The Elvis of K-pop to headline Las Vegas Strip
The King lives!
We speak of G-Dragon, known as the King of K-Pop. The singer, rapper, songwriter, record producer, fashion icon and entrepreneur touches down at T-Mobile Arena on Aug. 31 (tickets on sale 10 a.m. Friday at g-dragontour.com).
The show is on the headliner’s “Übermensch” tour, supporting the album of the same name. It is the global superstar’s first release since 2017. The album dropped in February and has exceeded 500,000 in sales, reaching No. 10 on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart.
The top-selling single “Power” ended the recording star’s lengthy hiatus, and generated demand for his current world tour.
G-Dragon visits Australia and Indonesia before beginning launching the North American dates Aug. 22 in Newark, N.J. He does huge box-office business. He sold out Tokyo Dome on back-to-back nights in May. His three sold-out concerts at Galaxy Macau helped that region get off to a strong start financially this month.
As an analyst told MacauBusiness.com, “This is a very healthy level … Seemingly helped by G-Dragon concert as well as the Dragon Boat festival.”
For those not familiar, the artist born Kwon Ji Yong seems an AI figure come to life. He’s a notable fashion leader, as Chanel’s first Asian global ambassador. Androgynous in style and stage presentation, G-Dragon has been a cultural trendsetter for nearly 20 years. He was originally the leader of powerhouse K-pop band Big Bang, a band that long preceded such superstars as BTS.
The trio formed in 2006, quickly growing into a trailblazer in the K-pop movement (the band’s 2012 single “Fantastic Baby” is No. 31 on Rolling Stone’s list of all-time, boy-band songs).
G-Dragon was the subject of a lengthy profile in Vogue this past March, with the magazine stating, “He is widely known for his capricious sartorial swings through the years, a distinctive personal style that sees an effortless mix of feminine tropes and streetwear sensibilities.”
In an interview with Rolling Stone, the 36-year-old, multi-hyphen icon said of his production, “This isn’t just a concert — it’s my next chapter. I’ve grown, changed, and challenged myself in ways I never imagined.
“I want my fans to feel every second of that transformation live on stage together.”
John Katsilometes’ column runs daily in the A section. Contact him at jkatsilometes@reviewjournal.com. Follow @johnnykats on X, @JohnnyKats1 on Instagram.