Big Bang (Korean: 빅뱅, commonly stylized as BIGBANG, is a South Korean boy band. The group's formation was chronicled on the television series Big Bang Documentary, from July to August 2006. The show was also aired online on GomTV and on MTV Korea.[1] Initially a six-member group, one member got eliminated during the airing of the show before the official debut[2] leading to their current line-up.
Signed to YG Entertainment, Big Bang released several successful singles and EPs. Their first release, the EP Always (2007), spawned the number-one single "Lies" (Korean: 거짓말; Revised Romanization: Geojitmal). The follow-up EPs Hot Issue and Stand Up were similarly successful.[3] After they received the "Artist of the Year" award from the M.net KM Music Festival and the Seoul Gayo Daesang Award, the group expanded their activities into Japan, releasing mini-albums and airplay singles. Their materials would not receive major promotion until the following year with the release of their first physical Japanese single, "My Heaven".
By the end of 2009, Big Bang became the most searched artist in South Korea.[4] They also became the first foreign group in Japan to receive the Japan Cable Broadcasting Award for "Best Newcomer", and the first from Korea to receive the Japan Records award.[5] In recent years, the members have branched out to do solo activities: Taeyang and G-Dragon have released solo materials while T.O.P, Daesung and Seungri have started acting.
Musical styles
During the early days of their career, Big Bang's music was predominately hip hop, although they incorporated R&B songs into their albums as well. A writer for Yahoo! Japan once compared their early materials to that of American hip-hop artists such as the Black-Eyed Peas, stating that their material included "catchy vocals, [...] rap and characters".[61] Always was noted for its change of musical styles from their previous efforts, with the group experimenting with electronic music and setting it as the new music trend in Korea.[62] G-Dragon later stated that they hoped "to reach even more fans" with the new direction.[63] In 2008, they recorded "Oh My Friend", a rock-based song, with the Korean rock-band No Brain.[64] In an interview, the group also expressed interests in covering the music genre trot.[65]
"La La La" (2006) Play sound One of their earliest singles released, "La La La" is primarily a hip-hop song. "Oh My Friend" (2008) Play sound Although their roots are tied with hip-hop music, Big Bang recorded the rock based song "Oh My Friend" with the rock group No Brain. Problems listening to these files? See media help.
Members of the band have branched out to other styles for solo projects, thus the group has been described as "rich in variety" for their fans.[61] Taeyang's mini-album, Hot, was mainly a collection of R&B songs, with the singer stating that the genre was his "main focus".[66] Daesung's first digital single, "Look at Me, GwiSun" (Korean: 날 봐, 귀순, was a trot song, which drew criticisms due to Big Bang's image as "hip-hop artists".[67] For his debut album, Heartbreaker, G-Dragon incorporated a mix of dance, hip-hop, and R&B songs.[68]
Following the release of Always, G-Dragon began involving himself with the production of the group's materials,[12] penning the lyrics and composing the songs "Lie", "Last Farewell", and "Day By Day". His involvement was praised by the Korea Times, who described him as a "genius singer-songwriter".[69] G-Dragon himself described the group as "an idol group not born of talent but through effort".[70] A writer for Yahoo! Japan complimented the group for their involvement in their work, stating that "perhaps by [each of the members'] contributing to their own materials, not only do they become in sync with one another, but each person's personality stands out."[61]
Big Bang is choreographed by Shaun Evaristo.[71] While they once relied heavily on street dancing for their moves, Big Bang have made a transition towards more choreography. Their dance moves have been widely copied and covered. One of the moves, which incorporates the group lifting their shirts to expose their abdomens, quickly gained popularity online and became one of the top searches on the internet.[72] Another one, in which the group incorporates the idea of "jump roping" as a dance move, also gained attention from fans.[73]
Big Bang – poza de TenshiToAkuma, in Big Bang xD · 36.9KB
, commonly stylized as BIGBANG, is a South Korean boy band. The group's formation was chronicled on the television series Big Bang Documentary, from July to August 2006. The show was also aired online on GomTV and on MTV Korea.[1] Initially a six-member group, one member got eliminated during the airing of the show before the official debut[2] leading to their current line-up.
