This album embodies the idea of presenting a stronger and more resilient version of oneself to the public. I hope this strength resonates with my fans through my music.”
“Übermensch” is the highly anticipated follow-up to G-Dragon’s 2013 sophomore solo album, “Coup D’Etat,” which also fused rock, pop, hip-hop, and electro, featuring collaborations with Missy Elliott, Sky Ferreira, BLACKPINK’s Jennie, Diplo, Baauer, and Boys Noize.
To celebrate the album’s release, G-Dragon unveiled the colorful video for “Too Bad,” highlighting his distinctive fashion sense and playful choreography inspired by Michael Jackson. The video includes a surprise cameo from aespa’s Karina.
He also released a more subdued video for the ballad “Drama,” in which he portrays a giant wind-up dancer with a crank in his back, performing an emotional routine with a ballerina wearing a white mask.
“You never like it when it’s nice/ Drama queen got it from her mama/ Rather hang up to pick a fight/ What goes around here comes the karma,” G-Dragon sings over a moody piano.
G-Dragon will hold his first solo concert in eight years, beginning a global tour on March 29 at Goyang Stadium in Seoul. A pre-sale will open on Wednesday, Feb. 26. The tour, his first since the 2017 Act III, M.O.T.T.E. world tour, will include a second show in Seoul on March 30, a headlining performance at the Head in the Clouds Festival at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles in May, and a performance at the F1 Singapore Grand Prix in October, where he will co-headline with Elton John. More tour details will be announced soon.
