G-Dragon - Coup d'etat

I. Introduction

Coup d'Etat (stylized as COUP D"ETAT) is the second studio album by South Korean rapper G-Dragon, a member, and leader of the K-pop group Big Bang. The album was initially released on iTunes. The first five tracks of the album were released on September 2, 2013, the next seven tracks were released on September 5, and physical copies were released on September 13. The album contains the single "MichiGO" which was released earlier in 2013.

The album charted at number one on the South Korean Gaon Album Chart and entered the Billboard 200, making G-Dragon the first K-pop act with multiple entries in that chart. Coup d'Etat received primarily favorable reviews by critics.

II. Critical Reception

In a review for MTV, Alexis Stephens wrote that G-Dragon "created a post-modern pastiche of worldwide pop idol sounds" that at times "feels like empty calories". Jeff Benjamin and Jessica Oak of Billboard felt that the album "establishes that K-pop stars are no different than pop stars of the West and, really, no different than everyday people struggling with insecurities, relationships and proving one's maturity perhaps just a bit prematurely." David Jeffries of AllMusic noted that G-Dragon "set his sights on America" with this album, and declared that, "when this flashy and slick effort goes deep", the listener will be shocked.

Jon Caramanica of The New York Times expressed that "K-pop is gloriously synthetic, and G-Dragon is a miraculous canvas to work with. He morphs easily into almost any style, he moves with panache and confidence, and he has a perpetual sense of theater about him." The critic also noted that Coup d'Etat "is perhaps the K-pop album with America most heavily on its mind and in its credits."

Corban Goble of Pitchfork felt that the album's best moments came from the delivery of "G-Dragon's superstar promise" and in the capitalization of "his enormous charisma." He concluded in his review that, "if you come to Coup d'Etat expecting some kind of revolution you'll be disappointed; it's an intriguing listen, if not an important one."

Complex ranked the album's red cover at number 20 on their "The 50 Best Pop Album Covers of the Past Five Years" list, with Dale Eisinger commenting that:

Quote

"In a truly globalized environment, where pop singers trade across borders with ease, a singer like G-Dragon is less of an anomaly and more of a visionary, even if the semaphore buried in the original symbol might not hold up in this new iteration. But what does work is that East/West divide that emptying out the right side of this icon offers - the roundness, the oneness of the circle, is emphasized over the original symbol, giving new global weight to the international smash-hit album's visuals."

III. Track Listing

IV. Music Video & Audio

V. Accolades

Music Program Wins: