Big Bang (South Korean band)

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"BIGBANG" redirects here. For other uses, see Big Bang (disambiguation).

Big Bang

Big Bang in 2012

From left to right: G-Dragon, T.O.P, Seungri, Taeyang, and Daesung

Background information

Origin Seoul, South Korea

K-pop
Genres
J-pop

hip hop

dance

electronic

R&B[1][2]

Years active 2006present

Labels YG Entertainment

Avex

Warner Music Taiwan

Associated acts GD & TOP

GD Taeyang

2NE1
YG Family
 Website www.ygbigbang.com

Members T.O.P

Taeyang

G-Dragon

Daesung
Seungri

Big Bang (Korean: ) is a South Korean boy band formed by YG Entertainment. With
members G-Dragon, T.O.P, Taeyang, Daesung, and Seungri, they are often cited as one of the
most influential acts to shape the K-pop industry, helping spread the Korean Wave internationally
and dubbed the "Kings of K-pop" by the media.[3][4][5][6][7] Their experimental blend of hip hop, EDM,
and rock elements in their music,[8] personal involvement in producing their own records,[9] and
stage performances have been admired by music critics and served as influence to numerous K-
pop and international artists.[10]
Despite their debut album, Bigbang Vol.1 (2006), receiving lukewarm receptions, success
followed with a string of notable hits credited to the quintet, including "Lies"
(Korean: ; Revised Romanization: Geojitmal), which topped major Korean music charts for
a record-breaking six consecutive weeks,[11][12] and won Song of the Year at the 9th Mnet Korean
Music Festival,[13]"Last Farewell" (Korean: ; Revised Romanization: Majimak Insa),
"Day by Day" (Korean: , Revised Romanization: Haru Haru) and "Sunset Glow"
(Korean: ; Revised Romanization: Byulkeun Noeul). After receiving the Artist of the
Year award from the 2008 Mnet Korean Music Festival and the 2008 Seoul Music Awards, the
group expanded their endeavors to Japan, releasing the gold certified albums Big
Bang (2009), Big Bang 2 (2011), Alive (2012) and Made Series (2016).
A two-year hiatus in South Korea saw forth increasingly critically acclaimed albums. The number
one EP Tonight (2011) lead to their emergence as the inaugural Best Worldwide Act winner at
the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards.[14] The Korean EP Alive(2012) earned their second Artist of
the Year Award at the 2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards, and also became the first Korean album
to chart on the Billboard 200, with the group embarking on their first world tour that concluded in
early 2013. Their widely acclaimed third album Made (2016) was preceded by several chart-
topping singles, winning the group their third Artist of the Year award at the 2015 Mnet Asian
Music Awards and their first at the 2015 Melon Music Awards. The supporting world
tour gathered 1.5 million people in attendance, making it the most attended concert tour
headlined by a Korean act in history.[15][16]
Big Bang has a record eighteen number one songs that have remained atop South Korean's
biggest online music service Melonfor 51 weeks, more than any other act.[17] The quintet have
sold over 140 million records, making them one of the biggest-selling boy-bands in the
world.[18][19][20][21] They were also the first Korean artists to enter Forbes's Celebrity 100 and the 30
under 30 list of most influential musicians in the world, in 2016 and 2017, respectively.[22][23]

Contents
[hide]

1History
o 1.120002006: Formation and debut
 o 1.220072008: Breakthrough success and Japanese debut
o 1.320092011: Solo endeavors, Japanese activities, and commercial success
o 1.420122014: International recognition, first world tour, and hiatus
o 1.520152016: Critical acclaim, second world tour and 10th anniversary
o 1.62017present: Military service
2Artistry
o 2.1Music
o 2.2Songwriting and themes
o 2.3Stage
3Legacy
4Achievements
5Discography
6Filmography
7Publications
8Tours
9See also
10References
11External links

