[MyDaily = Reporter Rosa Park] T.O.P., the former member of Big Bang, has sparked controversy after releasing solo material that references drugs and his former group in the lyrics.
On April 3 at 6 p.m., T.O.P. released his first solo full-length album, ANOTHER DIMENSION. The 11-track record features the title single "DESPERADO" and songs including "I'm Totally Crazy!" ("완전미쳤어!"), "SELF CRUCIFIXION" ("탑욕") and "OVAYA (A SMALL, FILTHY SHOW WINDOW)."
What has drawn the most attention are the album’s lyrics. Several tracks — notably "SELF CRUCIFIXION," "I'm Totally Crazy!" and "OVAYA" — touch on drug-related controversy, references to Big Bang, and direct messages to his fans. "SELF CRUCIFIXION" even closes with news audio from the drug case, and an anchor’s voice recreates the episode in which he reportedly blocked fans’ social media accounts.
On "I'm Totally Crazy!" he sings, "I'm so sorry but I loved Big Bang in my 20s — 'SAY LESS,'" then follows with a line that can be rendered as "my fans, torn to pieces and full of scars," conveying remorse toward his supporters. In "OVAYA," a lyric reads, "I’ll leave behind a glorious history and set a new resolve — I'm so sorry but I loved, 'I'm leaving, Big Bang!'" Some listeners have interpreted those lines as a deliberate distancing from any future Big Bang reunion.
Netizens responded with comments such as, "He put his mistakes into the song," "Thanks for coming back," "That gave me chills," "It really feels like he’s leaving," and "Is he drawing a line under Big Bang's return?"
Meanwhile, T.O.P. debuted with Big Bang in 2006 and rose to fame, but his activities were suspended after his involvement in a 2017 drug-use incident. He announced his retirement at one point, then reemerged last year with an appearance in Netflix's Squid Game Season 2.
