T.O.P Talks About His Past, Present, & Future in New Interview

On January 16, Korean rapper, actor, and former BigBang member T.O.P (Choi Seung Hyun) gave his first interview in 11 years, joined by multiple media outlets. Here are the key highlights:

On Playing Thanos in “Squid Game 2” 

T.O.P described the offer to play Thanos as a daunting proposition, as the character mirrored aspects of his own past. “For almost 10 years, I felt no one looked at me, but director Hwang Dong-hyuk reached out to me first. The trust (and) the belief he had in me gave me the courage to take this on. As an actor, it is my duty to repay the trust,” he said. To prepare, he researched the effects of the potent drug his character uses in the series.

On Leaving BigBang 

“To be completely honest, I’m someone who has caused so much damage to Bigbang and my former company (YG) because of my mistakes. That’s why I’ve told my agency and the members for several years now, ‘I can’t cause any more damage, so I’ll leave the team.’ If I do something on my own and do something in the future, I’ll have to endure everything related to that and the criticism. If I go back to the team that I’ve caused damage to, I can’t bear the thought of being labeled as the person who caused the damage, and I’m tortured by it.“

On Blocking Fans on Social Media 

“When I read the posts of fans who want a reunion or those who want to see the reunion, my heart ached,” he explained. “To me, it felt like looking at photos of a family I lost. When I see things like that on SNS, unless you’re the person involved, you can’t describe the pain. I was reckless in choosing that method (blocking fans), but that was not my true intention.“

On Music 

“For seven years, I lived in isolation, creating music as my way to survive and heal. I wrote countless songs, pouring my inner turmoil into them, and I hope to share them with my fans.”

On a BigBang Reunion 

“It’d be shameful for me to do so. I already decided long ago that I didn’t want to hurt the group’s image anymore, and that has not changed.”

On Life Goals 

“My goal is a less dramatic life. I want to wake up without being bombarded by negative news and feel at peace.” 

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Upcoming Tours, Events, & Performances

• SHINee‘s Taemin “EPHEMERAL GAZE“ 2024-2025 World Tour in Brussels and Manchester.

• GOT7‘s Jay B Asia dates for 2025 solo tour “TAPE: RE: LOAD.“

• “Waterbomb Manila 2025” includes: EXO‘s Chanyeol, Epik High, Kwon Eunbi, Baekho, MAMAMOO‘s Hwasa, and more. Check on the full list on Instagram.

• j-hope’s first solo tour “HOPE ON THE STAGE,“ in North America dates.

• “Golden Wave in Bangkok 2025“ lineup includes ENHYPEN.

• BIGBANG‘s G-Dragon, BTS‘s j-hope, and BLACKPINK‘s Rosé will perform at “Le Gala des Pièces Jaunes“ on January 23, 2025.

ICYMI:

• IVE‘s Yujin has been confirmed as part of the cast lineup for Netflix‘s “Crime Scene.”

• U-KISS‘s Lee Jun Young and Apink‘s Jeong Eun Ji are confirmed to star in the new rom-com K-drama “Pump Up the Healthy Love.”

• GOT7‘s Jinyoung is set to star in the K-drama “The Witch” with Jeong Eui, premiering on February 15.

Our Favorite Music From This Week

IVE released a pop-rock track reminiscent of the 2010s, “REBEL HEART.“ The song focuses on themes of self-love and standing strong against judgment, with lyrics like: “Love me, hate me / You will never be, never be, never be me / Try me, I‘ll break free / You will never be, never be, never be me.“

GFRIEND released a special album, “Season of Memories,“ which only contains 2 songs, including the pre-release track “Season of Memories.“ Despite the disappointment, the second track, “However,“ is too good to skip.

ONEUS‘s “DEVILISH LOVE,“ from the group‘s special album “Dear.M,“ is a sexy, dreamy, and devilish track that deserves a spot on everyone‘s Valentine‘s Day playlist.

Wei‘s 7th mini-album, “The Feelings,“ features five songs, with the standout being the retro-sounding “143 ILY.“

BBGIRL‘s “LOVE 2“ came as a pleasant surprise, delivering a nostalgic, retro pop vibe perfect for spring, complete with ethereal falsetto adlibs.

Next Week’s Comeback Schedule

Sunday, January 19, 2025

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Monday, January 20, 2025

• ZEROBASEONE: Pre-release Single “Doctor! Doctor!“

• GOT7: Ep “WINTER HEPTAGON“

• KickFlip: 1st Mini Album “Flip it, Kick it!“

Tuesday, January 21, 2025

• MINNIE ((G)I-DLE): 1st Mini Album “HER“

Wednesday, January 22, 2025

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Thursday, January 23, 2025

• CIX: 7th Ep “THUNDER FEVER“

• COiBLEN: 3rd Single “Promise“

Friday, January 24, 2025

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Saturday, January 25, 2025

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— Javeria Yousuf

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