Big Bang or Bigbang (Korean: 빅뱅; stylized as BIGBANG) is a South Korean male group under the management of YG Entertainment. Formed in 2006, the group consists of G-Dragon, T.O.P, Taeyang, Daesung, and Seungri.
Big Bang is known for their unique urban-originated music and fashion
style. The members' involvement in composing and producing their own
music, most notably leader G-Dragon, has earned the group respect and
praise from music industry experts.
The group's popularity grew with their hit song Lies, which stayed at number one on Korean charts for a record-breaking seven consecutive weeks. Their follow up releases, Hot Issue and Stand Up, furthered their success, spawning hits such as Last Farewell and Haru Haru.[4]
From 2007 to 2008, Big Bang received many awards, including "Best Male
Group", "Song of the Year", "Artist of the Year", and the Grand Award at
the Seoul Music Awards.
From 2009 to 2010, Big Bang expanded their endeavors to Japan, and
were voted "the Korean group that Japanese fans wish to see the most".
They became the first foreign group awarded "Best Newcomer" from the
Japan Cable Broadcasting Station and "Best New Artist" at MTV Japan.
Amidst their Japanese group promotions, the members branched out to do
solo activities. Daesung, Taeyang, G-Dragon, and Seungri have released
solo albums. G-Dragon and T.O.P also collaborated on an album under the
sub-unit GD & TOP.
Seungri and Daesung have acted in both TV dramas and musicals. T.O.P
became a highly acclaimed film star. Daesung also hosted many of Korea's
most popular variety TV shows.
After nearly a two-year hiatus in Korea, Big Bang reunited in 2011 with their successful album Tonight.
However, promotions were cut short when multiple members encountered
legal issues. In November 2011, representing the Asia-Pacific region,
Big Bang emerged as the inaugural "Best Worldwide Act" winner at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards.[5][6][7] This was the first time in six months all five members were seen together. In 2012, Big Bang released their fifth Mini Album Alive in Korea and Japan before embarking on their first ever World Tour which concluded in early 2013.
History
2000–2005: Formation
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. They were child actors/stars first cast as the younger version of YG duo, Jinusean
in their music video "A-YO". Mesmerized by the experience of being cast
in a hip hop music video, both of the children made the decision to
cast into YGE, even though they were rejected in the beginning.[8] The duo released two tracks under the name GDYB, and were often featured in label mate Wheesung, Gummy, Perry, Masta Wu, and Se7en's albums and music videos. One of their well-known pieces is "Unfold to Higher Place", featuring Perry and Gummy.[9][10]
G-Dragon also participated in promotional activities with YG Family
which consisted mostly all of YG label mates. The young trainees had
planned to release an album together, but was later pushed aside as YGE
had decided to debut an idol group with them participating.
T.O.P was an underground rapper[11] under the stage name "Tempo". One of his most popular track was "Buckwild" with NBK Gray.[12]
G-Dragon contacted T.O.P, with whom he was childhood friends, when YG
Entertainment was scouting for candidates to create a boy group.[13]
The pair recorded several demos and sent them to Yang Hyun-suk, who
later asked T.O.P to audition. However, he was rejected by the record
label because he was deemed too "chubby" to fit the "idealistic version"
of an idol. Six months later, he was recruited after losing weight.
T.O.P reportedly lost twenty kg (44 lbs) in forty days.
Seungri was a leader of a local dance team in his hometown, Gwangju. He 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". His lack
of vocal skills did not charm the panel and led to his elimination from
the Top 4. He then auditioned and was accepted to train under YG, but
in Big Bang's Documentary series, it was revealed his position was in
jeopardy but he later impressed Yang Hyun-suk and made the cut. At the
time, Seungri competed against another trainee, Hyunseung (now of BEAST
fame), who was cut from Big Bang. Hyunseung, who went under the homonym
of So-1, meaning "wish" in Korean, was shown in 10 out of 11 episodes
but was cut from the final episode because Hyun-suk felt that he was not
ready and needed more time.
