T.O.P (meaning “the peak”) is the stage name of the South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, and actor Choi Seung-hyun. Born on Nov. 4, 1987, in Seoul, T.O.P started his performing career as an underground rapper but rose to mega-fame when he became the lead rapper for one of the biggest K-pop boy bands, BigBang, alongside G-Dragon, Taeyang, Daesung, and Seungri in 2006.
As a solo artist, T.O.P has released two albums (one a collaboration with G-Dragon), five singles as the lead artist, and seven singles as a featured artist. He’s worked with the likes of Gummy, Uhm Jung-hwa, Zia, Se7en, Pixie Lott, Major Lazer, Bruno Mars, Tyga, and Mystic. He also released four singles as a duo with G-Dragon.
As part of BigBang, he released three Korean studio albums, five Japanese studio albums, eight compilation albums, ten live albums, seven single albums, two boxsets, five Korean EPs, three Japanese EPs, two reissues, and over 40 singles, including promotional singles. T.O.P. has also appeared prominently on television and in film, both as himself and as an actor. His acting roles include appearances in the movies Nineteen (2009), 71: Into the Fire (2010), Iris: The Movie (2011), Commitment (2013), Tazza: The Hidden Card (2014), and Out of Control (2017), and on television in I Am Sam, Iris, Secret Message, and Squid Game.
But what happened to T.O.P, and where is he now?
In an Instagram post on Monday, May 29, 2023, T.O.P announced that he is no longer a part of BigBang. He shared a video of himself working on a tune on a music workstation alongside a photo with the caption, “Still making my albums.” When fans flooded the video with questions about his status in the band, he replied that he had “already withdrawn” and continued, “I’ve already told you guys that I’m leaving and I’m now facing a new chapter in my life since last year.”
In response to another commenter asking T.O.P if he would be making a comeback, he replied in all capital letters with the word “SOLO.”
As per NME, T.O.P had already left BigBang’s record label YG Entertainment in February 2022 but remained part of the group. At the time, he said he wanted “to expand his horizons beyond BigBang” but also stated that he would be “a part of BigBang’s activities whenever possible.” He subsequently appeared on their April 2022 single “Still Life.” His official exit over a year later has seemingly ended that possibility, at least for now — especially since rumors of a rift between T.O.P and his former bandmates emerged in August 2024, when it was reported he had blocked G-Dragon and Taeyang on Instagram (as per Times of India).
T.O.P has yet to release any fresh material since leaving BigBang, but fans eagerly await him doing so. It’s strongly expected that new music from the star will arrive in 2025. If you’d like to follow T.O.P on social media, you can join his 17.5 million followers on Instagram. We wish him all the best in his future career.