Context: This interview took place shortly before BIGBANG’s Japan tour in May 2011, not long after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami.
Q: Aren’t you afraid, given the aftermath of the earthquake in Japan?
G-Dragon: Honestly, I’m very scared. But Japanese fans have shown us love even though we’re foreign artists, and it didn’t feel right to break that promise just because something happened.
Q: You once said you’re entering Japan because artists are treated like real artists there.
G-Dragon: Even rookies in Japan are recognized for their individuality and evaluated highly. But in Korea, singers have long had more of an entertainer image than that of an artist. Idols too. You have to appear on variety shows to promote albums, and everything becomes very business-oriented. I only learned music, but once I became a singer, I realized it’s a game where music alone isn’t enough.
Q: You’re often called an “icon of youth pop culture.”
G-Dragon: It’s an incredible honor. That image could be something I created, or something people assigned to me. In other countries, it’s natural for singers to make their own music, but in Korea it gets overly magnified, which makes me feel a bit embarrassed.
Q: Which role do you love the most: singer, composer, lyricist, or producer?
G-Dragon: Singer. Whether the response is good or bad, performing is the most thrilling.
Q: Why do you think the public is so drawn to you?
G-Dragon: Maybe because I know how to read trends when it comes to creating images or setting directions. When other music is popular, I might try house first, and when house becomes popular, I go further into electronic. It might have been a bit calculated.
(Translator’s note: “House” refers to a genre of electronic music. He means he tries trends early, and once they become popular, he moves on to something more advanced.)
Q: You’ve been in the industry since your early teens. Do you ever feel like you’ve lost something?
G-Dragon: In the past, I was upset that I couldn’t hang out with friends or date. When I was a trainee without any guarantee of debut, I worried about what would happen if I never reached my dream. After debut, I just kept moving forward without time to think. After ten years, it feels like I’ve reached a kind of acceptance. I’ve come to accept that this is my fate, and now I feel at peace.
Q: What do you think of Korea’s idol training system?
G-Dragon: I’m 23 now, and it feels like I spent half my life just practicing. I believe if you build something over ten years, it takes ten years to collapse. Since I built mine over ten years, I think it’ll last ten years. A singer should be able to produce music anytime, anywhere. To reach that level, you need four to five years of daily practice without missing a single day.
Q: Did you dislike studying?
G-Dragon: I think school is important. You might not believe it, but I wasn’t bad at studying. At my company, if you didn’t meet a certain score on exams, you weren’t allowed to attend practice the next week. I’ve never failed to meet that standard.
Q: What is music to you?
G-Dragon: Music is me. There’s no other way to explain it.
Q: What defines good music?
G-Dragon: Music that moves people. Even if someone can’t sing well, if it moves your heart, it’s good music. If someone who just broke up sings drunkenly at a street stall and a passerby feels something, that’s also good music.
Q: Among genres like hip-hop, R&B, and electronic, what attracts you most?
G-Dragon: For now, hip-hop. It might sound arrogant, but people who’ve done hip-hop can probably do anything. There are no fixed rules, and that’s why so many unexpected things can come out of it.
Q: What do you value most when composing?
G-Dragon: A new feeling. Rather than starting from lyrics or themes, I think about what would suit BIGBANG best from the perspective of fans who haven’t seen us in a while.
Q: Do you worry about repeating yourself musically?
G-Dragon: Honestly, yes. It’s something every composer has to overcome. I used to write songs quickly when I felt inspired, but now I try not to. Even if I finish a song fast, I keep revising it. Before, I judged it alone, but now I get feedback from others and have it checked.
Q: Your past lyrics were criticized for explicit content.
G-Dragon: Young people probably like me because I express what they want to say and because I reached a place they dream of. That means I should reflect their thoughts in my music. But I think it was too early for Korean culture at the time. Now I try to find a balance.
Q: You said people used to view you with prejudice.
G-Dragon: These days, it feels like that’s been reduced by about half. Before, I wore provocative outfits and said things that made people react, so that probably contributed to it.
Q: You’re often called a top fashionista.
G-Dragon: It feels great, but it doesn’t mean much beyond that. I do have a dream. I’d like to do something with fashion someday.
Q: Are you dating right now?
G-Dragon: I always feel like I am. But there’s no one, since I don’t really get the chance to meet anyone. Still, maybe secretly, you just don’t know.
(Translator’s note: Based on the original wording 항상 (연애)한다는 마음이다 , he likely means he lives with a “being in love” mindset rather than actually being in a relationship.)
Q: BIGBANG renewed with your agency despite many groups breaking up over money.
G-Dragon: If the company had been unstable or couldn’t support us, we might have left, but that’s not the case.
Q: Some say BIGBANG became too big to leave.
G-Dragon: That’s also true. No other company has approached us. I guess they’re intimidated.
Q: What would you say to younger idols?
G-Dragon: I want to become someone’s dream. I want people to look at me and think they want to become a singer like that. Feeling a sense of embarrassment when seeing great seniors can help you focus on yourself and become stronger.
Translated by @kwoncircles on X