History
20002006: Formation and debut
Prior to the group's debut, a few of the members were already exposed to the entertainment
industry. G-Dragon and Taeyang were the first ones to receive training under YG
Entertainment at the age of eleven. After G-Dragon was approached by YG Entertainment for
possible candidates to start a boy group, G-Dragon contacted T.O.P, his childhood friend,
leading to the latter to audition.[24] At the time, T.O.P was an underground rapper under the stage
name "Tempo."[25] One of his most popular tracks was "Buckwild" with NBK Gray.[26] Seungri first
appeared on the reality television series Let's Cokeplay: Mnet Battle Shinhwa, a show in which
idol group Shinhwa search for members to make up the "second-generation Shinhwa."[27][28] The
original lineup consisted of six members: the aforementioned ones along with Daesung
and Hyun-seung, who were both auditioned in. Their formation was documented on television;
prior to their official debut, Hyun-seung was dropped.[29][30] The Internet broadcast of the
documentary exceeded one million views.[31]
Big Bang held their official debut on August 19, 2006 at Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul
during the YG Family 10th Anniversary Concert, which was broadcast the following
month.[32] Their first single "Bigbang," released shortly thereafter, contained the songs "We
Belong Together," featuring label mate Park Bom; "A Fool's Only Tears" (Korean: ;
Revised Romanization: Nunmulppunin Babo); and "This Love," an adaptation of
the American rock band Maroon 5 song, rewritten and performed by G-Dragon.[29][33] The single
went on to sell nearly 40,000 copies.[34] The second single, "BigBang Is V.I.P," was released in
September, eventually topping 32,000 copies sold.[34] Their last single, "Bigbang 03," followed,
with final sales nearing 40,000 copies.[34] The quintet received the award of New Artist of the
Month for October in the 2006 Cyworld Digital Music Awards.[35]In December, the group held their
first concert, The Real, at Olympic Gymnastics Arena for 12,000 fans.[36] The release of their
debut album, BigBang Vol. 1 Since 2007 (2006) followed. Debuting at no. 3, the album went on
to sell over 110,000 copies.[37]
20072008: Breakthrough success and Japanese debut
Big Bang at MTV Fast Forward, Thailand, December 2007

On February 8, 2007, Big Bang released their live concert album, The First / Real Live Concert,
which sold 30,000 copies by the end of the year.[38] They also began the Want You Tour in
support of Since 2007, visiting five cities: Incheon, Daegu, Changwon, Jeonju and Busan.[39]Their
first extended play, Always (2007), marked several changes for the group. Though members had
previously involved themselves with writing and composing, the group took more creative control
over their music, moving away from their hip-hop roots. G-Dragon composed and wrote most of
the tracks, including the lead single "Lies."[40] The EP also saw the introduction of electronic
music for Big Bang. Receptions were fairly positive, most notably in regards to "Lies," which
critics described as "through the roof."[41] Released as the lead single, it became their first number
one hit and the album sold over 120,000 copies.[42] Topping music charts for six weeks,[11] "Lies"
went to become the first song to win the Song of the Month award from the Cyworld Digital Music
Awards for two consecutive months, as well as gathering the highest monthly sales in Cyworld's
history, with over 200,000 copies sold in September.[35]
Their second EP, Hot Issue, released in November of the same year, contained six tracks all
written by G-Dragon, who was also the album's producer.[43] Hot Issue followed its predecessor's
success: the lead-single, "Last Farewell," topped various charts, including the Melon chart for
eight consecutive weeks, the longest-running number one hit by a boy group.[11] It also garnered
the Song of the Month (Digital Music) Award from Cyworld, leading Hot Issue's sales to be
moved over 120,000 copies total in South Korea.[44] They also staged their Big Bang is Great
concert, with tickets selling out in 10 minutes.[45][46]

"Lies" (2007)

MENU

0:00
Big Bang took a new
direction with the release of
their song "Lies" by
incorporating electronic
music into their style. The
song eventually became their
break-out hit.

"Day by Day" (2008)

MENU

0:00
"Day by Day," which
continued the group's
experimentation with
 electronic genre, went on to
become one of their
strongest singles, topping the
charts for seven consecutive
weeks.[47][11]

