History
2005–2006: Formation and early works
Before the group's debut, several members already had exposure in the entertainment industry. Leader G-Dragon, and lead vocalist Taeyang were signed with YG Entertainment since they were both twelve years old (thirteen years old Korean Age) , were known as GD and YB. T.O.P was an underground rapper under the stage name Tempo. Big Bang made their debut on August 19, 2006 at the Gymnastics Arena in Seoul Olympic Park during the YG Family concert.
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. The single went on to sell nearly 40,000 copies. The second single, "BigBang Is V.I.P", was released in September, eventually topping 32,000 copies sold. The last single, "Bigbang 03", followed, with final sales nearing 40,000 copies.[9] At the end of December 2006, Big Bang held their first concert, The Real. The following month, their debut album, Since 2007, was released, selling 48,009 copies by the end of February 2007.
[edit] 2007–2008: Breakthrough success
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. The group also began their Want You tour, visiting five cities: Incheon, Daegu, Changwon, Jeonju and Busan. 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 release including the title single, "Lies" (Korean: 거짓말; Revised Romanization: Geojitmal). The mini-album also saw the introduction of electronic music for Big Bang. Receptions were fairly positive, most notably in regards to the song "Lies", which critics described as "through the roof". Released as the lead single, it became their first #1 hit; the album itself sold 300,000 copies.[12] 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.[14] It also won the "Song of the Month Digital Music Award" from Cyworld. Tickets for their Big Bang Is Great concert were also reportedly sold out in 10 minutes.
"Lies" (2007)
Play sound
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.
"Haru Haru" (2008)
Play sound
"Haru Haru", which continued the group's experimentation with electronic, went on to become one of their strongest singles, topping the charts for six consecutive weeks.
Near the end of 2007, it was reported that members of the band were hospitalized from over-performing and exhaustion,[18] halting their promotional activities. Reports were later released that Big Bang's albums and singles were in high demand, causing the record company to reprint and repackage them for re-release.[19] Riding on the success of their mini-album, the group collected numerous awards towards the end of the year, including "Best Male Group" and "Song Of The Year" from the 2007 M.NET/KM Music Festival.[20] They later received the "Artist of the Year" award from the 17th Seoul Music Awards. The group earned a total of ₩12 billion (USD$10.6 million) at the end of the year.
As 2007 came to a close, Big Bang ventured overseas to Japan. Their first Japanese EP, For the World, released in early 2008,[23] charted at #10 on the Oricon chart with little promotion. The group also held a concert at the JCB Hall in Tokyo Dome City. Big Bang returned to Korea after 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 #1 position for six consecutive weeks.[17] Following the lead single's success, other songs also charted within the Top 20, with "Heaven" reaching #2, "Oh My Friend" hitting #9, "A Good Man" at #12, and "Lady" peaking at #16 — a total of five songs in the Top 20 for the group.
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 #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. Big Bang received their second "Artist of the Year" award from the 2008 M.NET KM Music Festival award ceremony. At the end of 2008, it was reported that Big Bang earned a total of ₩36 billion (USD$24.5 million).
With the group on break in early 2009, the members pursued solo activities. They later reunited to collaborate with their label's new girl group 2NE1, who had been dubbed "The Female Big Bang", for the song "Lollipop". A music video was also filmed for promotion. Initially used to promote a cell phone, "Lollipop" reached the #1 spot on various online charts.[28] 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!!?).[29][30] "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,[11] and debuted at #3 on the Oricon Chart.[31] "Gara Gara Go!" charted at #5.[32] The album itself peaked at #3.[32] 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.Taeyang released two digital singles, "Where U At?" and "Wedding Dress", to promote his second album released in 2010. T.O.P joined the cast of the Korean thriller drama Iris, playing the assassin Vick.[35] They later reunited to record the song "Koe o Kikasete" (声をきかせて, Let Me Hear Your Voice?) for the Japanese drama Ohitorisama ( おひとりさま, One Person?).The song was later released as a single, peaking at #4.
For several days in January 2010, Big Bang performed their 2010 Big Bang Concert Big Show[39] in the Seoul Olympic Stadium.The following month, they embarked on their Electric Love tour in Japan. 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.[and also reached number one on digital charts. Their next single, "Tell Me Goodbye" was recorded for the Japanese re-release of Korean drama Iris.[The song proved to be popular gaining favorable reviews, winning the Best Song Award at the 52nd Japan Record Awards. 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.[46]
For most of the year, the members individually promoted their own solo works and solo activities, including the release of the GD & T.O.P. unit with their collaboration album and the release of Seungri's first mini album titled "VVIP." Big Bang also won several notable awards, including the Best 5 New Artists award from the 24th Japan Gold Disc Awards[49] as well as the Best New Artist.[50] 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. They released their latest Japanese single "Beautiful Hangover" on August 25, 2010.
