G-Dragon's 'Power' sparks controversy: Is BIGBANG rapper showing support to 'Burning Sun' scandal's Seungri?

WARNING: This story contains mentions of r@pe and sexual bribery

South Korean singer and rapper G-Dragon made his long-awaited comeback with the single and music video for "Power" on Thursday, October 31. As a member of BIGBANG, this marks G-Dragon's first new music in over seven years. His last release was the EP "Kwon Ji Yong", named after his legal name, which came out in June 2017.

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While the song has charted in South Korea, K-pop fans who saw the video shared on his Instagram have some questions. When the line "y'all my brothers" played, the image that popped up featured the hands of the five original members of BIGBANG—G-Dragon, Taeyang, Daesung, Seungri, and T.O.P.

This led to nostalgia for some, but the majority questioned whether G-Dragon is still friends with his former bandmate Seungri, a key figure in the "Burning Sun" scandal. The former K-pop idol was convicted in 2020 for prostitution mediation and embezzlement. He announced his retirement from the industry on March 11, 2019, after being charged with sexual bribery.

Many took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to question how South Korea is not okay with idols dating, drinking, or smoking, yet accepts those who have been jailed for crimes related to r@pe and sexual assault.

About 'Power':

The South Korean singer-songwriter and rapper has teamed up with independent record label Empire to release his new track, "Power." This infectious and energetic song was co-written by Tommy 'TB Hits' Brown, Theron Thomas, Steven Franks, and G-Dragon himself. 

It has also been announced that G-Dragon will perform at this year's MAMA Awards, marking his first appearance at the ceremony in nine years since BIGBANG's performance in 2015.

The rapper launched his solo career in 2009 with his debut studio album "Heartbreaker", followed by additional solo projects in 2012 and 2013 with "One Of A Kind" and "Coup d’Etat", respectively. 

Last year, he parted ways with his longtime label, YG Entertainment, after two decades. As a member of BIGBANG, he was part of the group that became the first K-pop act to land a Korean-language album on the Billboard 200. 

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