Korea won’t count K-pop rapper G-Dragon’s USB drive release as an album
On June 8th, K-pop icon G-Dragon released EP Kwon Ji Yong, his first solo work in four years. Unfortunately, there’s a snag: it’s ineligible to chart as an album in his home country of South Korea.
South Korea’s Gaon Chart, operated by the Korean Music Content Industry Association (KMCIA) has two ways for artists to chart: the Gaon Album Chart, which ranks physical album releases, and the Gaon Digital Chart, which ranks singles based on an aggregate of downloads, streaming, and background music.
KMCIA says G-Dragon’s Kwon Ji Yong can only be considered for the Gaon Digital Chart because of its format — a USB drive that connects to YG Entertainment’s website (G-Dragon’s label), where people can download the EP and additional exclusive…
