<\/span> Jackson Wang for ‘GBAD.’ Photo: courtesy of the artist’s representative.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n Global pop superstar and K-pop icon Jackson Wang, has released his new single \u201cGBAD\u201d off his much-awaited album Magic Man 2<\/em> which is due to come out later this year. The release follows the album\u2019s lead single, \u201cHigh Alone,\u201d pondering feelings of loneliness, melancholy, and self-harm while establishing Magic Man 2<\/em>\u2019s sensitive themes.<\/p>\n \u201cGBAD,\u201d unlike \u201cHigh Alone<\/a>,\u201d is not about the fragile mind or human tendencies. Instead, it\u2019s an empowering statement of self-assertion, going against social norms and the emotional and personal impact of valuing self-respect and well-being.<\/p>\n According to a press release, with \u2018GBAD\u2019 Jackson \u201csheds his people-pleasing tendencies\u201d because, as he explains in the song, setting boundaries is sometimes a necessary act of growth. The song encourages putting yourself first, even if others criticize or misunderstand you. This is reflected by lines like \u201cLife is great\/Just gotta be a d*ck sometimes\/You only live once\/Just gotta be a d*ck sometimes.\u201d And I believe Jackson Wang\u2019s artistic exploration\u00a0of such experiences aligns with a broader\u00a0cultural conversation about self-care, mental health awareness, and the need to build relationships with others\u2014the fans, his listeners, and viewers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cGBAD\u201d is an alt R&B track featuring Jackson\u2019s distinct voice over a relaxed jazz arrangement. The song\u2019s accompanying music video is melancholy\u00a0but artistically evokes this sense of a dark comedy. It opens in an inviting hamlet where Magic Man, Jackson\u2019s alter ego, plays a hired hand who is repeatedly called for help in tricky circumstances, but is rarely acknowledged. Thus, there are lingering feelings of being unnoticed and underappreciated; it\u2019s a direct reference to Jackson\u2019s personal experiences, where he has often had to cope with expectations\u2014 \u201cto show up for others.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cGBAD\u201d is, at its core, a caustic satire on the social influences that frequently inhibit boundary-setting, particularly in popular culture. It encapsulates everything Jackson told us during our previous interview with him<\/a>. At the time, referring to Magic Man<\/em>, he stated what also lies at the heart of \u201cGBAD,\u201d \u201cI felt like I was living in a box because I was trying to please a lot of different elements around me [\u2026] I just felt like, you know what? You can\u2019t have everything in life. You can\u2019t have everybody just love you [as] you [are]\u2014there are people who are going to hate, and I still feel appreciated and blessed [\u2026] I just want to be real to myself, [tell myself] that it\u2019s okay. I want to be honest with my audience, making sure that if you support me, you support the real me. I might not be perfect; you might not relate to my stuff, but I assure you that this is the real me.\u201d<\/p>\n \n
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