Singer G-Dragon faced a series of unfortunate events during his solo concert after 8 years. The joy was overshadowed by delays due to bad weather, issues with his condition, and a decline in sound quality due to strong winds.
G-Dragon held the 'G-DRAGON 2025 WORLD TOUR [Übermensch] IN KOREA' concert on the 29th and 30th at the Goyang Sports Complex in Ilsanseo-gu, Goyang City, meeting with 60,000 fans.
The concert on the 29th was originally scheduled to start at 6:30 PM. However, around 1 PM, the event organizer Coupang Play announced that the start time would be delayed by 30 minutes due to worsening weather. This announcement came just an hour before the VIP sound check event.
Even at 7 PM, when the concert was supposed to begin, the show had not started. With no clear explanation for the delay, 30,000 fans waited in the freezing cold with a perceived temperature of 0 degrees, eagerly anticipating G-Dragon's appearance. During this time, some fans expressed their frustration with boos.
The concert finally began 43 minutes later. Dressed in a red jacket adorned with rose decorations and wearing a crown, G-Dragon opened the world tour with 'POWER'. In the following song 'HOME SWEET HOME', the screen displayed footage of Taeyang and Daesung, who featured on the track, singing and dancing, creating the illusion that the three were performing together.
After the opening performance, G-Dragon said, "It's been a long time since I've had a concert. G-Dragon is back. It's been 8 years since my comeback and this concert," and added, "Are you ready to have fun today? I'm a bit shy, so if you don't give me energy, I might sulk and go back. Let's all try our best together."
G-Dragon heated up the atmosphere with 'ONE OF A KIND' and performed a joint stage with CL from the group 2NE1, with whom he had shared a past at YG Entertainment, during 'R.O.D' and 'The Leaders'.
Responding to fans chanting his real name 'Kwon Ji-yong', G-Dragon apologized, saying, "I'm sorry for starting late due to the cold weather," and smiled, "I didn't know this place was so beautiful for my first concert at Goyang Sports Complex. (Looking at the light sticks) it looks like a flower garden."
As it was his first concert in 8 years, G-Dragon reflected on the time that had passed. He said, "A lot has happened. There have been unfortunate events, and it must have been hard for you to be in noisy situations, but I'm honored to be able to stand here as a singer," while striking a pose as if wiping away tears.
He continued, "I've been releasing albums and touring without a break until now. I've made a comeback every year, but I feel like I'm only now realizing the mindset needed for a comeback. I had a lot to think about because I wanted to show you something, so it took a little time to return. So, my nose is a bit stuffy today. Anyway, it's good," expressing his joy at meeting fans after a long time.
On this day, G-Dragon showcased a stage that reflected both his past and present with songs like 'CRAYON', 'BONAMANA', 'That XX', 'BUTTERFLY', 'I Love It', 'Who Are You', 'TODAY', 'CROOKED', 'HEARTBREAKER', 'BULLSHIT', 'TAKE ME', and 'TOO BAD'.
In particular, while singing 'CROOKED', G-Dragon went down to the floor to interact more closely with fans. However, as he approached, fans sitting in their seats rushed towards him, raising safety concerns. G-Dragon continued to engage with fans, wearing glasses handed to him by one fan, but the sudden rush of many audience members created a dizzying scene.
This concert artistically expressed the philosophical concept of Übermensch by philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, telling the story of the moment the Übermensch becomes a superhuman. The tour's symbol, the Ü logo of Übermensch, was integrated throughout the stage, and a giant ABR (Air Balloon Robot) was also installed.
G-Dragon humorously remarked, "If you look at the explanation of 'Übermensch', there are many difficult words like philosophy and thought. Honestly, it's just to sound impressive. It's nothing special. It just means to keep working hard," and explained, "During 'HEARTBREAKER', I used a structure that made my image and the image I shot while making this album face each other. It embodies the Ü of 'Übermensch'."
Grabbing the microphone again, G-Dragon performed about 23 songs in the setlist, including 'DRAMA', 'BOY', 'THIS LOVE', 'ONE YEAR STATION', 'IBELONGIIU', and 'Untitled'.
In closing, G-Dragon expressed, "Thank you for coming today. It's been a while, and I wanted to take in each of you, but please remember my image as well. I have my brothers here. Next year, we will be twenty years old, and we are planning a sexy adult ceremony. Today marks the first step of the 'Übermensch' tour. I will do my best to perform for Korean fans once more within this year," which drew cheers from the audience.
The 'Übermensch' concert was G-Dragon's first concert in 8 years since his world tour 'ACT 3: M.O.T.T.E' in 2017. It seems he prepared thoroughly, utilizing spectacular stage effects such as flames, fireworks, confetti, lighting, drones, and large structures.
However, starting with the delay due to bad weather, there were many regrets. First, G-Dragon showed signs of poor condition, such as a hoarse voice, possibly due to the cold weather. Additionally, there were concerns for audience safety, and the strong winds caused issues with sound transmission to the audience.
G-Dragon, who must have felt a sense of disappointment for not being able to show a perfect performance at his solo concert after 8 years, is expected to meet the audience in a manner worthy of the name 'G-Dragon' at the next concert.
Meanwhile, G-Dragon will continue the 'Übermensch' tour in 8 cities across 7 Asian countries, starting in Tokyo, Japan on May 10-11, followed by Bulacan in the Philippines, Osaka in Japan, Macau in China, Taiwan, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, Jakarta in Indonesia, and Hong Kong.
[Lee Da-kyum, Star Today Reporter]