Daesung was recruited in an open audition. He is well known for his
strong singing ability. He was trained under Wheesung's supervision.
Before the debut of Big Bang, he was diagnosed with vocal fold nodules, caused by strain on the vocal cords.
2006–2007: Debut
Big Bang held their debut on August 19, 2006 at the Gymnastics Arena
in Seoul Olympic Park during the YG Family 10th Year Concert.[14] On September 23, 2006, the group had their debut performance on television broadcast.
Following the performance, the group's first single, Bigbang, was released. It contained the songs "We Belong Together", featuring labelmate Park Bom; "A Fool's Only Tears" (Korean: 눈물뿐인 바보; Revised Romanization: Nunmulppunin Babo); and "This Love", an adaptation of the American rock band Maroon 5 song, rewritten and performed by G-Dragon.[15] The single went on to sell nearly 40,000 copies.[16] The second single, BigBang Is V.I.P, was released in September, eventually topping 32,000 copies sold.[16] Their last single, Bigbang 03, followed, with final sales nearing 40,000 copies.[16] At the end of December 2006, Big Bang held their very first concert, The Real. The following month, their debut album, Since 2007, was released, selling 48,000 copies by the end of February 2007.[16]
2007–2008: Breakthrough success and Japanese debut
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.[17] The group also began their Want You tour, visiting five cities: Incheon, Daegu, Changwon, Jeonju and Busan.[18] Their first mini-album, Always,
was also released in 2007, and marked several changes for the group.
Though previously already writing and composing, the group has decided
to take more control over their music. G-Dragon composed and wrote most
of the tracks included in their first mini-album including the title
single, "Lies" (Korean: 거짓말; Revised Romanization: Geojitmal).[19] The mini-album also saw the introduction of electronic music
for Big Bang. Reception was fairly positive, most notably in regards to
the song "Lies", which critics described as "through the roof".[20] Released as the lead single, it became their first number one hit. The album itself sold 87,000 copies.[19]
Their second mini-album, Hot Issue, released that same year, followed its predecessor's success: the lead-single, "Last Farewell", (Korean: 마지막 인사; Revised Romanization: Majimak Insa) topped various charts, including the Juke-On's chart for eight consecutive weeks.[21] It also garnered the "Song of the Month (Digital Music)" award from Cyworld. Tickets for their Big Bang Is Great concert were also reportedly sold out in just nearly 10 minutes.[22][23]
At the end of 2007, it was reported that members of the band were hospitalized from over-performing and exhaustion,[25]
halting their promotional activities. Reports were later released that
Big Bang's albums and singles were in very high demand, causing the
record company to reprint and repackage them for re-release.[26]
Riding on the success of their mini-album, the group collected numerous
awards, including "Best Male Group" and "Song of The Year" from the
2007 Mnet Asian Music Awards.[27] They later received the "Artist of the Year" award from the 17th Seoul Music Awards.[28] The group earned a total of ₩12 billion ($10.6 million) by year's end.[29]
As 2007 came to a close, Big Bang ventured overseas to Japan. Their first Japanese extended play, For the World, released in early 2008,[30] charted at number 10 on the Oricon chart with a little promotion only.[31] 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 mini-album of 2008, Stand Up, was released. Featuring Daishi Dance and the Korean rock-band No Brain, Stand Up exceeded the 100,000 mark in sales. "Day By Day" (Korean: 하루하루; Revised Romanization: Haru Haru), the lead single, topped several online charts and held the number 1 position for six consecutive weeks.[24]
Following the lead single's success, other songs also charted within
the Top 20, with "Heaven" reaching the second spot, "Oh My Friend"
hitting the ninth spot, "A Good Man" at number 12, and "Lady" peaking at
number 16 – a total of five songs in the Top 20 for the group.[32]
During the release of their Korean materials, Big Bang released the Japanese song, Number 1, from their 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
Korean follow-up album, Remember, also released in 2008, yielded the number 1 single, "Sunset Glow" (Korean: 붉은노을; Revised Romanization: Byulkeun Noeul). "Strong Baby", performed solely by Seungri, was released as the second single. The album went on to sell over 200,000 copies.[32] Big Bang received their second "Artist of the Year" award from the 2008 Mnet Asian Music Awards.[33] At the end of 2008, it was reported that Big Bang earned a total of ₩36 billion ($24.5 million).[29]
2009–2010: Solo activities
While the group was on a break in early 2009, the 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",[34] for the song "Lollipop".
