After a long wait of nearly twelve years, Choi Seung-hyun, the rapper known as T.O.P from the group Big Bang, is preparing to release a new solo album. In a major creative move, the music videos for this project will be produced by Chae Kyoung-sun, the Emmy-winning production designer of the global Netflix hit Squid Game.
Industry sources confirmed that T.O.P’s full-length studio album is scheduled for release sometime in or after October 2025. The artist has already completed recording and plans to shoot several music videos, with Chae Kyoung-sun leading the production design. This collaboration follows their previous work together on the second season of Squid Game, where T.O.P played the character Thanos.
The Comeback Details
The upcoming album marks a significant moment in T.O.P’s career, being his first solo release since 2013. His last solo work was the experimental rap track “Doom Dada.” After leaving Big Bang in 2023 and parting ways with YG Entertainment, T.O.P has been operating without a music agency. Reports indicate he has been in talks with Kakao Entertainment, though the company has denied these claims.
The involvement of Chae Kyoung-sun signals a high-concept, visually ambitious project. Chae is a highly acclaimed production designer who has won multiple awards for her work on Squid Game, including an Art Directors Guild Award in 2025 and a Primetime Emmy in 2022. Her distinct visual style, known for using bold colors and surreal, thought-provoking sets, will likely define the aesthetic of T.O.P’s new music videos.
A Long-Awaited Return to Music
T.O.P has been hinting at this musical return for some time. In November of last year, he directly replied “2025” to a fan asking about his solo plans on Instagram. He later confirmed his intentions in a June interview while promoting Squid Game 2, revealing he had been steadily working on new music.
His journey back to music follows a period of personal and professional challenges. In 2017, he received a suspended prison sentence for marijuana use during his mandatory military service. The incident led him to announce his retirement from the entertainment industry, though he later returned to acting before his role in Squid Game 2.
In a reflective interview this past January, T.O.P spoke openly about this difficult chapter. “In my 20s, I was fortunate to receive so much love, but I made huge mistakes and collapsed mentally. I still feel ashamed and believe I must always reflect on those mistakes,” he shared. He also expressed his passion for creating music, stating, “Whenever I’m in the studio, I feel alive. I’ve been working constantly and created a lot of music, and I believe the time has come to share it with the world.”
The Creative Force Behind the Visuals
The choice of Chae Kyoung-sun as the production designer for his music videos is a testament to the artistic caliber T.O.P is aiming for. Chae is the visionary behind the unforgettable look of Squid Game, which masterfully blends childlike aesthetics with dark, tense themes.
Her design philosophy focuses on creating unique visual languages. For Squid Game, she drew inspiration from a wide range of sources, including the works of artists like M.C. Escher and René Magritte, to create a world that feels both familiar and unsettlingly surreal. She once explained that a key inspiration was “an image of a man blankly staring at a broken ladder leaned against tall walls surrounding him,” which she felt reflected the show’s themes of competition and being left behind.
Chae is known for her meticulous attention to color, which plays a crucial role in storytelling. In Squid Game, she used specific color palettes to evoke certain feelings. She noted, “The light pink and light green used in the sets and the vivid pink and green tracksuits… were selected to create that vibe while visualizing a contrast of colors symbolizing the hierarchical structure.” For the new season, she expanded the palette, using orange to represent both warmth and anxiety, and purple to symbolize ultimate power.
Her collaborative approach ensures that the production design, cinematography, and visual effects work in harmony. For the complex Squid Game sets, she held endless meetings with the cinematographer from the very start of pre-production to ensure a cohesive final product.
What This Means for Fans
For fans of T.O.P and his artistry, this album is more than just new music; it is the culmination of a long period of personal reflection and creative growth. His collaboration with one of the most sought-after production designers in the industry suggests that the project will be a complete audio-visual experience, likely filled with the kind of conceptual depth and striking imagery that has defined both his past solo work and Chae’s projects.
The news has generated significant excitement, as it represents T.O.P’s official and full-fledged return to the music scene as a solo artist. With recording finished and music video production underway, the global audience is waiting to see the result of this powerful collaboration between a K-pop icon and a world-class visual artist.
Also Read: T.O.P Makes First Public Appearance in 3 Years at Squid Game 3 Event With Slimmer Look
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