It has been interpreted in multiple ways.
BIGBANG member G-Dragon has reacted to the controversy surrounding his live performance at the 2025 MAMAs.
On November 29, KST, the idol performed a 15-minute set at the award show, drawing polarizing reactions. While the live audience seemed to be enthralled by his stage, much criticism poured in from viewers who watched it through livestreams or on television. Mainly, people complained about the supposed lack of live singing, with not much choreography or any other “spectacle” to compensate for it.
After the broadcast, the official account of MAMAs posted a highlight reel of G-Dragon’s performance, under which the idol himself left a “thumbs down” emoji as a comment.
Some have interpreted it as G-Dragon expressing his dissatisfaction with his own performance…
him commenting the thumbs down breaks my heart🥲💔 but this just shows he is his worst critic which is the biggest strength an artist could have – jiyong my goat you were amazing tonight
— mathisred (@IstanUxxxi) November 29, 2025
I’m sad/frustrated for GD bc I know he takes his live stages very seriously & it seems he was preparing this for weeks. Him commenting the thumbs down speaks volumes like man just won 4 awards including artist of the year but he’s still upset about his performance. pic.twitter.com/XTEgZI5DTD
— 🖤 (@lovenotagan) November 29, 2025
…while others guessed that it was his way of calling out Mnet for its lacking production, since many noticed that the audio quality of their broadcast differed largely from fan-taken videos live at the venue.