A music video was also filmed for promotion. Initially used to promote a
cellphone, "Lollipop" reached the number one spot on various online
charts.[35]
Big Bang also released their third endorsement digital single "So
Fresh, So Cool" to promote the beer brand "Hite", although Seungri
wasn't in the commercial due to the fact he was not of drinking age.[36] Their first self-titled full-length Japanese album was released under Universal Music in August 2009 and was promoted with two singles: My Heaven and Gara Gara Go!! (ガラガラ GO!!).[37][38] My Heaven, a Japanese translation of their Korean single, "Heaven" (Korean: 천국; Revised Romanization: Cheonguk) from Stand Up, was composed by Japanese composer Daishi Dance[18] and debuted at number 3 on the Oricon Music Chart.[39] "Gara Gara Go!" charted at the fifth spot[40] and the album itself peaked at number 3.[40] After their return to Korea, the members went back to their solo activities. On August 18, G-Dragon released his debut album, Heartbreaker, promoting it with the album's title track. The album went on to win the "Album of the Year" at the 2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards, selling over 210,000 units.[41] Taeyang released two digital singles, "Where U At?" and "Wedding Dress" to promote his second album released in 2010.[42] T.O.P joined the cast of the Korean thriller drama Iris, playing the assassin Vick.[43] Daesung and Seungri both perused various individual activities in acting and hosting. They later reunited to record the song "Koe wo Kikasete" for the Japanese drama Ohitorisama ( おひとりさま One Person).[18][44][45] The song was later released as a single, peaking at #4.[46]
For several days in January 2010, Big Bang performed their 2010 Big Bang Concert Big Show[47] in the Seoul Olympic Stadium.[48] The following month, they embarked on their Electric Love tour in Japan.[49]
Although no official albums were recorded, 2010 saw the release of
several singles for the group with promotional ties. The release of
"Lollipop Part 2" in February, the follow-up to their single,
"Lollipop"' with 2NE1, was used to coincide with promotions for LG Cyon's Lollipop phone.[50] The single also reached number one on digital charts.[51] Their next single, Tell Me Goodbye, was recorded for the Japanese re-release of Korean drama Iris.[52] The song proved to be popular and gained favorable reviews,[52] winning the "Song of the Year" award at the 52nd Japan Record Awards.[53] Additionally, tying in with the 2010 World Cup, the group released the song "Shout of the Reds" featuring the Korean rock band Transfixion and ice skater Kim Yu-na.[54]
For most of the year, the members individually promoted their own solo works and solo activities,[55] including the release of the GD & TOP unit with their collaboration album and the release of Seungri's first mini-album entitled VVIP.[56] Big Bang also won several notable awards, including the Best 5 New Artists award from the 24th Japan Gold Disc Awards[57] as well as the "Best New Artist" award.[58] 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.[59] They released their latest Japanese single Beautiful Hangover on August 25, 2010.[60]
2011: Tonight and MTV EMA
After nearly two-year hiatus as a full group, Big Bang returned to South Korea with their 2011 Big Show concert.[61] They also showcased songs from their latest extended play Tonight,[62] which went on to become a chart-topper upon its release on many Korean music charts.[63]
The album also became the very first K-pop album to reach the Top 10 on
US iTunes chart and is the only non-English language album in the Top
100.[64] 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.[65]
Aside from shattering records for their mini-album preorders, Big Bang
achieved an "all-kill" on the top real-time charts in South Korea
(Soribada, Melon, Dosirak, Bugs and Cyworld) shortly after the release.