Problems playing these files? See media

Due to over-performing and exhaustion, several members were hospitalized, halting promotional
activities.[48] Despite this, their albums and singles were in high demand, causing the record
company to reprint and repackage them for re-release.[49] Riding on the success of their EPs, the
group collected numerous awards, including Best Male Group and Song of The Year for "Lies" in
the 2007 Mnet Asian Music Awards.[50] They later received the Artist of the Year and Digital
Record of Year awards from the 17th Seoul Music Awards.[51] The group earned a total
of 12 billion ($11.5 million) by year's end.[52]
As 2007 came to a close, Big Bang ventured overseas to Japan. Their first Japanese EP, For the
World (2008),[53] charted at number 10 on the Oricon chart with minimal promotion.[54] The group
also held a concert at the JCB Hall in Tokyo Dome City. Big Bang returned to South Korea after
their promotions in Japan ended. Although group activities were delayed due to solo projects,
their third Korean EP, Stand Up, was released. Featuring artists such as Daishi Dance and the
Korean rock-band No Brain, Stand Up exceeded the 200,000 mark in sales.[55] "Day by Day," the
lead single, topped several online charts and held the number one position for seven consecutive
weeks.[47][11] It also became one of the most successful singles of all-time in South Korea, selling
over five million digital downloads in South Korea alone. The EP also included the top-five song
"Heaven," (Korean: ; Revised Romanization: Cheonguk) the top-ten "Oh My Friend," and the
top-twenty "A Good Man" (Korean: ; Revised Romanization: Chaghan Salam) and
"Lady."[56]
During the release of their Korean materials, Big Bang released the Japanese song, "Number 1,"
from their first Japanese studio album of the same name, performing the song on Japanese radio
programs and TV shows; the album peaked at number three on the Japan's Oricon daily album
chart. Their second Korean studio album, Remember (2008), yielded the number one single,
"Sunset Glow", a remake of the song of the same name by Lee Moon-se, released in
1988.[57] "Strong Baby," performed solely by Seungri, was released as the second single. The
album went on to sell over 200,000 copies.[56] Big Bang received their second Artist of the Year
Award from the 2008 Mnet Asian Music Awards.[58] At the end of 2008, it was reported that Big
Bang earned a total of 36 billion ($34.5 million).[52]
20092011: Solo endeavors, Japanese activities, and commercial success

Big Bang in 2011

While the group was on a break in early 2009, members pursued solo activities. They reunited to
collaborate with 2NE1, their label's new girl group who had been dubbed as "The Female Big
Bang" at the time,[59] for "Lollipop," a song used to promote a cell phone by LG Cyon. A music
video was also filmed for promotion.[60] Big Bang also released their third endorsement digital
single "So Fresh, So Cool" to promote the beer brand "Hite," although Seungri was not in the
commercial due to the fact he was not of drinking age.[61] Their second self-titled Japanese studio
album was released under Universal Music in August 2009 and was promoted with two singles:
"My Heaven" and "Gara Gara Go!! ( GO!!)."[62][63] "My Heaven," a Japanese re-recording
of their Korean single "Heaven" from Stand Up, debuted at number three on the Oricon Music
Chart.[64] "Gara Gara Go!" charted at the fifth spot[65] and the album itself peaked at number
three.[65]
Kicking off the new year with the 2010 Big Show concert[66] at Olympics Gymnastics Arena,[67] Big
Bang flew to Japan to embark on their Electric Love Tour.[68] Their third Japanese studio
album, Big Bang 2 (2011) was preceded with three singles: '"Koe wo Kikasete" ( lit.
Let Me Hear Your Voice), "Tell Me Goodbye," and "Beautiful Hangover."[69] "Koe wo Kikasete"
was used in the Japanese drama Ohitorisama ( One Person),[39][70][71] and peaked at
number four on the Oricon Chart.[72] "Tell Me Goodbye" was included in the Japanese re-release
of Korean drama Iris.[73] The song proved to be popular and gained favorable reviews,[73]winning
Song of the Year at the 52nd Japan Record Awards.[74] Two promotional singles were also
released in their homecountry: the number one song "Lollipop Part 2" to once again promote LG
Cyon's Lollipop phone,[75][76] and "Shout of the Reds" featuring the Korean rock band Transfixion
and figure skater Kim Yuna in support of the 2010 World Cup.[77]For most of the year, members
individually promoted their own work,[78] including the introduction of the sub-unit GD & TOP with
their collaboration album.[79] Big Bang also won several notable awards, including the Best 5 New
Artists award from the 24th Japan Gold Disc Awards[80] as well as the Best New Artist
award.[81] Near the end of May, the group received the awards for Best Pop Video and Best New
Artist from the MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2010.[82]
After nearly two-year hiatus as a full group, Big Bang returned to South Korea with their 2011 Big
Show concert,[83] showcasing songs from the upcoming EP Tonight.[84] The album had a pre-sale
order of 10,000 copies in Cyworld, beating the record set by TVXQ's 6,500 copies back in
2008,[85] and moved 100,000 units in a week.[86] Reception for the album was positive, with Choi
Jun of Asiae complimenting the group's new direction in their music, acknowledging that during
the two years hiatus, the group's "style and musical sensibility [had] deepened."[87] Seven days
after the album's release, it was reported that Big Bang had already earned 7 billion
(USD$6.6 million).[88] Its lead-single of the same namebecame a chart-topper on the Gaon Digital
Chart, while four other album tracks peaked within the top 10, including the number-two "Caf"
and the number four "What is Right?".[89]After promotions for Tonight was finished, Big Bang
released a special edition album with two new tracks: the chart-topper "Love Song" and the top 3
"Stupid Liar".[90] Their third Japanese tour, Love and Hope, kicked off in May in support of the
album. All performances were sold out, and a total of 100,000 fans attended the tour.[91][92]
At the 2011 MTV EMAs, Big Bang won the Best Worldwide Act award as representatives of the
Asia-Pacific region with over 58 million votes.[93] "Love Song" also won Best Music Video at the
2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards. At the end of the year, Big Bang participated in the YG Family
15th Anniversary concert tour.[94] This was followed by a release of their third Greatest Hits
album The Best of Big Bang (2011) on December 14, which contained a Japanese version of
"Day by Day". The album topped the Oricon Daily chart on its first day of release and went on to
sell over 14,000 copies in the first week. It was reported that Big Bang earned 78 billion
(USD$69.4 million) in 2011 even though they had just promoted for half a year. The earnings
included Big Bang's revenue concert for SBS's Big Bang Show, their 2011 Big Show Concert and
their Love and Hope Tour in Japan.[95]
20122014: International recognition, first world tour, and hiatus
Big Bang performing in 2012

