One of a Kind (G-Dragon song)
"One of a Kind" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by G-Dragon | ||||
from the album One of a Kind | ||||
Released | 24 August 2012 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 3:26 | |||
Label | YG Entertainment | |||
Songwriter(s) | G-Dragon | |||
Producer(s) | G-Dragon, Choice37 | |||
G-Dragon singles chronology | ||||
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"One of a Kind" is a song by South Korean rapper G-Dragon. Released on August 24, 2012 through YG Entertainment, it served as the lead single from the extended play of the same name. Written solely by G-Dragon, the rapper also worked with long-time collaborator Choice37 to produce the music. The song was well received by music critics, that considered it one of his best work and one of the most influential Korean hip hop tracks. "One of a Kind" peaked at number nine on the Gaon Music Chart in South Korea.[1]
Composition and reception
A hip hop and pop-rap song, the lyrics discuss "cheeky" themes such as money and fame.[2][3][4] David Jeffries of Allmusic deemed the track as "a bright, boastful number with a hooky chorus and plenty of exciting production tricks".[5] Billboard named "One of a Kind" the seventeenth best K-pop song of 2012, praising the "knocking hip-hop beat that today's biggest rappers would kill for" and how G-Dragon "showed off his impressive knack for flow and lyrics".[6] Web portal Daum named the single the fifth best Korean song of the year, calling it a "masterpiece" and its composition "outstanding".[7]
Korean music critic Kim Bong-hyun included "One of a Kind" in his book of most influential Korean hip hop songs from 1989 to 2016, naming it one of the 28 tracks that shaped the genre.[8] "One of a Kind" was also the only song by a solo artist to be included in The Dong-a Ilbo's 2016 list of the best male idol songs in the past 20 years.[9] Ize magazine listed "One of a Kind" as one of the most memorable songs written by G-Dragon, commenting that it raised his status as a hip-hop musician.[10]
Commercially, the song became the fifth track from the album to peak within Gaon Digital Chart's top ten, when it rose to number nine in its second week, after a debut at number 21.[11][12] The track earned him the Best Hip Hop / Rap Song of the Year awards from the Korean Music Awards and the Rhythmer Awards.[13]
Music video
The music video for "One of a Kind" preceded the album, being released on YouTube on August 25, 2012, marking his first solo release since Heartbreaker (2009).[14] Directed by Seo Hyun Seung, the video was described as "autobiographical" and "glittered with designer items."[15] G-Dragon is seen wearing outfits that he has worn in previous music videos. Fellow Big Bang member, Taeyang makes an appearance.[16] David Bevan of Spin called it "a dazzling clip" for the "undeniable pop-rap juggernaut" track.[4] Stereogum named "One of a Kind" the best music video of the week, with Tom Breihan commenting that "[I]f you don’t have a baby tiger on a leash or a dancing bear cub in your video, you lost. Sometimes, it’s just that simple. K-pop has discovered skate-rap, and we should all be very, very excited about that."[17] Fuse called it one of G-Dragon's "must-see videos", noting that the "Explicit Content" reinterpreted sticker is "one of his most memorable looks".[18]
Chart and sales
Chart | Peak
position |
---|---|
South Korea (Gaon Music Chart) [1] | 9 |
South Korea (Billboard K-Pop Hot 100)[19] | 14 |
Billboard US World Chart[20] | 7 |
Sales
Chart | Sales |
---|---|
South Korea (Gaon Download Chart) | 777,782[21] |
Awards
Year | Award-Giving Body | Category | Result | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|
2013 | Korean Music Awards | Song of the Year | Nominated | [22][23] |
Best Rap/Hip-hop Song | Won | |||
Rhythmer Awards | Best Hiphop Song of The Year | Won | [13] | |
2012 | HipHopPlaya Awards | Music Video of the Year | Won |
References
- ^ a b "국내 대표 음악 차트 가온차트!". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
- ^ "G-Dragon Goes Solo with One Of A Kind". seoulbeats. 2012-09-24. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
- ^ "K-Pop Review: One of a Kind by G-Dragon". KpopStarz. 2012-10-11. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
- ^ a b Bevan, David (2013-01-21). "K-Pop's New Style: G-Dragon Blazes a Cray Path". Spin. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
- ^ Jeffries, David. "One of a Kind - G-Dragon". AllMusic. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
- ^ Benjamin, Jeff; Oak, Jessica (December 21, 2012). "20 Best K-Pop Songs of 2012: BIGBANG, PSY, 2NE1 & More". Billboard. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^ "국내노래 TOP 10". Daum Music (in Korean). January 18, 2013. Archived from the original on January 8, 2015. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^ "[책의 향기]홍서범부터 GD까지 '쇼 미 더' 한국 힙합". Dong-a News (in Korean). August 5, 2017. Retrieved August 13, 2017.
- ^ ""반짝반짝 눈이 부셔"… 빅뱅-소녀시대 역대 최고 아이돌 원문보". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^ "G-Dragon 고별展│가사로 본 지 드래곤의 인생". Ize Magazine (in Korean). June 13, 2017. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
- ^ "2012년 39주차 Digital Chart". Gaon Chart. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^ "2012년 38주차 Digital Chart". Gaon Chart. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^ a b "제3회 리드머 어워드(3rd RHYTHMER AWARDS) 수상결과 | 리드머 - 대한민국 대표 흑인음악 미디어". board.rhythmer.net (in Korean). Retrieved 2017-07-09.
- ^ "G-Dragon Unleashes MV for "One of a Kind"". Soompi. August 24, 2012.
- ^ Kim, JiYeon (2012-08-25). "KPOP NEWS - [Video] G-Dragon Releases Music Video for Autobiographical 'One of a Kind' | Mwave". Mwave. Archived from the original on 2017-08-13. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
- ^ "[Video] G-Dragon's 'One of a Kind' is Filled With Hidden Treasures". MWave. Archived from the original on July 28, 2017. Retrieved March 27, 2017.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (August 31, 2012). "The 5 Best Videos Of The Week". Stereogum. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^ Benjamin, Jeff (August 8, 2014). "G-DRAGON HEADLINES KCON 2014: 5 MUST-SEE VIDEOS BEFORE HIS CONCERT". Fuse. Retrieved July 9, 2017.
- ^ "G-Dragon Korea K-Pop Hot 100 Chart History".
- ^ "World Digital Songs : Sep 29, 2012 | Billboard Chart Archive". Billboard. Retrieved 2017-07-09.
- ^ Cumulative sales for "One of a Kind":
- "2012 Year End". Gaon Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- "Week 02 of 2013". Gaon Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- "Week 03 of 2013". Gaon Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
- "Week 06 of 2013". Gaon Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- "Week 07 of 2013". Gaon Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- "Week 08 of 2013". Gaon Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- "Week 09 of 2013". Gaon Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- "Week 10 of 2013". Gaon Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- "Week 11 of 2013". Gaon Chart. Korea Music Content Industry Association. Archived from the original on 15 August 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016.
- ^ "KMA 2013 - Nominees List 1". KMA. 2013-01-29. Retrieved 2013-02-03.
- ^ "KMA 2013 - Nominees List 2". KMA. 2013-01-29. Retrieved 2013-02-03.