| Coup d'Etat | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | September 5, 2013 | |||
| Recorded | 2011–2013 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 45:58 | |||
| Language | ||||
| Label | YG | |||
| Producer | ||||
| G-Dragon chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Coup d'Etat | ||||
Coup d'Etat is the secondstudio album by South Korean rapperG-Dragon, member and leader of South Korean boy bandBig Bang. The album was initially released oniTunes. 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.[2][3][4]
The album was supported by the singles "Black" and "Who You?" released on September 2, and "Crooked" and "Niliria" on September 5. It also contains the promotional single "MichiGO", which was released on April 1, 2013. The album charted at number one on the South KoreanGaon Album Chart and entered theBillboard 200, making G-Dragon the first K-pop act with multiple entries in that chart.Coup d'Etat received primarily favorable reviews by critics.
In an interview withComplex, G-Dragon explained that he did not feel connected with hisfirst solo album anymore. Commenting on the evolution of his sound, he stated:
"Now, I've been in the game for some time, and I understand how to have a better balance of things. I've come to realize ways of making music without being excessive. I'm more at ease when I'm rapping. Whether it's music or fashion, the older I get, I realize what's comfortable lasts longer. And a lot of that is reflected in the new album."[5]
G-Dragon mostly worked with YG's in house producers, Choice37, Teddy Park and Kush.[5] InLOEN Entertainment's "Ask in A Box" interview, G-Dragon revealed that he took almost two years recordingCoup d'Etat. He first recorded demos for "Niliria" and "Runaway" in 2011.[6][5] When discussing why the album took years to be completed, the rapper said:
"There are various reasons why the second album took so long. Mostly, I just wanted to make things better and better. I have a lot of records that I sketched out, but they're not really organized properly. So instead of putting out incomplete records, I wanted to trim things down and make it super tight. That's why we put out theOne of a Kind (2012) mini-album out first. With the remaining time, I redid the records, molded them, and now they're complete. Whenever I consider putting something out, I just feel like more needs to be done. I wouldn't say that I'm not confident, but it's more so a sense of feeling like I could make it better. That's why it took so long."[5]
Coup d'Etat is an eclectic mix of hip-hop, dubstep, rock, electro, and pop.[5] The record features collaborations from various artists such asDiplo,Baauer,Missy Elliott,Boys Noize,Sky Ferreira,Zion.T, Lydia Paek, and label-mateJennie Kim, who later became a member ofBlackpink three years after the album's release.[4][7] The album's title track, co-produced by American DJs Diplo and Baauer, is a slow tempotrap influenced song.[8] The collaboration withMissy Elliott, "Niliria", was distinctive for itsethnic andsurrealist beat.[9] The duet with Lydia Paek, "R.O.D", is a dubstep track featuringCaribbeantimbales[1] while "Black" was compared to the early '90sR&B ballads.[10] The single "Crooked" was described as a "catchypop-punk"[11] track that fuses "heavy drumbeats and metal guitar riffs."[1] "Runaway" is a combination ofalternative rock andelectronic music[5] and "I Love It", which was co-produced by German DJBoys Noize, is a "smooth R&B-disco mash-up".[1] Lastly, "Window" is a hiphop and pop track with melancholic 80s synths "blended with tribal beats".[1]
The album was first released digitally divided in two parts:Coup d'État: Part I was released on September 2, 2013, with the first five tracks of the tracklist, while the seven additional tracks were released on September 5. The physical edition, including two exclusive tracks, was released on September 14.[12][13]
On September 29, 2013,YG Entertainment announced that limited editionvinyl copies ofCoup d'Etat would be released on October 18. The package was said to include a badge, a mask and a booklet with hand-written lyrics. Photos from the "Space Eight" art exhibition held inSeoul as well as photos from the "Coup d'Etat" music video would also be included. Only 8,888 units were sold.[14][15] Pre-orders for the vinyl edition was made available on September 30, it sold out on October 2 after getting pre-orders for all copies.[16][17]
On March 15, 2013YG Entertainment announced that G-Dragon would release a new promotional single to support hisfirst world tour.[18] "MichiGo" was released exclusively through mobile appLine on April 1, available only on South Korea, Japan and Thailand.[19] "Black" featuring then-YG trainee Jennie and "Who You?" were released as the first two singles on September 2, followed by the third and fourth singles "Crooked" and "Niliria" (G-Dragon version) on September 5.[20][21]
YG Entertainment announced in June thatMissy Elliott andDiplo would be collaborating on the album.[7] A series of teaser photos were then released byYG Entertainment on August 26 and on August 27, 2013.[22][23] YG then released the full album track list on September 1 which revealed other collaborating artists such as Lydia Paek, Jennie,Boys Noize,Baauer, andSky Ferreira.[4]
