The year 2024 has been a memorable one for K-pop, marked by both highs and lows. Early in the year, the public grew weary of HYBE, the leading entertainment conglomerate, due to its “talent crisis,” especially with LE SSERAFIM’s disastrous Coachella performance. Just as this crisis began to subside, HYBE sparked a power struggle over the management of Min Hee-jin, the mastermind behind NewJeans. This drama, which continues unresolved, has exposed numerous dark sides of the Korean entertainment industry.
K-pop has been mired in scandals ranging from lawsuits, cookie-cutter music, talentless idols, plagiarism, and exploitation by entertainment companies. Then, in late October 2024, G-Dragon shook up the music scene with his single “Power”, paving the way for his upcoming full album. His return has been a seismic event, reshaping the face of K-pop during its time of crisis.
The biggest highlight of G-Dragon’s comeback this year was his decision to perform at MAMA 2024. Just one day before the event on November 23, he reunited BIGBANG as a trio, releasing the song “Home Sweet Home”. Remarkably, Mnet, the organizer of MAMA, which had a decade-long feud with YG Entertainment since G-Dragon publicly criticized them in a rap diss at the 2014 event, had to “make peace” with him to reignite the prestige of the awards show.
During his 14-minute-and-17-second special stage, G-Dragon and BIGBANG created a sensation across Asia. Mnet even introduced a new award category, Visionary of the Year, just to honor G-Dragon, praising him with 12 titles, including Musician, Producer, Creator, Leader, Ambassador, Professor, Performer, Songwriter, Superstar, Master, Topliner, and Frontrunner.
The performance video uploaded by Mnet garnered nearly 35 million views in just two weeks, becoming a “national chatroom” where South Koreans continuously shared updates and life stories. Mnet capitalized on this momentum by releasing a flood of related content, from celebrity reactions to compilations of praise for the most explosive performance of MAMA 2024.
G-Dragon has demonstrated profound influence in South Korea, not only in music but in all aspects of life—especially during a time of societal turbulence. His song “Home Sweet Home” has dominated all Korean music charts and is on the verge of achieving a Perfect All-Kill following his MAMA performance.
But MAMA is not the end. Recently, G-Dragon confirmed his participation in the year-end music festival SBS Gayo Daejeon 2024 on December 25, where he will perform alongside YG juniors such as 2NE1, BABYMONSTER, and Treasure. SBS has positioned G-Dragon as the festival’s “final boss,” highlighting his name most prominently in promotional materials and even giving him special mention on ticketing platforms. The event is shaping up to be more like G-Dragon’s personal concert, a privilege rarely granted to any artist other than him.
After a seven-year hiatus, G-Dragon has made an impactful return through two major music events and two chart-topping singles in just over a month. Korean media has also reported that he is set to launch his own variety show, featuring star-studded guests like Kim Soo-hyun, Jung Hae-in, Taeyang, Daesung, SEVENTEEN’s BSS, and aespa. With such a flurry of activity, G-Dragon is not only reviving his own golden era but also showing the world what K-pop’s heyday truly looked like.
Currently, G-Dragon, Rosé, and aespa – representing the entertainment giants YG and SM – are leading the Korean music charts. Fans are reminded of K-pop’s “core essence.” In China, discussions about G-Dragon and the golden era of K-pop have dominated trending topics. Chinese netizens have exclaimed, “We may be in the 5th generation of K-pop, but BIGBANG’s dominance in China is absolute. No one can challenge it!”