GK explores the pressures of ambition and the support that makes it possible to keep going on his new EP, G.Race.
Released on 27 October via JJ Music Group, the five-track project marks the Korean singer-songwriter and producer’s first EP in two years and his second overall, following G.Round: Pre-Debut EP Album.
Featuring HANSE, Yechan of OMEGA X, and JinE, the release brings together pop, hip-hop, R&B, and bedroom-pop textures. Across its five songs, GK examines financial pressure, responsibility, emotional exhaustion, and the moments when even encouragement can begin to feel like another expectation to meet.
The title continues the wordplay introduced on G.Round, which combined “Ground” with “G’s Round”. While that project centred on building something from the ground up and creating his own opportunity, G.Race turns to what happens once the race has begun. “Race” represents the pressure to keep moving, while “Grace” acknowledges the people, opportunities, and moments of perspective that help sustain that effort.
GK contributed to the lyrics and composition of all five tracks, while also handling vocal direction and recording throughout the project. The EP includes contributions from longtime collaborator SINGKI and producers REDIC, Ruiz, and ZEN.
At its centre are two lead tracks that approach the demands of perseverance from different angles.
'Money on My Mind (feat. HANSE)' addresses the anxiety surrounding money and responsibility, including the sleeplessness and constant calculations that can accompany the pursuit of success. HANSE contributes to both the lyrics and composition, adding another perspective to the song’s examination of ambition and financial strain.
Its accompanying video takes a typography-led approach, placing the words at the centre of the visual presentation.
The second lead track, 'Tear is Nothing', makes space for vulnerability. Rather than urging someone to push through their exhaustion, the song offers permission to stop pretending that everything is fine. Its full music video centres on performance and choreography, giving it a different visual treatment from 'Money on My Mind'.
Together, the two songs establish the EP’s central concern: how to keep pursuing something meaningful without ignoring the toll it takes.
The project also arrives against a difficult personal backdrop. Having experienced an unprovoked assault, GK returns with a release that explores pressure, vulnerability, and the effort it takes to keep moving.
GK’s perspective also draws on a career that has involved making his own music while helping other artists develop theirs. Before founding JJ Music Group, he spent several years at P NATION, initially joining as an artist before moving into A&R and eventually becoming an A&R Director.
His credits include A&R direction on PSY’s ninth studio album and work on Jessi’s 'ZOOM'. Those roles placed him on both sides of the recording process, balancing his own creative ambitions with the responsibilities involved in shaping releases for other performers.
He now leads JJ Music Group alongside his work as an artist, songwriter, and producer, overseeing artist development and the creative and business coordination behind its projects. He is also studying at NYU Tisch School of the Arts’ Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, building his career between Korea and the United States.
JJ Music Group’s work spans music production, artist development, creative production, and project management. Its SOFA project operates as an original music platform built around a changing roster of artists and collaborations, rather than a fixed group. The company is also developing frameworks for collaborations with US-based music and creative partners.
For GK, G.Race brings those overlapping responsibilities into his own songwriting. Through its contrasting lead tracks and collaborative line-up, the EP leaves room for both the drive to move forward and the need to acknowledge exhaustion along the way.
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