[CELEB] Big Bang hopes to put a spring in fans step with new music

Big Bang [YG ENTERTAINMENT]

Big Bang will return with new music this spring, the legendary boy band’s agency YG Entertainment said Monday.

The band has finished recording and is set to film the music video.

While member T.O.P. has left the agency as his contract came to an end and is focusing on solo activities as both an artist and a CEO, he is still a member of the band and took part in making the new music.

“We respect that T.O.P. wants to expand his horizons beyond Big Bang and he has had thorough discussions with the other members,” YG said. “He will be a part of Big Bang’s activities whenever possible.”

It has been four years since Big Bang last released its song “Flower Road” (2018), before going on an extensive hiatus due to the members' mandatory military services. It was also the last song to include ex-member Seungri, who departed from the band in 2019 after the Burning Sun scandal, an infamous sex, drugs and police protection scandal surrounding a nightclub of the same name.

The four remaining members are G-Dragon, Taeyang, Daesung and T.O.P.

Big Bang debuted in 2006 with the album “Big Bang Vol. 1 – Since 2007.” The band’s music genre at the beginning of its career was centered toward hip-hop, but expanded its musical range after its hit single “Lies” (2007). Since then, the band has been praised by music critics and the public alike for its ability to fuse members’ individuality in rap, R&B and dance elements into its songs.

The band’s legacy began with its megahit single “Haru Haru” released in 2008. Its other hits such as “Tonight” (2011), “Fantastic Baby“ (2012), “Loser” (2016), “Bang Bang Bang” (2015) and “Fxxk It” (2016) encompass musical genres such as electro pop, alternative R&B, dance pop and future bass. The band is considered by music critics and the public alike as one of the most influential and iconic K-pop artists of all time.

Big Bang has also been a trend setter in fashion, bringing popularity to trends such as matching skinny jeans and high-top sneakers, unique accessories, and street fashion founded on vivid and primary colors. After members G-Dragon and T.O.P. formed a subunit dubbed “GD&TOP” in 2010, their style moved toward hip-hop.

In terms of the boy band’s global popularity, it became the first Korean artist to win the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Worldwide Act in 2011. In 2016, Big Bang ranked second on Time magazine’s polls for Most Influential People in the World after American politician Bernie Sanders. In 2017, it became the first Korean act to be included on Forbes 30 Under 30 list of musicians revolutionizing the contemporary music industry.

G-Dragon (Kwon Ji-yong)

Date of birth: Aug. 18, 1988
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Yongsan District, central Seoul
Debut: December 2006 as a member of boy band Big Bang
Agency: YG Entertainment

As the leader of the boy band Big Bang, G-Dragon takes the position of a rapper, lead dancer and sub-vocalist in the group. A versatile musician, he is known to have produced the majority of Big Bang’s records and is considered as a pioneer K-pop idol, actively participating in producing, arranging the melodies and writing the lyrics for his own songs. Along with the launch of his successful solo career with the album “Heartbreaker” (2009), he also formed subunits with other band members such as “GD&TOP” in 2010 and “GD X Taeyang” in 2014. The singer has also made frequent appearances on the hit variety show “Infinite Challenge” (2006-18) on MBC.

This information was confirmed by YG Entertainment on Feb. 7, 2022.

BY LEE JAE-LIM, SHIN MIN-HEE [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]