From rigid order to raw rebellion, how five G-Dragon songs shook my military-born identity
Breaking the Mold - How G-Dragon Shattered My Structured World
As a Korean-American who served in the U.S. Army,
my life was grounded in discipline, hierarchy, and silent endurance.
Then I moved back to Korea—and G-Dragon hit like a cultural explosion.
He wasn’t just an idol. He was an artistic revolt.
Where the military demanded control, G-Dragon offered chaos—purposeful, beautiful chaos.
His music became the soundtrack to a side of myself I never had space to explore.
"One of a Kind" - A Personal Anthem Against Military Uniformity
In the Army, we’re trained to blend in.
Personal style, bold speech, individuality—none of that has room in the barracks.
But when I first heard “One of a Kind,”
I felt someone finally say what I couldn’t:
“I’m not like the rest, and that’s my power.”
This track broke the silence I had internalized for years.
It gave me permission to exist loudly, unapologetically.
"Crooked" - Emotional Chaos That Brought Unexpected Comfort
Military life teaches emotional suppression.
You tough it out. You don’t show fear, weakness, or sadness.
But “Crooked”—with its punk-inspired aggression and messy vulnerability—
let me feel everything I’d been taught to ignore.
Watching G-Dragon unravel on screen made my own unraveling feel less shameful.
For once, falling apart didn’t feel like failure—it felt like healing.
"Untitled, 2014" - The Song That Spoke Louder Than Silence
After discharge, I sat alone for the first time in years,
no orders, no drills—just me and an open evening.
That night, I listened to “Untitled, 2014.”
No beats, no theatrics—just voice and piano.
It was raw, tender, and vulnerable in a way that caught me off guard.
I didn’t need armor anymore. I needed honesty.
And this song gave me that.
"Who You?" - A Community-Built Art Piece That Challenged Hierarchy
The military operates on hierarchy.
Orders flow top-down, and individual voice is rarely a factor.
But “Who You?” reversed that structure.
Fans were invited into the music video, shaping the final product themselves.
It was art by the people, for the people.
To me, it felt revolutionary—an invitation to belong, not just obey.
"That XX" - The Raw Honesty I Never Said Out Loud
“That XX” wasn’t polished. It wasn’t censored. It wasn’t safe.
It was honest.
With guitar loops and explicit lyrics, G-Dragon laid bare betrayal, heartbreak, and rage—
emotions I’d carried through deployments but never named.
This song said out loud what I had only ever screamed in silence.
And that, strangely enough, felt like relief.