As Big Bang approaches their 20th anniversary, T.O.P, who left the group, is making a comeback as a solo artist.
On February 2, news emerged that actress and singer Nana will appear in T.O.P’s new music video. Previously, on January 1, T.O.P had posted on his personal account, hinting at a comeback with the message “A NEW ALBUM IS ON THE WAY.”
He titled the album ‘Another Dimension’ and also opened a new account, where he plans to post about future activities, signaling a fresh start.
This solo release marks his first new song since ‘Doom Dada’ in 2013, making it about 13 years in the making. While his husky voice and powerful rap in Big Bang’s songs left a strong impression, his return is stirring mixed reactions due to his past ‘retirement’ statements and solo comeback timing.
T.O.P debuted as a member of Big Bang in 2006 and quickly gained immense popularity. However, in 2016, he became embroiled in controversy when reports revealed he had smoked marijuana while serving in the military. This led to a 2017 guilty verdict, sentencing him to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years.
He participated in Big Bang’s digital single ‘Still Life’ in April 2022, but in 2023, he publicly announced his decision to leave the group. He has since crossed out ‘Big Bang’ in article headlines, and responded to netizen comments like “Don’t come back” with statements indicating he had no plans to return to the entertainment industry in Korea.
Nevertheless, T.O.P returned as an actor through the Netflix series ‘Squid Game’ Season 2, released in December 2024. In promotional interviews, T.O.P expressed, “I caused too much damage to the team and the company with my mistakes,” adding that he hasn’t kept in touch with the members because of lingering guilt, and confirming he has not considered rejoining Big Bang.
While T.O.P has expressed apologies to the team and members, his comeback as a singer coincides with Big Bang’s 20th anniversary. Remaining members G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung have already announced their return this year.
The trio Big Bang is set to perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California this April. G-Dragon recently expressed excitement for Big Bang’s comeback during his solo concert, stating “We’ll start warming up in April.”
This 20th anniversary sees T.O.P moving faster than Big Bang with his solo comeback. Netizens have reacted with comments like “So he didn’t dislike being a singer, just Big Bang activities?”, “He said he’d retire but he’s back,” and “He even returns from social scandals.”
Image Source: Xportsnews, T.O.P, Taeyang’s accounts