Over-all reception for the extended play has been 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."[66] Seven days after the album's release, it was reported that Big Bang had already earned ₩7 billion (USD$6.2 million).[67] In just a week, 100,000 copies of the album were sold.[68] Its lead-single of the same name became a chart-topper on the Gaon Chart.[69]
After promotions for Tonight was finished, Big Bang released a
special edition album with two new tracks: "Love Song" and "Stupid
Liar". "Love Song"'s music video on YouTube gained 2 million views within just two days.[70] The group kicked off their Love & Hope Tour in May of the same year.[71]
Big Bang won the 2011 MTV EMA's "Best Worldwide Act" award as representatives of the Asia-Pacific region with over 58 million votes.[72]
All five members were present at the awards show to receive the award,
making it especially memorable since it was Daesung and G-Dragon's first
public appearance since Daesung's car accident and G-Dragon's accused
marijuana scandal. On November 29, the group also won the award for
"Best Music Video" award with their "Love Song" music video at the 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards.
YG Entertainment celebrated its 15th anniversary by putting on the 2011 YG Family
Concert Tour, which opened its first show on December 3 in Seoul, South
Korea. Big Bang's member Daesung made his first stage appearance since
his car accident involving the death of a motorcyclist in late May
there.[73]
Big Bang released their third Greatest Hits album The Best of Big Bang
on December 14, which contained a Japanese version of their all-time #1
hit "Haru Haru". 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,
proving the group's consistent popularity. It was reported that Big
Bang earned ₩88 billion (USD$77.5 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.
2012–2013: Alive and first world tour
Beginning from January 20, 2012, YG Entertainment began releasing teasers for Big Bang's 5th mini-album Alive, which was released in both digital and physical formats on February 29.[74] Preorders for Alive amounted to 260,000 copies in two weeks.[75] Its lead single, Blue, was released a week prior to the album's release and has reached the number one position on all major domestic charts.[76] The mini-album was a commercial success, selling in excess of 200,000 copies in its first month of release.[77] Internationally, Big Bang obtained 5 spots out of the Top 10 on Billboard K-pop's Hot 100 and charted at 150 on Billboard 200, making them the first Korean artist with a Korean album to do so.[78] Their popularity also boosted them onto the Billboard Social 50, entering at #24. Since the release of Alive, Big Bang has received recognition from notable sites such as Time magazine,[79] and a photo was featured on the Grammy Awards homepage.[80]
The album release coincided with their annual concert, Big Show 2012,
held at Seoul Olympic Park Stadium from March 2–4 to a sold-out crowd
of 40,000 fans.[81] This marked the official kick off of their first world tour Big Bang Alive Galaxy Tour 2012, in partnership with Live Nation.[82] It was directed by renowned choreographer Laurieann Gibson, with Big Bang performing at 21 cities over 13 countries.[81]
Concert footage from Big Show was broadcast in 160 countries through
MTV World Stage, which pushed the promotion for their world tour.
The Japanese version of Alive
was released on March 28 both digitally and physically, with 2
additional Japanese tracks. Included with the physical copy of their
album was a bonus Japanese version of their hit song, Haru Haru.[83]
It sold over 23,000 copies on its first day of release and peaked at #2
on the Oricon charts. It eventually sold over 100,000 copies in its
first month and has since been certified gold by the RIAJ.
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.[84]
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. 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 #11 on the Billboard Social 50.
Throughout May and June, the group focused on the Japanese leg of
their world tour, visiting cities such as Nagoya, Yokohama, Osaka,
Saitama and Fukuoka. A shorter Chinese leg of the tour succeeded the
Japanese leg from late July to early August, with Big Bang visiting
Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing. The group then toured South East Asia
from late September to October, touring Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia,
Taiwan, the Philippines and Malaysia. The group then began their
American leg of their tour in early November, visiting New Jersey and
Los Angeles in the United States and Lima, Peru. There was initially a
stop planned in Brazil, but this was later cancelled. After several
performances in the Americas, the group went back to Japan for their
"Special Final in Dome Tour," stopping at some of the largest stadiums
in Japan including Osaka Dome, Tokyo Dome and Fukuoka Dome. Big Bang
performed in Hong Kong and England in December 2012. One concert was
scheduled in London, England but another date was added to their tour
due to popular demand. The group concluded the tour with concerts in
Osaka on January 12 and 13 and a three night stint at the Olympic
Gymnastics Arena in Seoul on January 25, 26, and 27, 2013.
