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Former Big Bang member T.O.P to return as solo artist

Published: 02 Jan. 2026, 10:15

Rapper-actor T.O.P [THE SEED]

T.O.P, a former member of popular K-pop group Big Bang, will make a comeback as a solo artist this year, marking the 20th anniversary of his debut.

The rapper announced the comeback on social media Thursday, telling fans, "A new album is on the way."

A short video released alongside the post showed him writing the phrase "Another Dimension" both in Korean and English on a white sheet of paper, hinting that it may be the title of his upcoming album.

The release date has not yet been announced.

The release would be his first in 13 years since the digital single "Doom Dada" in 2013 and his first musical project since officially departing from Big Bang in 2023.

T.O.P debuted as a member of Big Bang in 2006 and rose to prominence as both a rapper and actor. However, he suspended entertainment activities after becoming embroiled in a drug scandal in 2017. He was sentenced to 10 months in prison, suspended for two years, for marijuana use.

He returned to the entertainment industry as an actor, appearing in Netflix's "Squid Game" season two, which was released in December 2024.

In an interview for the series last January, he said: "I feel nothing but remorse toward my fellow Big Bang members, both now and in the future. The mistake I made was so serious that it feels as though 10 years of my life have been put on hold. I'm so ashamed that it seems far too late for me to return."

Yonhap