G-Dragon and His Signature Duality Return in “Too Bad” and “Drama”

Let’s get it out of the way: Calling G-Dragon’s solo return ‘long-awaited’ or ‘highly-anticipated’ would be the understatement of a century. A heady mix of wide-ranging impact, indisputable numbers-backed success, and a level of mystique that is increasingly rare in our live-streamed world have combined to make G-Dragon a near-mythic figure in Hallyu. Coming nearly eight years after his last solo release, Übermensch and its double title tracks were guaranteed hits before they ever dropped.

Amidst the cultural buzz and pure hype of G-Dragon’s return, it can be hard to evaluate the actual music on its own merits… but that doesn’t mean it isn’t worth trying! Indeed, a closer look at singles “Too Bad” and “Drama” reveals fascinating insights into G-Dragon’s evolution (or lack thereof) during his long hiatus.

The contrast between “Too Bad,” a light-hearted earworm featuring the always delightful Anderson .Paak, and “Drama,” an introspective ballad, might be jarring to the uninitiated. In actuality, though, this duality has been a central and consistent part of G-Dragon’s solo career to-date. His promoted singles have often alternated between loud and soft, up tempo and slow, intensely confident and crippled with despair, often all on the same album (or occasionally, same track). Showcasing his striking versatility through “Too Bad” and “Drama” is a smart comeback flex. Continuing to be an adaptable, nuanced artist is the type of non-evolution we like to see.

That being said, consistency is a double-edged sword because it invites comparison, and “Drama” especially suffers. As a melodic, confessional ballad, “Drama” has an obvious historical twin in 2017’s iconic “Untitled,” which is not the kind of song you want to have to top. A more constructive association between the two tracks is that they can be read as flip sides of the same toxic relationship coin: In “Untitled,” G-Dragon begs forgiveness, while “Drama” sees him share brutal truths with an immature partner:

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

The song’s lyrics, pointed yet general enough to allow for multiple interpretations, are a strength. Taken literally, “Drama” is a breakup track, but there is also ample room for viewing it as a reflection on fandom and the drama-hungry celebrity news cycle. That reading is bolstered by the song’s blue-tinted MV, which sees G-Dragon in an austere white room, stranded on a circular platform being circled by a camera. In a truly stunning repeated image, he wears a fluffy white coat that has an attached clockwork piece, transforming him into a living wind-up toy.

The MV is otherwise very minimalist, primarily focusing on G-Dragon’s excellent, expressive performance (he has always been a skilled actor in MVs, with the best example of his prowess being 2013’s stunning “Crooked”). However, in spite of its numerous strong elements, “Drama” doesn’t quite cohere into a compelling whole. A masked dancer who briefly joins G-Dragon on his platform, while perfectly pretty, doesn’t contribute anything narratively. The MV also struggles with momentum, repeating its lovely but narrow range of visuals so many times that they gradually lose their impact. Two paths could have led “Drama to greater success: Stripping things down entirely (picking one very specific theme and sticking to it, like “Untitled”), or adding a bit more structure and variety to break up the monotony.

If “Drama” is full of compelling ideas and images that don’t quite land, “Too Bad” is made up of fairly conventional visuals that, thanks to quality of execution and clarity of vision, come together into a wildly satisfying whole. The MV is an endless string of party sequences: party on a soundstage, party in a parking lot, party in a disco, party in another parking lot. The neon colors, comic-book style animations, and playful cameo by Aespa’s Karina alert you that this is an atmosphere of emphatic joy and silliness, as do the lyrics and their plethora of exclamation points:

Baby Girl! Too bad for me

There you go! Toot that! As for me?

All I want! Is in arms’ reach

Break me off! Passionately

If “Drama” has an ancestor in “Untitled,” “Too Bad” is most closely related to 2013’s absurdist delight “Crayon.” This is G-Dragon at his most rambunctious and carefree, with that last quality particularly noticeable in “Too Bad.” Crucially though, “Too Bad” differentiates itself from “Crayon” and other prior G-Dragon singles through two genuinely novel (for G-Dragon) characteristics: an emphasis on collaboration, and a distinct lack of self-seriousness.

From the jump, “Too Bad” announces itself as a joint effort, with “G… A” drawled as G-Dragon and Paak appear respectively. For the rest of the MV, that partnership continues. To be sure, G-Dragon has a larger share of the screentime, much of which is filled with groovy dance moves that highlight his often underestimated and underutilized skills in that arena. However, Paak has the lion’s share of the lines, taking all the song’s choruses plus a full verse. Indeed, G-Dragon’s brief musical contributions are downright conspicuous, even if the constant appearance of his musical and visual signatures never leave any doubt as to his presence.

You could argue that it would be more fitting for a title track to belong wholly to its primary artist, but the results of G-Dragon and Paak’s team-up are undeniable. “Too Bad” is a blast, largely thanks to its two stars easy, witty chemistry, not to mention their successful songwriting partnership. The MV centers collaboration in other ways too, from G-Dragon’s palpable comradery with his dancers (who include Bada Lee and the Kwon Twins), to his cheerful partner dance with Karina. Of course, G-Dragon doesn’t really have to worry about being outshined, and he has a history of strong duets (though they’ve more often been B-sides, or full-blown project collaborations with fellow Big Bang members). Still, there’s an almost touching graciousness and release of ego implied by his choice to enthusiastically share the stage during one of the biggest moments of his career.

Release of ego can also be seen in the palpable absence of self-seriousness found in “Too Bad.” To be clear, self-seriousness is not always a bad thing. Earnestness, ambition, and contemplation are all related, and often deeply important, artistic qualities. Nevertheless, the complete light-heartedness of “Too Bad” is a breath of fresh air and feels almost wholly new for G-Dragon himself. “Too Bad” is just a good time, and G-Dragon just seems to be having a good time with it. In this way, “Too Bad” embodies something that’s apparent in G-Dragon’s performances since returning from hiatus: a perceptibly more relaxed and fun-spirited energy.

This may lead some to label it as shallow, and that’s fair. “Drama” is a more ambitious creature, and may be more satisfying to some tastes… yet another reason it can be nice to have double title tracks that appeal to different audiences! However, the novelty that “Too Bad” brings to the table is refreshing and intriguing. “Drama” and “Too Bad” are each strong testaments to G-Dragon’s enduring artistry. However, only “Too Bad” serves as both a welcome return and a signal of something new and excitingly unpredictable that is just getting started.

(YouTube[1][2][3]. Lyrics via YouTube[1][2]. Images via Empire, Galaxy Corporation.)