"He's very deep and true to his craft"— Fans defend G-Dragon’s upcoming album amid controversy

South Korean rapper and songwriter G-Dragon announced the release of his third upcoming album, Übermensch, through his official Instagram account. The title of the record, however, sparked controversy among the K-pop community. The term was a key component used during World War II, notably by N*zi Germany, to promote the idea of a biologically superior Aryan race.

Introduced by the German classical scholar and philosopher Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche in 1883 as part of his Prologue in the book titled Thus Spoke Zarathustra, the word referred to the concept of the perfect or ideal superior man of the future, emphasizing certain values and beliefs.

However, it must be noted that the 'racial version of Nietzsche's 'ubermensch' does not originate with him. The German philosopher has been adopted by the alt-right, but he was consistently critical of both antisemitism and German nationalism.

According to YardBarker, G-Dragon, in a statement about the upcoming album, defined the use of the title. He said,

“’Übermensch’ means ‘Beyond-Man,’ representing an individual who transcends themselves. This album embodies the idea of presenting a stronger and more resilient version of oneself to the public. I hope this strength resonates with my fans through my music.”

The K-pop community was divided into two sections. While one side condemned G-Dragon's usage of the title 'Übermensch' for his forthcoming album as they linked it to alt-right politics. The other side believed that internet users should read history properly before criticizing the male artist. An X user tweeted, defending the artist:

"Hes very deep and true to his craft."

Internet users assumed that since G-Dragon had an excellent command of the English language, he should have thought twice before using a controversial word. Many criticized the rapper for overlooking the historical context of the term.

"And he has an incredible command of the English language - I get that this is German but he can read the mean and context. No excuse of misunderstanding," a fan reacted.

"i am so baffled why gd thought it is a good idea to use german title that is so n*zi coded down to a f*cking font... especially now in these times... why?," a fan mentioned.

"i know nietzsche, i didn't say that gd is n*zi but i am still baffled by these choices of going german and with this font, no matter intentions one has to be aware of how this looks... could as well slap the "good" swastika on the cover in attempt to reclaim it from N*zis," a fan commented.

"ksjsjskd in which case gd should've stuck to korean words if you're gonna choose a German philosophy, a German word.....the least that's expected is that you look into the cultural history imagine tour merch with this font and imagery..... straight up neo n*zi themed," a fan shared.

Many fans also came forward in defense of G-Dragon and stated that the idol had been reading Nietzsche's philosophy for a long time.

"He has been reading a lot of philosophy these years and Nietzsche's ideas helped him overcame his own fears It helped him build a strong mind and not cave under all the outside pressure. I guess in a way both him and Nietzsche got their ideas missinterpreted to fit others agenda," a user reacted.

"But ANYWAY, it was clear from the very first moment why G-Dragon chose that specific word as a title, based on Nietzsche, so I don't understand the urge to create false narratives and malicious associations. Please be careful with your words. Words can create unnecessary wars," a user shared.

"Often misunderstood as a call for a superior human 'race', Nietzsche's Übermensch is actually a call for personal self-discovery and self-overcoming." This article said it all," a user mentioned.

"since yall wont open an history book and calling G-Dragon a N*zi.. Nietzsche's Übermensch was coined in 1883 and N*zi Party was founded in 1920, Nietzsche himself, who died in 1900, was NOT a N*zi. go study some history," a user commented.

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More about G-Dragon's upcoming album Übermensch

Übermensch is the third full-length album of the rapper and songwriter G-Dragon. It features eight tracks—Home Sweet Home (feat. Taeyang and Daesung), Power, Too Bad, Drama, Ibelongiiu, Take Me, Bonamana, and Gyro-drop. A teaser for the upcoming record was released by the artist through his Instagram on February 4, 2025.

The record will be released through Galaxy Corporation and distributed by Kakao Entertainment. It is to be noted that the songs Home Sweet Home (feat. Taeyang and Daesung) and Power have already been released on November 22, 2024, and October 31, 2024, respectively.

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Übermensch is slated for release on February 25, 2025, through Galaxy Corporation and Kakao Entertainment.