After nearly two year hiatus as a full group, Big Bang returned to South Korea with their 2011 Big Show concert. They also showcased songs from their latest EP Tonight, which went on to become a chart-topper upon its release on many Korean music chart.[55] The album also became the 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. 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. Overall reception for the EP 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." Seven days after the album's release, it was reported that Big Bang had already earn ₩7 billion (USD$6.2 million).[59] In a week, 100,000 album copies were sold.[60] Its lead-single of the name became a chart-topper on the Gaon Chart. The second single, "Love Song", also proved to be favorable; the music video on YouTube gained 2 million views within two days.
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". 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.[64] G-Dragon later stated that they hoped "to reach even more fans" with the new direction. In 2008, they recorded "Oh My Friend", a rock-based song, with the Korean rock-band No Brain.[66] In an interview, the group also expressed interests in covering the music genre trot.
"La La La" (2006)
One of their earliest singles released, "La La La" is primarily a hip-hop song.
"Oh My Friend" (2008)
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.Taeyang's mini-album, Hot, was mainly a collection of R&B songs, with the singer stating that the genre was his "main focus." 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." For his debut album, Heartbreaker, G-Dragon incorporated a mix of dance, hip-hop, and R&B songs.
Following the release of Always, G-Dragon began involving himself with the production of the group's materials,[13] 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". G-Dragon himself described the group as "an idol group not born of talent but through effort". 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."
Big Bang is choreographed by Shaun Evaristo. 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. Another one, in which the group incorporates the idea of "jump roping" as a dance move, also gained attention from fans.
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,[11] while the Korea Times called them "the icons of Korean pop [music]". Bill Lamb of About.com also list them as one of the "top 10 Asian boy bands". Their contribution to their materials early in their career, most notably by G-Dragon, has garnered praises; singer Baek Jiyoung has state that she "like[s] idol singers if they are like Big Bang". The group has been criticized for their over-use of electronic music.
Citing the longest-running boy band in South Korea, Shinhwa as their influence and role model, Big Bang's own influence extends beyond the music industry, shaping major trends in the fashion industry. Dubbed as "Big Bang fashion", their style has gained a following throughout Asia. 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.[80] 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. They were also credited for bringing back "old school" fashion into the mainstream, such as Nike and Reebok high-top shoes. Described as the "most fashionable" one in the group, G-Dragon is known to sport triangular scarves that were later nicknamed "Big Bang scarves". T.O.P also gained a following for wearing sunglasses during performances. The clothes that the members donned on stage have gained a cult among their fans and are sold in boutique stores such as DongDaeMun. 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."[83]
The group's popularity and success have led to endorsement deals. Big Bang have been endorsing Fila products since 2006, as well as the Korean online FPS video game Sudden Attack. Other products and/or label that the group have been affiliated with is Baskin Robbin’s, Skoolooks, LG CYON, and NII among others. In 2011, along with their label management, Big Bang teamed up with Nikon for the campaign, A Shot A Day, where daily pictures of the group were be taken and released in episodic format online.[84] The group also released their own fragrance, "BB Bud's My First Fragrance" (Korean: 나의 첫번째 향기), in early 2007. In 2009, they released their autobiography book Shouting to the World, which became a best-seller.
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". 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".
Discography
Korean Discography
Studio Albums
* Bigbang Vol.1 (2006)
* Remember (2008)
Extended plays
* Always (2007)
* Hot Issue (2007)
* Stand Up (2008)
* Tonight (2011)
Compilation albums
* Bigbang Special Edition (2011)
Singles
* First Single (2006)
* Second Single (2006)
* Third Single (2006)
Japanese Discography
Studio Albums
* Number 1 (2008)
* Big Bang (2009)
* Big Bang 2 (2011)
Extended plays
* For the World (2008)
* With U (2008)
Compilation albums
* Asia Best 2006-2009 (2009)
Singles
* My Heaven (2009)
* Gara Gara Go! (2009)
* Koe wo Kikasete (2009)
* Tell Me Goodbye (2010)
* Beautiful Hangover (2010)
Concerts and tours
* The Real Concert (2006)
* Want You (2007)
* Big Bang is G.R.E.A.T. (2007)
* Global Warning (2008)
* Stand Up (2008)
* Big Show (2009)
* Big Show (2010)
* Electric Love Tour (2010)
* Big Show (2011)
* Love & Hope Tour (2011)
Gdragon

2000–2009: Early life and debut with Big Bang
Born and raised in Seoul, South Korea, Kwon began his career at the age of eight as part of the group Little Roora.[1] After releasing a Christmas album, the group's contract was terminated by their record company, to which Kwon described as "shock[ing]." Although he vowed to his mother that he "wouldn't do it [becoming a singer] again," Kwon was scouted by SM Entertainment while on a ski trip with his family.[2] Kwon was a trainee under the record label for five years, specializing in dance before he left as he was unclear about what he wanted to do.
