“Powerful statement”- Fans react as G-DRAGON revives ‘Crooked’ live, sparks buzz with ‘menace to society’ shirt amid South Korea ‘s recent protests

On Wednesday, December 25, G-Dragon rocked the audience with his thrilling performance at the 2024 SBS Gayo Daejeon. The K-pop idol performed his recently released single POWER, along with his 2013 track Crooked. Although his entire performance was praised by his fans, his song Crooked received additional attention. The 2013 song is from his studio album Coup d'Etat. The album's title is a French term for a rapid, forceful, and unlawful seizure of power from a government.

GD's performance became more relevant in the aftermath of the protests in South Korea, which occurred after the country's president, Yoon Suk-yeol, hastily declared martial law on December 3, 2024. Although martial law was lifted after six hours, public fury persisted, and they demanded the removal of the president.

Consequently, fans flooded the internet with their praises for GD's performance. One user on X stated:

“G-DRAGON IS THE MOMENT. Performing "Crooked" after all these years, especially following the protests in South Korea, is such a powerful statement.”

Many other mixed responses to GD’s Crooked performance were seen online. While many said watching the idol perform was an “Absolute Cinema,” others lauded his bravery as he wore an evocative t-shirt with “Menace to society” printed on it.

“gdragon performing crooked for the first time in years after the protests that happened in sk while wearing a “menace to society” shirt is ABSOLUTE CINEMA,” a fan commented.

“G-Dragon performing "Crooked" again, wearing a "menace to society" shirt after the protests, is truly iconic and powerful,” stated another fan.

“combination of art, music, and politics, with G-Dragon using his platform to make a statement. It's the kind of moment that stands out in music history, for sure—absolute cinema, indeed,” another X user wrote.

Many complimented the idol for taking a “stand" and using his platform to make social-political statements.

“One of the only idols to actually stand for something,” a fan commented.

“I love when idols actually step up to change the industry!!! Forever the king of kpop,” another fan stated.

“He's doing it with purpose and i love him for it,” commented an admirer.

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G-DRAGON, aespa, Stray Kids, BABYMONSTER, NewJeans, and more performed at the 2024 SBS Gayo Daejeon music festival

The annual music festival was held in the Inspire Arena in Incheon, South Korea. The 2024 SBS Gayo Daejeon is a yearly music festival held by South Korean broadcaster SBS. The 2024 roster included well-known K-pop acts like G-Dragon, 2NE1, Stray Kids, NCT Dream, and others.

Here's the full list of performers from the 2024 SBS Gayo Daejeon:

• NCT Dream
• Stray Kids
• TOMORROW X TOGETHER
• NewJeans
• IVE
• ITZY
• RIIZE
• TWS
• ZEROBASEONE
• NCT WISH
• SHINee's Key
• ATEEZ
• NCT 127
• ENHYPEN
• LE SSERAFIM
• aespa
• BOYNEXTDOOR
• NMIXX
• ILLIT
• (G)I-DLE
• 2NE1
• WayV
• BABYMONSTER
• TREASURE
• Lee Young-ji
• CRAVITY
• izna
• NEXZ
• G-Dragon

This year's music festival revolved around the theme of Merry Music, implying a festive edition. The show's MCs were Doyoung from NCT, Yeonjun from TXT, and Yunjin from IVE. Fans can watch GD's performance on SBS Entertainment's YouTube page.

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In related news, G-Dragon also gave a live performance at the 2024 MAMA Awards. On November 24, 2024, GD and BIGBANG made a significant return to the stage, headlining the evening after a nine-year gap.