Coup d'etat (G-Dragon album)

Coup d'Etat (stylized as COUP D'ETAT) is the second studio album by South Korean rapper G-Dragon, 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.[2][3][4]

Coup d'Etat
Part 1 digital album cover
Studio album by
G-Dragon
ReleasedDigital:
  • September 2, 2013 (part 1)
  • September 5, 2013 (part 2)
Physical:
September 13, 2013
Recorded2011–13
Genre
Length45:58
LanguageKorean
LabelYG
Producer
G-Dragon chronology
One of a Kind
(2012)		 Coup d'Etat
(2013)		 Coup d'Etat + One of a Kind & Heartbreaker
(2013)
Singles from Coup d'Etat
  1. "MichiGO"
    Released: April 20, 2013
  2. "Coup D'etat"
    Released: September 2, 2013
  3. "Crooked"
    Released: September 5, 2013
  4. "Who You?"
    Released: November 13, 2013
  5. "R.O.D."
    Released: September 29, 2013
Second album cover
Part 2 digital album cover

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.

Development

In an interview with Complex, G-Dragon explained that he did not feel connected with his first 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] In LOEN Entertainment's "Ask in A Box" interview, G-Dragon revealed that he took almost two years recording Coup 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 the One 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]

Composition

Coup d'Etat is an eclectic mix of hip-hop, dubstep, rock, electro, and pop.[5] The record features collaborations from various artists such as Diplo, Baauer, Missy Elliott, Boys Noize, Sky Ferreira, Zion.T, Lydia Paek, and labelmate Jennie Kim.[4][7] The album's title track, co-produced by American DJs Diplo and Baauer, is a slow tempo trap influenced song.[8] The collaboration with Missy Elliott, "Niliria", was distinctive for its ethnic and surrealist beat.[9] The duet with Lydia Paek, "R.O.D", is a dubstep track featuring Caribbean timbales[1] while "Black" was compared to the early '90s R&B ballads.[10] The single "Crooked" was described as a "catchy pop-punk"[11] track that fuses "heavy drumbeats and metal guitar riffs."[1] "Runaway" is a combination of alternative rock and electronic music[5] and "I Love It", which was co-produced by German DJ Boys 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]

Release

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 edition vinyl copies of Coup 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 in Seoul 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]

Promotion

On March 15, 2013 YG Entertainment announced that G-Dragon would release a new single to support his first world tour.[18] "MichiGo" was released exclusively through mobile app Line on April 1, available only on South Korea, Japan and Thailand.[19]

YG Entertainment announced in June that Missy Elliott and Diplo would be collaborating on the album.[7] A series of teaser photos were then released by YG Entertainment on August 26 and on August 27, 2013.[20][21] YG then released the full album track list on September 1 which revealed other collaborating artists such as Lydia Paek, Jennie Kim, Boys Noize, Baauer, and Sky Ferreira.[4]

G-Dragon and Missy Elliott debuted the song "Niliria" with a live performance on KCON 2013 on August 25, 2013 in Los Angeles.[22][23][24] YG Entertainment released the music video for "Coup d'Etat" on YouTube 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][25] The first televised performance was held at the talk show You Hee-yeol's Sketchbook on September 6, where G-Dragon performed the single "Crooked" and the solo version of "Niliria".[26] The first performance at a music show, which featured the tracks "Niliria", "Michi Go" and the debut of the song "Black", with the then YG trainee Jennie Kim, took place on SBS's Inkigayo on September 8, 2013.[27][28] On November 13, the fourth music video of the album, "Who You?" was released on YouTube.[29]

G-Dragon held an art exhibition in Seoul 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 number 8.[30][31]

On September 29, he and CL joined for the first live performance of "R.O.D", on the show Inkigayo. 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. [32]

Commercial performance

Tracks from Coup d'Etat topped major Korean music sites such as MelOn, Mnet, Bugs, Naver, and Olleh. A total of seven tracks were placed from one to seven on the Mnet charts upon release,[33] while six tracks from Coup d'Etat were also placed within the top 10 of the Gaon Singles Charts with "Who You?" being number one.[34] Up to August 2016, the album has sold over 6.2 million copies of digital downloads.[34] Coup d'Etat was the third best-selling digital album on Melon of 2013.[35] The album also topped the iTunes charts in several countries.[36][37]

On September 10, it was revealed the physical album had received pre-orders in excess of 300,000 copies in South Korea.[38] The album eventually debuted at number one in the Gaon Albums Chart[39] and went on to be number one on the same chart for the month of September after selling 198,489 copies.[40]

Coup d'Etat, Pt. 1 debuted at number 182 in the US Billboard 200 charts with first week sales of more than 2,000 copies.[41] Pt. 1 also topped Billboard World Album Chart, while Pt. 2 held the second spot.[42] On the Heatseekers Albums chart, the first and second parts debuted at number three and five, respectively.[42] Coup d'Etat made G-Dragon, along with boy band Shinee, be the first Korean act to enter Billboard's Year-end World Albums Artists.[43]

Coup d'Etat debuted at number eleven in the Oricon Albums Chart in Japan with an estimated total of 11,150 copies sold during its first week of release. The Japanese version of the album named Coup d'Etat + One of a Kind & Heartbreaker debuted at number two on the same chart.[44]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
MTV Iggyfavorable[45]
The New York Timesfavorable[10]
Pitchfork6.1/10[46]

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".[45] 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 strugging with insecurities, relationships and proving one's maturity perhaps just a bit prematurely."[1] 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.[47]

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."[10]

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."[46]

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."[48]

