The highly anticipated solo debut of the Big Bang leader is a versatile and innovative album.
Heartbreaker is perhaps an album that one would not expect from the producer of Big Bang songs, famous for such compositions as Haru Haru and Geojitmal. The quality and innovation of this first solo album is not of the same caliber, but taken on its own terms the release has much to offer. What stands out in this album is the variety of sounds and diversity of every song. Rather than sticking to one concept, clearly G-Dragon has experimented with sundry sounds in an effort to grasp the core of himself. It is not difficult to draw parallels between G-Dragon's personal style and the structure of the album; where he himself is always innovative and changing, the same can be said about his first solo album. Given its mercurial and unexpected nature, it may take some time to get into the mood of the album. Some songs are instantly gratifying as they blast out from the speakers, while others need a little more time to fall for. Though they may seem a bit different and not immediately appealing, they carry that G-Dragon “sense” that will eventually pull you in nonetheless.
The album is a bit short with only ten tracks, but this makes it easy to go through and you may find yourself listening to it again and again.
It includes faster and pop-filled songs like Heartbreaker, Breathe, Hello and Korean Dream, which has a more electric rhythm, with nice beats and a composition that will be loved on any dance floor. These are followed by Butterfly, which is lovely in its simplicity and arrangement. He also includes quirky and flirty songs like A Boy and Station 1 year, which are playful and cute yet without being all “rainbow.” There is also a touch of raw hip hop with an arrogant attitude in The Leaders. That the album consists of different music genres guaranteed to please any crowd is a given.
As a debut solo album Heartbreaker is a very well-made product in which G-Dragon shows his versatility and adeptness in any given genre. Giving us a style he is familiar with and also delivering sounds that are new, there is plenty for both his old fans and also something to gain new followers. An album that is great for any mood and season, the high expectations for this project were certainly met.
G-Dragon planned to debut on SBS Inkigayo on the 23rd of August, but due to the sudden death of former president Kim Dae-Jung on the 18th of August, his debut was postponed as all music charting shows were canceled for a week. Despite that, Heartbreaker has already started to win first place in different music shows and is currently number one on a number of music sites. The album has already sold over 100,000 copies and managed to come in 15th place in the world music chart. The comeback was made on SBS's Inkigayo on the 30th of August. Heartbreaker is still charting as G-Dragon continues to promote the song on different music shows.
