[OSEN=Yusoo Yeon] G-Dragon made a significant return to the year-end stage after eight years, showcasing his presence. However, discussions surrounding his performance quality have sparked controversy and stirred public interest.
On the 25th, the SBS 2024 K-Pop Awards took place at the Incheon Inspire Arena, hosted by IVE's Ahn Yujin, NCT's Doyoung, and TXT's Yeonjun.
During the event, a total of 29 artists took the stage, delivering various performances. As the show progressed, G-Dragon, who generated considerable anticipation, finally took to the stage.
This marked G-Dragon's first appearance at the K-Pop Awards since he performed with BIGBANG in 2016. His participation in this event came just a month after his appearance at the '2024 MAMA Awards' at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan.
Before G-Dragon's performance, host Yeonjun remarked, “I grew up listening to his songs as a child,” while Doyoung introduced G-Dragon, stating, “This will be an unforgettable finale for the K-Pop Awards. G-Dragon is irreplaceable—a living legend who dominates the stage by mere presence alone.”
Amidst the audience’s enthusiastic cheers, G-Dragon passionately performed his new song 'POWER' as well as ‘Manjeongsin’ and ‘Ppidakkage.’
Although G-Dragon's performance ended the event on a high note, opinions were sharply divided afterwards. Viewers expressed concerns about his live singing abilities, citing instability in his performance. During the broadcast, while he incorporated live vocals alongside AR tracks, many noted issues such as a scratchy vocal technique and some off-pitch ad-libs.
In response, netizens shared their disappointment, stating remarks like, "I'm worried about his vocal condition," "The selective live performance was too noticeable," and "I was looking forward to this, but I'm disappointed." Conversely, some live audience members defended him, presenting videos from the event, claiming, "It seems to be an audio issue," "The live performance was better than what was broadcasted," and "This time, he seemed to project his voice more."
Meanwhile, G-Dragon was voted as the top idol that fans wished would become their Santa Claus in a poll conducted that day. He humorously responded, “I’m G-Dragon, chosen as 'My Favorite Idol' at the K-Pop Awards. I thought this was 'Old Idol.' It still feels like I’m an idol,” expressing his gratitude by saying, “Thank you, guys. Thank you to all the noonas and hyungs.”
/yusuou@osen.co.kr
[Photo] OSEN DB / Broadcast Capture