Changed the performance at the last minute due to the Hong Kong fire! MAMA didn’t follow the planned rundown — GD reportedly got so angry backstage that he cursed.

(Seoul, 20th) K-pop superstar G-DRAGON (Kwon Ji-yong) recently appeared in Hong Kong for the MAMA Awards. Yesterday, he released behind-the-scenes rehearsal footage from that night’s performance. He had originally planned to perform “Smoke” with dancer Bada, but a major fire broke out in Hong Kong. Because the stage design included multiple cigarette-lighting actions, GD decided to adjust the performance at the last minute. However, when he went on stage, the organizers did not fully follow the revised run-down. GD became so upset that he swore backstage. Afterwards, he deeply regretted it, calling it “a stain (on my career),” and he openly shared his feelings from that night.

To prepare for the MAMA stage, GD began intensive rehearsals in early November, including working with Bada as part of the dancer lineup. Bada’s cigarette-lighting dance in “Smoke” had gone viral in South Korea, and GD repeatedly practiced it with his team. But on the night he arrived in Hong Kong, news suddenly broke of a serious fire incident at Hung Fuk Estate.

GD kept watching the news footage and expressed concern, saying, “I don’t think it feels right to do a synchronized dance break right now,” and “What are they (MAMA) saying? Are we still going to do it?” As a result, he made major last-minute changes to the stage plan, communicated repeatedly with the organizers, and anxiously asked, “Is this okay? Is it really okay? Normally we shouldn’t do this… I don’t even know if it’s the right thing.” He also added his own ideas into the details: he provided the organizers with a white daisy visual, explaining that white symbolizes mourning, hoping it would convey his mindset and emotions.

Even so, the actual stage result still did not meet expectations. Early in the performance, GD ran into issues with his in-ear monitor audio. By the time he performed “Untitled”, the tempo was noticeably compressed, forcing him to sing at a hurried pace. After the performance, he lost his composure backstage and ended up swearing, then helplessly asked staff, “What I wanted to express—does it look like it wasn’t conveyed properly?” The staff replied that the daisy visuals were indeed shown on screen.

GD said that while the daisy image was played as he requested, the timing was not what he had expected. Staff around him also agreed that the overall sequence felt too rushed, and fans didn’t have time to see the visual clearly. The daisy appeared too briefly, which left GD dissatisfied.

Even while riding in a car after leaving the venue, GD continued to express regret about that night’s performance: “From the beginning it felt rushed, and then everyone… I was forced on stage before I even warmed up. I was totally flustered and the performance just started. The night before, I still had options—I could’ve sung only one song, just presented an award, or even done nothing. This is a stain (on my career)… a stain.”

GD still felt regretful about the stage. The next day, he returned to South Korea accompanied by his friend Lee Soo-hyuk, who comforted him by saying, “At least there was no accident.” GD then calmed down a little and responded, “True—apart from the sound issues, at least nothing else happened.” He admitted the MAMA performance wasn’t perfect, but said professionally, “What can I do? I’ll have to make up for it later.”

As for the reason he became so angry that night, GD explained for the first time that he regretted not being able to fully convey his intention of mourning. However, a Hong Kong fan commented on the video: “I can feel GD’s sincerity and respect—100%—in every detail,” and hoped he wouldn’t take it too hard.