- via Soompi Source: Soompi

A pioneer for K-pop on the Billboard charts, the Seoul star says the signing "marks the beginning of a new era," with an awards show performance and tour on the way.



G-Dragon is reclaiming the spotlight on his terms.

The K-pop icon’s first single in seven years, “POWER,” drops Thursday (Oct. 31) as part of a new partnership with his Korean agency, Galaxy Corporation, and EMPIRE, the major independent record label that boasts Shaboozey on its roster.

Known for shattering K-pop conventions and cracking the Billboard charts early in K-pop’s rise as both the leader of boy band BIGBANG and as a solo artist, G-Dragon’s unmistakable confidence — “Guess who’s back/It’s your boy, GD!” — kicks off the hip-hop-infused, high-energy anthem. The comeback cut was co-written by G-Dragon alongside Tommy “TB Hits” Brown, Theron Thomas and Steven Franks.

“‘POWER’ manifests the essence of music,” G-Dragon said in a statement. “I express myself through music. This marks the beginning of a new era and I hope to inspire people who listen to my music.”

“G-Dragon is a cultural force that has laid the foundation for K-Pop’s global dominance,” added Ghazi, founder/CEO of EMPIRE. “This partnership reinforces our mission at EMPIRE to work alongside artists that will shape the future of global music.” G-Dragon was signed to EMPIRE by the company’s newly appointed senior vp of East Asia, Jeffrey Yoo. The signing with the indie label marks a new freedom for the Seoul superstar following his exit from longtime record label YG Entertainment (home to BLACKPINK, TREASURE and BABYMONSTER) last year after two decades.

During his time at YG, G-Dragon led BIGBANG in becoming the first K-pop act to land a Korean-language album on the Billboard 200 in March 2012. He’s also scored three solo entries on the Billboard 200 and held a record for the most entries on the tally among K-pop soloists for years; he now shares the record with BTS‘ RM and J-Hope. While his music career has led to collaborations with the likes of Diplo, Missy Elliot, Sky Ferreira, Skrillex and M.I.A., plus a placement on the 2023’s Elvis soundtrack, G-Dragon also became an integral figure in the fashion and art world with his streetwear brand PEACEMINUSONE along with campaigns with Chanel and Nike.

Looking ahead, the K-pop king will perform at the upcoming MAMA Awards in Japan on Nov. 23, marking his first performance in nearly a decade at the influential K-pop awards show. Earlier this month, Billboard also reported that Tencent Music Entertainment Group had partnered with Galaxy Corporation for his upcoming tour.



Source: Billboard

Updated October 31 KST:

BIGBANG’s G-Dragon is finally back with new music after seven years!

On October 31 at 6 p.m. KST, G-Dragon unveiled the music video for his digital single “POWER,” marking his first solo release in seven years and four months since the launch of his mini-album EP “Kwon Ji Yong” in 2017.

During his appearance on tvN’s “You Quiz on the Block” the day before, he introduced the song, “It’s a song about strength, but strength is relative, isn’t it? There are different types of strength, including physical power and stamina, but for me, my strength is music. Reflecting on my seven-year hiatus from a third-person perspective, I power of media is significant these days. This song satirizes the power of media. It explores the concept of blending various forms of strength at a midpoint, encapsulating multiple meanings.”

Watch the music video below:

Updated October 31 KST:

BIGBANG’s G-Dragon has announced that he will be dropping his pre-release digital single, “POWER,” on October 31 at 6 p.m. KST!

Along with the announcement, G-Dragon shared a sneak peek of the song on both tvN’s “You Quiz on the Block” and an Instagram Live broadcast.

Check out the snippet of the song that he revealed on Instagram Live below!

You can also check out a new teaser that he released for the single below:

Source: Soompi