Here are 18 thoughts I had on ‘Übermensch’, G-Dragon’s first album in seven years

Übermensch: a philosophical term coined by Friedrich Nietzsche that refers to one who strives towards self-discovery and self-improvement. “An individual who transcends themselves,” as aptly summed by G-Dragon, today’s artist in question.

G-Dragon, GD, Kwon Ji-yong. It seems like it was just yesterday when the South Korean artist was grappling with his own identity, and released the bonafide EP titled after himself, Kwon Ji Yong. Alas, it’s been seven—almost eight—years since, and his legion of fans have been holding onto the end of a tightrope. But when the superstar dropped ‘Power‘ on a whim on 31 October 2024—no release date nor time announced prior—it was met with an equally explosive response, much like the track itself. The tides were turning.

Since then, it’s almost like he’s been making up for lost time. Another song, this time with fellow BigBang members Daesung and Taeyang, came, followed by the announcement of an album release and the impending start to a whopping world tour. A variety show, Good Day, has also been in the works, and fans have rightfully been basking in its release week on week.

But today? The focus falls on what we’ve all been waiting for: his coup de maître, his highly-anticipated third album, his Übermensch. “This album embodies the idea of presenting a stronger and more resilient version of oneself to the public,” G-Dragon says in the album’s press statement. With eight tracks and two additional music videos (of  ‘Drama’ and ‘Too Bad (ft. Anderson .Paak’) to swim in, there’s plenty of meat to sink one’s teeth into. Here, multiple listens of Übermensch later, are 18 thoughts I had about the return of K-pop’s most enduring artist. 

1. It’s not always the case for all artists, but for someone who pays attention to detail as closely as G-Dragon does, choosing which song to open an album with holds discernible weight. Since its release ahead of that MAMA performance, ‘Home Sweet Home’ has always been a love letter to the people he feels most at home with—his group BigBang and the VIPs (the group’s fanbase). Right off the bat, it’s a rousing anthem that brims with nostalgia from the group’s heydays, but it’s also a simple yet grand show of the promise that he once made, as the post-chorus goes: “Well, I said, I would be back/And I’d never let you go.”
2. Coupled with the fact that he chose to release this with Taeyang and Daesung, the line ‘You’re welcome back home, wherever you are’ is also a possible reference to a beloved and unforgettable member of the group. Specifically one who’s recently starred in a certain second season of Squid Game. 
3. ‘Power’ was the first release out of GD’s third album. It was also the first solo song we listened to after seven years. It’s full of braggadocio and razzle-dazzle but a song like this makes sense when you’re G-Dragon. Like the song which dropped on IG Live out of nowhere, the two-minute speedrun is a flashy, spur-of-the-moment piece of fun. A rightful return, for the living legend himself. 
4. Listening to ‘Power’ as a part of Übermensch also puts things into perspective; like ‘levelling up’ in a game, this ‘power up’ track is the playful epitome of this album’s message—of constant improvement and becoming the best version of yourself. 
5. Babygirl, here we go. ‘Too Bad’ is the only other track in the album with a (listed) feature. And like a sign of the times, GD’s chosen to work with African-American-Korean producer and soul artist Anderson .Paak. Funk-inflected with a colourful, dance-able chorus, ‘Too Bad’ is a popping beat that is as fun as its accompanying MV—but there’s a part of me that wishes GD went even crazier with the track, and leaned even more into his pre-chorus verses.  
6. A special mention goes out to the maestro behind the visuals of the music video itself. From the use of the fishball lens to the cameo by Aespa’s Karina and the wacky outfits that GD seamlessly flits through, I’m as enamoured of him as I once was over a decade ago. 
7. If I had to pick a masterstroke out of Übermensch, it would be this. ‘Drama’ is no ‘Untitled, 2014’, but it surely comes close. Joining his already impressive string of emotive ballads, the fourth track of the album stands as a raw, audible composite of pain; his raspy tone underscored by haunting piano melodies that are aching towards a release. Yet with its crescendo never fully realised—even in the way he dances around similar messages in different languages—it makes me think about GD’s state of mind at the end of the song. One of acceptance; one of anger; or simply one of resignation?
8. Compared to ‘Too Bad’, the music video for ‘Drama’ is stripped back, much like the track itself. But it’s stacked with references—the most important one being the metaphor of GD likened to a wind-up ballerina. It’s no news that GD’s name has been through the wringer over and over again these past two decades, and he’s knowingly had to concede to unreasonable demands of the industry many a time. The line “I gave it all that I could but/How dare you be so cold and heartless?” hits home even more so, when you think of it this way. 
9. This is the perfect time to segue into how the album feels so far as a whole. Übermensch is a spellbinding work of art, but it’s also immensely disciplined in its delivery; considering everything he wants to share with us is revealed in a concise package of eight tracks. 
10. ‘Drama’ can definitely be viewed as the bleeding puncture of his third act, but in some way, I’m choosing to view it as a form of closure. If I were to think about how ‘Untitled, 2014’ closed out 2017’s Kwon Ji Yong, this feels rather like the beginning of something new amid his grand musical return. 
11. As for why I say the above? The answer comes swooping in once you listen to the opener for ‘IBelongIIU’. Techno riffs—the sort you imagine encapsulating you on a technicoloured dance floor—followed by the entry of a heavy bass beat when GD sings “You and me alone in the dark/Forever, I’ll stay with you.” A sheer declaration of love—and one that directly juxtaposes its preceding ‘Drama’. To add to that, it’s all good feelings from here on out. 
12. We hinted at it previously, but we’ll be direct about it now: Übermensch is heavy on the pop, and his signature hip-hop style is left slightly out the door on this one. But every now and then, a song glows with a glimmer of it. Just like in the bridge of ‘IBelongIIU’. 
13.  ‘Take Me’ is an ecstatic ride. That delicious guitar solo by Nile Rodgers brings the fun, but GD’s vocals here are most reminiscent of some of his older tracks from Coup D’etat, like ‘I Love It’. It seems timely to mention that the track was also co-written by Boys Noize, who had previously featured on the suave 2013 track featuring Zion.T. 
14. Sonically, ‘Bonamana’ takes the cake. When GD first posted the concept film for Übermensch, it was this chilling guitar melody that had me feeling some type of way and is a clear yet welcome departure from his usual sound. 
15. Interestingly enough, his deeper voice and the piercing strings of ‘Bonamana’ almost mirror the dangerous, obsessive nature of the tune too. At some point of the track, he croons ‘Can you handle this?’; an admission that he’s definitely aware of the song’s darker undertones as well. 
16. G to the D. That’s what we’re getting on the eighth and final track: ‘Gyro-Drop’. Man’s always been smooth with the flirtatious nuances, and you’ll realise ‘Gyro-Drop’ is no different once you read the lyrics to the chorus.
17. ‘Gyro-Drop’ is a cheeky swerve and opting for this as his outro seems to speak a bunch of where his head’s at (he’s just a guy). But there’s also some pleasure in knowing that this track is heavy-handed on the rap verses—so much so that you can almost see him having a ton of fun with it up on stage once that world tour kicks off.
18. As a VIP, Übermensch is the full works and well worth the wait. There are hard-hitting moments of BigBang nostalgia; nods to some of GD’s most seminal works over the years; and acute lyricism that still goes unrivalled. There’s delight, resentment, sorrow, pleasure, fear and excitement. It’s classic G-Dragon, but the truth is he’ll always be delivering on all accounts. So the real joy, you ask? It’s in knowing that when his concert intro goes “Guess who’s back?”, I’ll get to sing: “It’s your boy, GD”, over and over again.

Listen to Übermensch here.