''Heartbreaker'' is the debut studio album by South Korean rapper
G-Dragon
Kwon Ji-yong (; born August 18, 1988), best known as G-Dragon (), is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, and entrepreneur, known as the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of K-pop". Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, G-Drag ...
. The album's chart-topping single " Heartbreaker" became one of the best selling singles in South Korea of all time, having sold over 4 million copies since its release.
Release and singles
Although initially scheduled to be released in April, the release date was pushed back to August to coincide with his 21st birthday. G-Dragon collaborated with several YG labelmates, including
Teddy Park
Teddy Park (born Park Hong-jun on September 14, 1978) is a Korean Americans, Korean–American Rapping, rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Park moved to the United States with his family as a young child. Wh ...
of
1TYM
1TYM (, pronounced as "One Time") was a four-member South Korean group. They were Teddy Park (also known as Park Hong-jun), Oh Jinhwan, Song Baekyoung, and Danny Im (also known as Im Taebin).
History
In the late 1990s, YG CEO Yang Hyun Suk ...
, bandmate
Taeyang
Dong Young-bae (; born May 18, 1988), better known by his stage name Taeyang () or SOL, is a South Korean singer. He made his debut in 2006 as a member of the South Korean boy band BigBang. Following the release of several albums and extended ...
Dara
Dara is a given name in several languages.
Dara, Daraa, or DARA may also refer to:
Geography Africa
* Dar'a, region in northern Ethiopia
* Dara (woreda), region in southern Ethiopia
Asia
* Dara (Mesopotamia), an archeological site in Mard ...
of
2NE1
2NE1 (, ) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment in 2009. The group consists of Park Bom, Bom, CL (rapper), CL, Sandara Park, Dara, and Minzy. Known for their Experimental music, musical experimentation, fashion, and stage pre ...
. The lead single " Heartbreaker" landed at number-one on multiple charts, including the Mnet and
Melon
A melon is any of various plants of the family Cucurbitaceae with sweet, edible, and fleshy fruit. It can also specifically refer to ''Cucumis melo'', commonly known as the "true melon" or simply "melon". The term "melon" can apply to both the p ...
Music chart, while " Breathe" was ranked in the Top 20. " A Boy" described the personal struggles he went through as he started in the entertainment industry at the age of 6, eventually becoming a trainee at
YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and conce ...
when he was 12. "The Leaders", which featured Teddy and CL, referenced
Girls' Generation
Girls' Generation (), also known as SNSD, is a South Korean girl group formed by SM Entertainment. The group is composed of eight members: Taeyeon, Sunny, Tiffany, Hyoyeon, Yuri, Sooyoung, Yoona, and Seohyun. Originally a nine-piec ...
SS501
SS501 (currently promoting as Five O One) is a South Korean boy band consisting of five members: Kim Hyun-joong, Heo Young-saeng, Kim Kyu-jong, Park Jung-min (singer), Park Jung-min and Kim Hyung-jun. They debuted in 2005 with the Extended play, ...
Sony Music
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
, as his tracks "Heartbreaker" and "Butterfly" were thought to be similar to
Flo Rida
Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), known professionally as Flo Rida ( ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 debut and breakout single "Low (Flo Rida song), Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the ...
's "
Right Round
"Right Round" is a single performed by American rapper Flo Rida featuring guest vocals from American singer Kesha. It was released as the lead Single (music), single from his second studio album, ''R.O.O.T.S.'' (2009). It was released to radio ...
" and
Oasis
In ecology, an oasis (; : oases ) is a fertile area of a desert or semi-desert environment
EMI
EMI Group Limited (formerly EMI Group plc until 2007; originally an initialism for Electric and Musical Industries, also referred to as EMI Records or simply EMI) was a British transnational conglomerate founded in March 1931 in London. At t ...
, who also owned the rights to "Right Round" stated they saw no similarities between the two songs. In response, Sony Korea denied G-Dragon the ability to promote the track any further without paying reparations. On September 21, 2009, ''Sisa Magazine'', a news program on MBC, stated that officials from Sony reportedly sent YG Entertainment warning letters about plagiarism. Sony's legal representative stated, "It was a hard decision for the music critics." However, they decided that there were similarities and accordingly issued a warning letter to the production company and composers. However,
YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment () is a South Korean Multinational corporation, multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and conce ...
claimed nothing had been decided or legally determined and that the "letter" which YG received from Sony was not considered legal action; they also stated they have not received a direct response from the American publishers regarding the matter. On March 6, 2010, YG Entertainment announced that they personally contacted Flo Rida's representatives and that he will appear as a featured artist in a new version of "Heartbreaker", to be released as a bonus track on G-Dragon's concert album '' Shine a Light''. On May 22, G-Dragon appeared as a special guest at Flo Rida's concert in Korea and performed the new version of "Heartbreaker".