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. Leader, G-Dragon, also received the Best Male Solo award at the event.[85]
Image and cultural impact
Big Bang has received both praise and criticism. Time magazine described them as one of the "most promising" South Korean acts to venture into Japan,[18] while the Korea Times called them "the icons of Korean pop [music]".[95]
Citing the longest-running boy band in South Korea, Shinhwa as their influence and role model,[101] Big Bang's own influence extends beyond the music industry, shaping major trends in the fashion industry.[4] Dubbed as "Big Bang fashion", their style has gained a following throughout Asia.[11] The group first adopted the "hip-hop" image concept for their debut. The release of Always in 2007 was accompanied by a change in image, with the group leaning towards a more preppy-punk style, including skinny jeans with Converse or high-top sneakers which became a still ongoing trend in South Korea. Taeyang also traded his cornrows for a faux hawk.[102] Seen wearing brands such as Bape, 10 deep, Louis Vuitton, Jeremy Scott, and Phenomenon, Big Bang also wear custom printed hoodies for many of their performances and music videos.[11] They were also credited for bringing back "old school" fashion into the mainstream, such as Nike and Reebok high-top shoes.[103] Described as the "most fashionable" one in the group,[104] G-Dragon is known to sport triangular scarves that were later nicknamed "Big Bang scarves".[11] T.O.P also gained a following for wearing sunglasses during performances.[11] The clothes that the members donned on stage have gained a cult among their fans and are sold in boutique stores such as DongDaeMun.[29] In 2011, Big Bang collaborated with Japanese clothing retailer Uniqlo
to create t-shirts in promotion of their Japanese comeback. It was
reported that the items were "sold out within 15 minutes of the store's
opening."[105]
Big Bang influenced the creation of the Chinese boy band OkBang, who
were described as having "many similarities to Big Bang in terms of
musical style, wardrobe and hairstyles".[106] In 2010, the group's Big Show concert was chosen by the South Korean Touristic Committee for their Visit Korea from 2010—2012 campaign, stating that they will "have a big economic impact on the country".[107]
Reception
In November 2011, the BBC declared that "K-pop bands, including Big Bang, are making their mark around the world"[108]
While The Vancouver Sun described the group as an "ultra-stylized five-piece boy band from South Korea" and a "K-Pop sensation",[109] the American financial news broadcaster CNBC called Big Bang a "carefully-selected, slickly-produced act".[110] In March 2012, Krista Mahr, TIME magazine's South Asia correspondent, wrote an article about her first K-Pop concert at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena
in Seoul, where she claimed that Big Bang is one of the largest in the
entire K-Pop industry and she also declared the members of the group as
"K-pop gods that were about to go on stage".[111] The New York Times journalist Jon Caramanica described their concert in New Jersey as the "true wild heart of K-pop".[112]
The British daily newspaper The Guardian introduced Big Bang to its readers as the group "who beat Britney to a European MTV Award last year".[113]
Justin Mccurry from The Guardian also wrote about Big Bang in a
separate article: "Each of the five members [of Big Bang] has his own
individual look, and their musical range is equally eclectic, covering
R&B, hip-hop, house, electro and pop."[114]
Endorsements
Big Bang's popularity across demographic groups has made them Korea's
highest paid celebrities by endorsers along with Korean singer/actor
Rain, with an asking price of $1 – 1.5 million USD per endorsement.
Individual members have also obtained their own endorsement deals,
G-Dragon and T.O.P. individually are the highest paid idols at $900,000
USD, while Daesung endorsed "Big Hit Chicken" by himself.
src : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Bang_%28South_Korean_band%29
No comments:
Post a Comment