G-Dragon (Kwon Ji-yong, 37) returned to the stage for his long-anticipated solo concert at Goyang Sports Complex on Mar. 29, but the reunion with fans got off to a rocky start. The first night was plagued by delays, vocal issues, and disorganized stage management, leaving many attendees visibly frustrated.
The two-night concert, held on Mar. 29 and 30, marked G-Dragon’s first solo performance in eight years. Expectations had been high as the singer reemerged after a lengthy hiatus and a widely publicized drug investigation, from which he was ultimately cleared. The concert also served as the live debut of tracks from his newly released full-length solo album, Übermensch. Across both nights, the event drew a total of 60,000 fans.
The opening night, however, was marred from the outset. The show was initially set to begin at 6:30 p.m., but Coupang Play, the concert’s organizer, notified ticket holders just an hour before that the start time would be pushed to 7 p.m. due to high winds and related safety concerns. In the end, the concert did not begin until 7:43 p.m. Attendees, left waiting in the cold at the outdoor venue without further communication, began jeering once the show started. G-Dragon later apologized mid-performance, saying, “I’m sorry for keeping you waiting.”
More concerning was the apparent condition of his voice. Throughout the 23-song, two-and-a-half-hour set—from the opening number PO￦ER to the closing ballad Untitled, 2014—his vocals were inconsistent. His pitch wavered at several points, and even with pre-recorded backing tracks on songs like Drama and Too Bad, his hoarse, strained voice frequently broke through, making for a jarring listening experience.
Still, the concert’s inventive musical arrangements stood out. “Crayon” opened with a sample from Seo Taiji and Boys’ classic “You, in the Fantasy,” while “Bullshit” incorporated elements inspired by Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl rendition of “Not Like Us.” “Too Bad” featured a Daft Punk-style arrangement reminiscent of “Get Lucky.” These creative choices underscored G-Dragon’s dual role as producer and performer. One of the show’s most experimental moments came during “Heartbreaker,” performed live with beatboxer Wing—a daring pairing even by current concert standards.
However, production issues detracted from the overall experience. Three five-minute video interludes—each themed around Friedrich Nietzsche’s Übermensch, the philosophical concept underpinning the album—disrupted the show’s pacing. A shortage of on-site staff created disorder whenever G-Dragon moved toward the crowd, prompting dangerous surges. At one point, he was caught in the crowd and had to call out, “Please step back,” before grasping a security guard’s hand to retreat to the stage.
Despite the setbacks, the audience embraced his return. When G-Dragon shouted, “I’m back after 88 months!” the 30,000-strong crowd erupted into chants of “Thank you.”
Near the end of the show, he teased a potential group reunion, saying, “My brothers and I—Big Bang—will turn 20 next year. We’re planning a sexy coming-of-age ceremony together,” hinting at a possible performance to commemorate the group’s 20th anniversary in 2026.
G-Dragon is scheduled to continue his tour in May, with stops in eight cities across seven countries in Asia, including Japan, the Philippines, Macao, Taiwan, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Hong Kong. A portion of proceeds from the Goyang shows—approximately 300 million won (about $200,000)—will be donated to support wildfire recovery efforts in Gyeongsangbuk-do and Gyeongsangnam-do.