In January 2012, YG Entertainment began releasing teasers for Big Bang's fifth Korean EP Alive,
which was released in both digital and physical formats in February. Preorders
for Alive amounted to 260,000 copies in two weeks.[96] The album was generally well received
and praised for showcasing the group's "progress, musical variety, [and] non-conformity" while
"still maintaining Big Bang's unique identity" by Mithun Divakaran.[97] Three singles were released
to promote the album: "Blue," the lead single, was released a week prior to the album and
reached the number one position on all major domestic charts;[98] the second single "Bad Boy"
peaked at number two[99] and was the only K-Pop song to be included in Fuse's best songs of
2012 list;[100] while the last, "Fantastic Baby," rounded at number three.[101] The music video for the
latter is currently the band's most popular, having received more than 310 million views on
YouTube, the most watched video by a Korean group.[102] Buoyed by the singles, the EP was a
commercial success, selling in excess of 200,000 copies after one month.[103] Internationally, Big
Bang obtained five spots out of the top-ten on Billboard K-pop's Hot 100 and charted at no. 150
on Billboard 200, making them the first Korean artist with a Korean album to do so.[104] Their
popularity also boosted them onto the Billboard Social 50, entering at number twenty-four. They
later received recognition from notable sites such as Time magazine,[105] and a photo of the group
was featured on the Grammy Awards homepage.[106]
The album release coincided with their annual concert, Big Show 2012, held at Seoul Olympic
Park Stadium from March 24 to a sold-out crowd of 40,000 fans.[107] This marked the official kick
off of their first world tour, the Alive Galaxy Tour, in partnership with Live Nation.[108] It was
directed by renowned choreographer Laurieann Gibson, with Big Bang performing at 21 cities in
over 13 countries,[109] with a total attendance of 800,000 people.[110] Concert footage from Big
Show was broadcast in 160 countries through MTV World Stage, which pushed the promotion for
their world tour.[111] The Alive Galaxy Tour marked the group's first ever concerts in the United
States, Hong Kong and Europe. Due to high demand, additional concerts were held in Los
Angeles, New Jersey and London.[112][113][114] The quintet also performed at three Japanese dome
venues for the first time, becoming the first Korean artist to perform at all three of these venues
during its tour.[115] The group concluded the tour with concerts in Osaka in mid-January along with
a three night stint at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul later that month.[114]
The Japanese version of Alive was released on March 28 both digitally and physically, with two
additional Japanese tracks. Included with the physical copy of their album was a bonus
Japanese version of their hit song "Day by Day."[116] It sold over 23,000 copies on its first day of
release and peaked at number two on the Oricon charts,[117] eventually selling over 200,000
copies total[118] and certified gold by the RIAJ.[117] Japanese promotions began with a performance
at 2012's Springroove Festival alongside top American and Japanese hip hop artists. Big Bang
was the first Korean act to be invited along with label-mates 2NE1.[119] Following the success of
their comeback, Big Bang released a special edition album titled Still Alive on June 3. It featured
four new tracks including two new Korean tracks of which their lead single was titled "Monster,"
as well as Korean remakes of the two additional tracks in the Japanese version of Alive. The
album sold over 100,000 copies in its first month of release.[118] A special Monster edition of their
Japanese Alive album was also released on June 20, following its Korean counterpart.
The success of their special edition album further boosted the group's global recognition, peaking
at no. 11 on the Billboard Social 50.[120] On November 30, 2012, Big Bang received a total of three
awards at the 14th Mnet Asian Music Awards, including Best Male Group and Artist of the Year.
G-Dragon also took home Best Male Solo award at the event.[121]They also received the Best Fan
category award at the Italian TRL Awards.[122] After promotional activities wrapped up, the
members pursued individual activities for the majority of 2013 and 2014.
Big Bang reunited in November of 2013 for their Japan Dome Tour, holding concerts in six
different dome arenas in Japan, being the first foreign act to do so. Gathering over 770,000 fans,
the tour's total revenue, including tickets sold and merchandising sales, totalled $94
million.[123][124] In October of 2014, the group performed at the closing ceremony of the 2014 Asian
Games held in Incheon, South Korea, wrapping up the Congratulatory Performance.[125][126] A
month later, the quintet embarked on their second Japanese dome tour, which was the first time
that any overseas artist performed in five dome arenas of Japan for two consecutive years.[127] By
the end of 2014, Big Bang was the Korean artist that attracted the most concertgoers in Japan
for the year and the second act overall.[128]
20152016: Critical acclaim, second world tour and 10th anniversary

