South Korean rapper TOP announces new album, his first in 13 years
On Jan 1, South Korean rapper TOP took to his Instagram page to announce that "a new album is on the way".
South Korean rapper-actor TOP has announced that he will release a new album soon. (Photo: Netflix)
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Long time no see. South Korean rapper-actor TOP, 38, delighted fans around the world after announcing on Jan 1 that he will be releasing a new album soon. In a video on his Instagram page, the former member of K-pop boy group BigBang is seen writing the words "Top Spot" and "Another Dimension" as well as the Korean words for "multiple perspectives" on a sheet of paper.
The caption on the video's post reads: "A new album is on the way", with a strong implication that its title is Top Spot.
This will mark the first album in 13 years for TOP, whose real name is Choi Seung-hyun. His last major solo music was the 2013 single album Doom Dada, while his most recent musical output was Still Life in 2022 – his final single with BigBang before departing the group.
After facing legal issues due to his use of marijuana in 2016, TOP mostly kept out of the public eye. However, in 2025, he gained a new wave of fans following his role as disgraced rapper Thanos in the second season of the hit Netflix series Squid Game.
In January last year, during his first interview with South Korean media outlets in over a decade, TOP revealed that he had planned to step away from the entertainment industry. However, that changed after he received an offer to audition for the role of Thanos.
He also added that he had not been in contact with the other members of BigBang due to his "immense guilt".
"Maybe when more time has passed and I find peace, I’ll be able to contact them."
2026 also marks the 20th anniversary of BigBang. The trio, comprising G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung, will kick off celebrations with a performance at this year's Coachella festival.
