G-Dragon Faces Criticism Over Live Performance at 2025 MAMA Awards

G-Dragon, the renowned K-pop artist, is facing criticism following his performance at the '2025 MAMA Awards' in Hong Kong. While the group All Day Project received praise for their stable performance and live singing, G-Dragon's live skills have come under scrutiny.

According to the entertainment industry on the 1st, negative opinions about G-Dragon's live performance have been circulating among K-pop fans. The controversy began after his performance on October 30th at the '2025 MAMA Awards'. During the event, he performed 'DRAMA', 'Heartbreaker', and 'Untitled, 2025'.

G-Dragon used significant AR backing for some of the songs, singing only parts of them live. Many noted that his live segments were rough and unstable, suggesting that he might not have been in top condition for the performance.

G-Dragon seemed aware of the negative feedback. He left a thumbs-down emoji on the official 'MAMA' account's post of his performance video. This isn't the first time his live performances have been criticized; similar issues were raised during the 'SBS Gayo Daejeon' last year and his solo concert in Goyang in March. Despite this, there hasn't been a noticeable improvement.

In contrast, the group All Day Project received positive reviews for their performance on the same day. The group, under The Black Label led by Teddy, who has worked extensively with G-Dragon's group Big Bang, showcased their live singing and rapping skills while executing complex choreography. Member Annie cited Big Bang and 2NE1's 'Lollipop' as her inspiration to become a singer. Despite G-Dragon's influence on their growth, his performance fell short of expectations.

All Day Project, including member Annie, delivered a live performance that captured the audience's attention. Member Tarzan's solo performance, featuring high-difficulty moves like tumbling and somersaults, was particularly praised. Although a camera accident prevented the full performance from being broadcast, fan recordings quickly spread online, gaining significant attention.

All Day Project won the 'Breakthrough Artist' award but missed out on the Rookie of the Year award. Meanwhile, G-Dragon was awarded the 'Artist of the Year', achieving a total of four awards. This has sparked debate over the disparity between the quality of his performance and the awards he received.

G-Dragon has long been recognized for his musicality and influence. He is set to hold encore concerts at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul from December 12-14. Fans are eager to see how he will address the recent criticism and what kind of performance he will deliver.

Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia Reporter one@tenasia.co.kr