Rapper to work with Netflix-hit's art director Chae on music videos, rumored to be signing solo deal with Kakao Entertainment
Former Big Bang member T.O.P is set to return as a solo artist in the fourth quarter with a full-length album, industry sources said Tuesday.
It will be his first solo music release since his digital single “Doom Dada” 12 years ago.
And the star will is bringing in help for the video with a creative vituoso he worked with while acting in Netflix series “Squid Game 2.”
“T.O.P’s studio album is scheduled for release sometime in or after October. He has completed recording and plans to shoot several music videos. An art director of ‘Squid Game’ will oversee the production,” an industry source told The Korea Herald on condition of anonymity.
The art director and production designer for Netflix’s “Squid Game” is Chae Kyoung-sun, who won Art Directors Guild Awards in 2022 and 2025 for her work on the series, as well as a Primetime Emmy Award in 2022 for outstanding production design.
Hints of a T.O.P solo comeback have surfaced before. Last November, he replied “2025” to a fan asking about his solo activity on his Instagram account. In June, he revealed plans to return as a solo artist this year during an international interview promoting “Squid Game 2.”
After parting ways with YG Entertainment and leaving Big Bang in 2021, T.O.P has remained without an agency. Another industry insider said he is in talks to sign with Kakao Entertainment, a local entertainment giant, though the company denied the claim.
T.O.P faced controversy in 2016 when he was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, for using marijuana while serving as a conscripted police officer.
His mandatory military duty was later converted to an alternative social service. Following the incident, he announced retirement from the entertainment industry but reversed course by appearing in “Squid Game 2.”
In an interview with local media in January, the rapper reflected on his past.
“In my 20s, I was fortunate to receive so much love, but I made huge mistakes and collapsed mentally. I still feel ashamed and believe I must always reflect on those mistakes,” T.O.P said.
“Whenever I’m in the studio, I feel alive. I’ve been working constantly and created a lot of music, and I believe the time has come to share it with the world,” he added.
Source: https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10586412
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