T.O.P made his solo debut all the way back in 2010 as part of a dual project with fellow Bigbang member G-Dragon. Since then, he’s hardly released any solo music and eventually wound up leaving the group altogether to focus on acting. Given this, it’s a bit surprising that — sixteen years later — he’s released his first full solo album and plans to steadily release more in the coming years.
To tell you the truth, I had no idea what to expect from T.O.P music in 2026. His past tracks have been (unsurprisingly) hip-hop bangers, but hip-hop has changed so much since then. With Desperado, T.O.P brings his bonafides as an actor to an atmospheric slow-burn. His cavernous vocal is immediately recognizable and paired with an instrumental that echoes that deep, resounding tone. Ornamented with guitar, the production is sparse and understated. T.O.P counters this with a performance that grows wilder as the song goes on. I’m not a fan of the many vocal effects utilized here, but I enjoy how the structure feels a bit freewheeling and all over the place.
I can’t quite decide how I feel about Desperado‘s hook. It’s not a flashy melody, but its airy, laidback nature may play well in the long run. It’s — as the kids say — a “vibe.” I’m rarely in need of a vibe these days and prefer something I can really sink my teeth into, but the pure nostalgia of hearing T.O.P on a new track elevates Desperado a bit.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 7 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 8 |
| RATING | 7.75 |
Grade: C+
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
I kind of love it. The instrumental kind of reminds me of a Tribe Called Quest or Digable Planets or something. (Showing my age and unfamiliarity with rap after the 90s.). And it’s so cool hearing something with actual personality.
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What?? This is NOTHING like a Tribe called Quest, not at all. Sorry,maybe you’re thinking of….someone else entirely?
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Hey I’m, at the very least, happy to see him back. He talked about being completely done with music for several years but his role in the Squid Game and then his new-found love for music makes me happy.
I was never a huge BIGBANG fan as a kid, but he has the type of voice you can recognize in a song as soon as he says a word. This works as a chill hip-hop track to me, I liked it. I’m excited for the album, I really do trust his artistic vision.
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i’m SO happy with this album! everything was very clear and intentional from the moon/art motifs throughout, loser and doom dada verse references, and grieving of prime big bang + the liberation of leaving the group. multiple songs about VIPs, intro addressing unfair drug scandal. i mean he really hit all the bases. i won’t spend too much time analyzing the lyrics bc i don’t know how accurate the translations i’m reading are but it’s just really refreshing to hear a body of work that actually feels thought out
for the music itself again i’m really pleased. it kind of reminds me of my listening experience of The Mountain – Gorillaz where nothing particularly stood out to me as single material, but the album from top to bottom was really enjoyable. Studio 54, The Giant, and For Fans were the stand outs for me in terms of songs i’d replay without needing album context. i would’ve left out Another Dimension Holy Dude and Stendhal Syndrome – they felt redundant in both sound and lyrical content, but i wouldn’t say they detracted too much from my experience either
its hard not to compare to GD&TOP which was just loaded with classics (also had a hard time listening to ubermensch for what it was for this reason) but i think this is such a great return for TOP and it did everything i could’ve wanted it to
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Ohh no…well I’m unhappily disappointed in this effort. Its just boring, was there a decent beat? I missed it. His slow solo rapping is not enough to carry a song in this time of music. I have been waiting so long for this to come out, really do love T.O.P. but I don’t even want to hear it again and am only left with… ” is that it?” Damn.
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I find it intriguing. He is definintely playing with the sound of language in his lyrics, pulling on some syllables like taffy, rolling the r’s, shortening other syllables. Is it all decorative or does it have substance? I don’t know, but I do intend to check out some more from the album.
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Uh, hmm, Nooo… As much as i love TOP, this is totally not up my alley.
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My first kpop bias ever, it’s just such a full circle feeling to see him come back to music. His solo music has never really been my style, but I’m intrigued and it is really cool to see him back.
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