G-Dragon the 'Runaway Train', He's Unstoppable

Runaway Train G-Dragon, He's Unstoppable

It's the year of G-Dragon. He came back to the music scene and immediately conquered the top spot and is even garnering international fame. The secret to his reign? G-Dragon's music is popular, but it never gets old.

G-Dragon released his 2nd solo album, Coup D'etat earlier this month, but his tracks have been a mainstay for weeks on both online and offline charts. Online music charts, which are updated and changing in real time, feature G-Dragon alone as the top artist. On the week of his album release, every song from the album was featured on the charts.

Three of his songs are still in the top 10 on the charts. This is an incredible feat in the K-pop charts, where a new single is released every day. In a market where a hit song doesn't last for more than a day, G-Dragon is reigning at the top.

Most artists would focus on a title track when they release an album. Their performances, music videos, and TV music program appearances are focused on one song, and other songs in the album go mostly unrecognized.

This isn't the case with G-Dragon's new album. The focus was spread among several tracks, but this didn't hinder G-Dragon's performances or popularity. Was it a smart strategy on YG's part? Perhaps, but it is also unlikely that anyone other than G-Dragon would be able to pull off this feat.

New York Times recently released an article detailing G-Dragon. Titled "K-Pop's Antic Emissary Raids the Cupboard", the article lauded G-Dragon as a true artist in the mold of Lady Gaga, Ke$ha, and Nicky Minaj, stating that G-Dragon is "the leader of the K-Pop genre" and that G-Dragon's ability to express himself is second to none, not only in Korea but in the world.

The article also stated that "G-Dragon's unique ability to visualize his music will take him far. Until now, Korean pop music sounded like a reprint of American pop, but G-Dragon will lead the charge for the next generation of K-Pop that will go a completely different direction from American pop music."

One thing is for sure: G-Dragon is no long just an idol star but an international icon in the mold of Lady Gaga. One can only wonder about his future success in the coming years.