G-Dragon and Missy Elliott debuted the song "Niliria" with a live performance onKCON 2013 on August 25, 2013, in Los Angeles.[24][25][26] YG Entertainment released themusic video for "Coup d'Etat" onYouTube on September 1, 2013, which garnered over 750,000 views after a day.[8] The music video for "Crooked" was then released on September 4, 2013.[11][27] The first televised performance was held at the talk showYou Hee-yeol's Sketchbook on September 6, where G-Dragon performed the single "Crooked" and the solo version of "Niliria".[28] The first performance at amusic show, which featured the tracks "Niliria", "Michi Go" and the debut of the song "Black" with Jennie took place onSBS'sInkigayo on September 8, 2013.[29][30] On November 13, the fourth music video of the album, "Who You?" was released on YouTube.[31]
G-Dragon held an art exhibition inSeoul on September 10 to 17, 2013 which coincided with the release of the album. The exhibition was entitled "Space Eight". The art exhibition showcased 88 items which relates to the number8.[32][33] On September 29, he andCL joined for the first live performance of "R.O.D", on the showInkigayo. YG was speculated to re-release the single as a sleeper single. The song "R.O.D." was rumored to be the final single of the album by various sources.[34]
Tracks fromCoup d'Etat topped major Korean music sites such asMelOn,Mnet,Bugs,Naver, andOlleh. A total of seven tracks were placed from one to seven on theMnet charts upon release,[35] while six tracks fromCoup d'Etat were also placed within the top 10 of theGaonSingles Charts with "Who You?" being number one.[36] Up to August 2016, the album has sold over 6.2 million copies of digital downloads.[36]Coup d'Etat was the third best-selling digital album onMelon of 2013.[37] The album also topped theiTunes charts in several countries.[38][39]
On September 10, it was revealed the physical album had received pre-orders in excess of 300,000 copies inSouth Korea.[40] The album eventually debuted at number one in theGaon Albums Chart[41] and went on to be number one on the same chart for the month of September after selling 198,489 copies.[42]Coup d'Etat, Pt. 1 debuted at number 182 in the USBillboard 200 charts with first week sales of more than 2,000 copies.[43]Pt. 1 also toppedBillboard World Album Chart, whilePt. 2 held the second spot.[44] On the Heatseekers Albums chart, the first and second parts debuted at number three and five, respectively.[44]Coup d'Etat made G-Dragon, along with boy bandShinee, be the first Korean act to enterBillboard's Year-end World Albums Artists.[45]
Coup d'Etat debuted at number eleven in theOricon Albums Chart inJapan with an estimated total of 11,150 copies sold during its first week of release.[citation needed] The Japanese version of the album namedCoup d'Etat + One of a Kind & Heartbreaker debuted at number two on the same chart.[46]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| MTV Iggy | favorable[47] |
| The New York Times | favorable[10] |
| Pitchfork | 6.1/10[48] |
In a review forMTV, Alexis Stephens wrote that G-Dragon "created apost-modernpastiche of worldwide pop idol sounds" that at times "feels like empty calories".[47] Jeff Benjamin and Jessica Oak ofBillboard 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."[1] David Jeffries ofAllMusic 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.[49]
Jon Caramanica ofThe 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 thatCoup d'Etat "is perhaps the K-pop album with America most heavily on its mind and in its credits."[10]
Corban Goble ofPitchfork 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 toCoup d'Etat expecting some kind of revolution you'll be disappointed; it's an intriguing listen, if not an important one."[48]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:
"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 a new global weight to the international smash-hit album's visuals."[50]
| Song | Program | Date |
|---|---|---|
| "Black" | M Countdown | September 12, 2013 |
| September 19, 2013 | ||
| "Coup d'Etat" | Inkigayo | September 15, 2013 |
| "Who You?" | Music Bank | September 20, 2013 |
| "Crooked" | Inkigayo | September 22, 2013 |
| September 29, 2013 | ||
| M Countdown | September 26, 2013 | |
| Music Bank | September 27, 2013 |
| No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Arrangement | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Coup d'Etat" (쿠데타;Kudeta; featuringDiplo andBaauer) | G-Dragon |
|
| 2:58 |
| 2. | "Niliria" (늴리리야;Nililiya; featuringMissy Elliott) |
|
| Teddy | 2:52 |
| 3. | "R.O.D." (featuring Lydia Paek) |
| Teddy | Teddy | 3:56 |
| 4. | "Black" (featuringJennie ofBlackpink) |
| Teddy | Teddy | 3:23 |
| 5. | "Who You?" (니가 뭔데;Niga Mwonde) | G-Dragon |
|
| 3:21 |
| 6. | "Shake the World" (세상을 흔들어;Sesangeul Heundeuleo) | G-Dragon |
| Choice37 | 2:55 |
| 7. | "GO" (미치Go;Michigo; lit. Crazy GO) | G-Dragon |
|
| 3:28 |
| 8. | "Crooked" (삐딱하게;Ppiddak-hage) |
|
| Teddy | 3:45 |
| 9. | "Niliria" (늴리리야;Nililiya; G-Dragon ver.) |
|
| Teddy | 2:52 |
| 10. | "Runaway" | G-Dragon |
| Dee.P | 3:21 |
| 11. | "I Love It" (너무 좋아;Neomu Joh-a; featuringZion.T andBoys Noize) | G-Dragon |
|
| 3:15 |
| 12. | "You Do" (outro) | G-Dragon |
| Choice37 | 2:38 |
| 13. | "Window" |
|
| Choice37 | 3:47 |
| 14. | "Black" (featuringSky Ferreira) |
| Teddy | Teddy | 3:24 |
| Total length: | 46:19 | ||||
Notes
Sample credits
Weekly charts[edit]
| Yearly charts[edit]
|
| Region | Sales amount |
|---|---|
| South Korea | 204,758[58] |
| United States | 4,000[43] |
| Region | Date | Label | Format | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | September 2, 2013 (part 1) | YG Entertainment | [2] | |
| September 5, 2013 (part 2) | [3] | |||
| South Korea | September 13, 2013 |
| CD | [4] |
| Taiwan | October 4, 2013 | Warner Music Taiwan | [59] | |
| South Korea | October 18, 2013 | YG Entertainment | Vinyl(limited edition) | [14] |