Big Bang performing in Dalian, Chinaduring their Made World Tour in 2015

After a two-year hiatus, Big Bang made their comeback by releasing special project singles for
their album Made: M, A, D, and E.[129]The first single, M, released in May, included the two songs
"Loser" and "Bae Bae," which debuted at number one and number two, respectively,
on Billboard's World Digital Songs, making the quintet the first K-Pop boy band to top the chart
and the second Korean artist to occupy the top two slots simultaneously after
labelmate Psy.[130] "Loser" won Song of the Year at the 30th Golden Disk Awards,[131] while "Bae
Bae" won Song of the Year at the 13th Korean Music Awards.[132] Both tracks were named
by Billboard as one of the best K-pop songs of 2015, with "Loser" topping the list.[133] The
following month saw the release of A, which included "Bang Bang Bang" (Korean:) and
"We Like 2 Party," that also went on to occupy the number one and two positions on Billboard's
World Digital Chart.[134] "Bang Bang Bang" won Song of the Year at the 17th Mnet Asian Music
Awards,[135] and was the best-performing single of 2015 in South Korea according to the Gaon
Digital Chart.[136] D was released in July and included "Sober" (Korean: ; Revised
Romanization: Maenjeongsin) and "If You." "If You" landed on Billboard's World Digital Chart at
number two and topped the Gaon Digital Chart, while "Sober" charted at number two in their
home country.[137][138] The consecutive monthly releases concluded with E in August, with the
songs "Zutter," (Korean: ; Revised Romanization: jjeoreo) featuring the sub-unit of GD &
TOP, and "Let's Not Fall In Love"[139] (Korean: ; Revised Romanization: Uri
Saranghaji Marayo). The latter peaked at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart and
on Billboard's World Digital Songs chart.[140][141]
To promote their singles, Big Bang embarked on their second world tour which received critical
acclaim and was commercially successful. Kicking off with two shows in Seoul on April 25 and
26, the tour gathered 1.5 million fans around the world, making it the largest tour by any Korean
act.[142][143] By the end of the year, Big Bang had earned over 150 billion (USD$120
million).[144] Despite the commercial success of the singles, the release of the full album was
postponed to add new songs to the album and for the group to rest after four months of
promotions.[145] Big Bang continued touring into 2016 for their Made V.I.P Tour, visiting China, M