Track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Coup d'etat" (쿠데타; Kudeta; featuring Diplo and Baauer)G-Dragon
  • G-Dragon
  • Diplo
  • Baauer
  • Diplo
  • Baauer
2:58
2."Niliria" (늴리리야; Nililiya; featuring Missy Elliott)
  • Missy Elliott
  • G-Dragon
  • Teddy
  • G-Dragon
  • Missy Elliott
Teddy2:52
3."R.O.D." (featuring Lydia Paek)
TeddyTeddy3:56
4."Black" (featuring Jennie)
  • Teddy
  • G-Dragon
TeddyTeddy3:23
5."Who You?" (니가 뭔데; Niga Mwonde)G-Dragon
  • G-Dragon
  • Kush
  • Kush
  • Choice37
3:21
6."Shake the World" (세상을 흔들어; Sesangeul Heundeuleo)G-Dragon
  • G-Dragon
  • Choice37
Choice372:55
7."MichiGO" (미치Go; Michigo)G-Dragon
  • G-Dragon
  • Ham Seung-cheon
  • Kang Wook-jin
  • Ham Seung-cheon
  • Kang Wook-jin
3:28
8."Crooked" (삐딱하게; Ppiddak-hage)
  • Teddy
  • G-Dragon
  • Teddy
  • G-Dragon
Teddy3:45
9."Niliria" (늴리리야; Nililiya; G-Dragon ver.)
  • G-Dragon
  • Teddy
  • Teddy
  • Missy Elliott
  • G-Dragon
Teddy2:52
10."Runaway"G-Dragon
  • G-Dragon
  • Dee.P
Dee.P3:21
11."I Love It" (너무 좋아; Neomu Joh-a; featuring Zion.T & Boys Noize)G-Dragon
  • Boys Noize
  • Siriusmo
3:15
12."You Do" (outro)G-Dragon
  • G-Dragon
  • Choice37
Choice372:38
13."Window"
  • G-Dragon
  • Teddy
  • Choice37
  • Teddy
  • G-Dragon
Choice373:47
14."Black" (featuring Sky Ferreira)
  • Teddy
  • G-Dragon
TeddyTeddy3:24
Total length:45:58

Notes

  • Tracks 4, 5, 8 and 9 are promotional tracks.
  • Part 1 included tracks 1 to 5, whilst Part 2 included tracks 6 to 12.
  • Tracks 13 and 14 are exclusive to the physical edition.
  • Track 4 credits Jennie under the name "Jennie Kim of YG New Girl Group".

Sample credits

Charts

Release history
Region Date Label Format Ref
Worldwide September 2, 2013 (part 1) YG Entertainment digital download [2][3]
September 5, 2013 (part 2)
South Korea September 13, 2013
  • YG Entertainment
  • KT Music
 CD [4]
Taiwan October 4, 2013 Warner Music Taiwan CD [57]
South Korea October 18, 2013 YG Entertainment Vinyl (limited edition) [14]
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gollark: Directly DM message the ubiquitous form.
gollark: Until next wednesday.
gollark: Hopefully?!
gollark: Probably.

References
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  2. "Kudeta COUP D'ETAT, Pt. 1 – EP G-dragon". iTunes.apple.com. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  3. "쿠데타 COUP D'ETAT, Pt. 2 G-dragon". iTunes.apple.com. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
  4. "G-Dragon plans 'COUP D'ETAT' with 4-title song album tracklist". Allkpop. 1 September 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  5. Cho, Jaeki (10 September 2013). "The Making of G-Dragon's "Coup D'Etat"". Complex.
  6. "(LOEN TV) ASK IN A BOX:G-DRAGON(지드래곤)_COUP D'ETAT(쿠데타)" (YouTube video). LOEN Entertainment (in Korean). 18 September 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2013.
  7. "News About 'G-Dragon'". yg-life.com. 25 June 2013. Retrieved 2 September 2013.
  8. Oak, Jessica (2 September 2013). "G-Dragon Reveals Video for Diplo/Baauer-Produced "COUP D'ETAT" & Star-Studded Album Features". Billboard. Retrieved 3 September 2013.
  9. Frederick, Brendan (2 December 2013). "32. G Dragon f/ Missy Elliott "Niliria" - The 50 Best Songs of 2013". Complex. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  10. Caramanica, Jon (15 September 2013). "K-Pop's Antic Emissary Raids the Cupboard". The New York Times. Retrieved 17 September 2013.
  11. Hogan, Marc (6 September 2013). "G-Dragon Spreads Anarchy in K-Pop With Punk-Charged 'Crooked' Video". Spin. Retrieved 8 September 2013.
  12. Hogan, Marc (4 September 2013). "G-Dragon Takes Over With Diplo and Baauer in Spectacular 'Coup d'Etat' Video". Spin.
  13. Cho, Yo-rim (3 September 2013). "G-Dragon sweeps charts with 'Coup d'Etat'". Korea Herald.
  14. "Gd To Release Limited Edition Of 2nd Album Vinyl Lp: Who Will Be The Lucky 8888?". yg-life.com. 29 September 2013. Retrieved 30 September 2013.
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  52. "G-Dragon – Chart History – Independent Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  53. "G-Dragon – Chart History – Rap Albums". Billboard. Retrieved 2015-09-17.
  54. "2015 Week 20". Gaon (in Korean). Retrieved 19 May 2015.
  55. "2016 Week 07". Gaon (in Korean). Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  56. Cumulative sales of Coup d'Etat:
  57. "Warner Music Taiwan :: G-Dragon". Warner Music Taiwan. Retrieved 24 August 2017.
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