In third grade, Kwon was introduced to the American rap group Wu-Tang Clan by a friend. Inspired by their music, Kwon expressed his interest in rapping and began taking classes at the age of 12. Under their tutelage, he joined in the release of the Korean hip-hop Flex album in 2001. Although he wrote his own lyrics for his song, he admitted that his "English was bad and the story behind the lyrics was the same old thing. Something like, ‘I’m young, but I’m the best’."[1] Kwon first caught the interest of Sean of the hip-hop duo Jinusean from YG Entertainment when he was 14, who later recommended him to CEO Yang Hyun Suk. After signing a contract with the record label, Kwon spent the first year cleaning the studio after the other artists in the record label and fetching them water bottles during dance practice.[1] He later met Dong Young-bae, another trainee. Together, the two were coined as GDYB, with Kwon choosing the stage name of G-Dragon.[2] After six years of training and several featured appearances on other artists' albums, G-Dragon made his official debut as the leader of the group Big Bang alongside Dong (now using the stage name Taeyang) and four other trainees.
The formation of the group was documented on television, and though there were initially six members, one was dropped before the official debut.The group's debut was fairly successful, with their first single netting in sales of over 40,000 copies.[4] It spawned several airplay singles, including "La La La" and "We Belong Together". The album also included G-Dragon's first solo song, a cover of the American alternative rock group Maroon 5's single "This Love".Following the release of the group's mini-album Always in 2007, G-Dragon began to involve himself more with the production of their albums.[5] Always featured several songs composed by him, including the lead-single "Lie" (Korean: 거짓말; Revised Romanization: Geojitmal), which became the group's first number-one hit. Their following mini-albums followed its predecessor's footsteps: Hot Issue yielded "Last Farewell" (Korean: 마지막 인사; Revised Romanization: Majimak Insa) while Stand Up spawned "Day by Day" (Korean: 하루하루; Revised Romanization: Haru Haru); both singles were chart-toppers.[6][7]
"Heartbreaker" (2009)
His first official solo single, "Heartbreaker" drew controversy over similarities to the song "Right Round" by Flo Rida
Problems listening to this file? See media help.
Aside from Big Bang, G-Dragon also made several solo appearances. After helping produce Taeyang's debut album, he recorded his own version of the album's lead single "Only Look At Me" (Korean: 나만바라봐; Revised Romanization: Naman Barabwa), titled as the part two version to the song. The single was released digitally. Along with Taeyang and T.O.P, G-Dragon was featured on singer Lexy's song "Super Fly" for her album Rush. In May 2009, he collaborated with the Japanese boy band W-inds. for their single, "Rain Is Fallin'/Hybrid Dream."
After Taeyang released his solo effort, G-Dragon released his debut solo album Heartbreaker, featuring collaborations with several artists, including Agariadne Dwinggo Samala VIP, Teddy of 1TYM, Taeyang, S-Kush, and CL and Dara of 2NE1. Initially scheduled to be released in April, the album was pushed back to August[10] to coincide with his 21st (Korean years: 22nd) birthday.The album marked a change in G-Dragon's appearances as he dyed his hair blonde to match its concept. Propelled by its lead-single of the same name, an electronic pop song, the album sold over 200,000 copies[12][13] and went on to win Album of the Year from the 2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards.The second single, "Breathe", manage to chart within the Top twenty while his other songs — "The Leaders", "A Boy", "Hello", and "She's Gone" — went on to top various charts upon their release.Shortly after Heartbreaker's release, G-Dragon was accused of plagiarism by Sony Music when his tracks "Heartbreaker" and "Butterfly" were alleged to be similar to Flo Rida's "Right Round" and Oasis's "She's Electric", respectively. However, EMI, the record label that distributed "Right Round" said that they saw no similarities between these two songs.On March 6, 2010, YG Entertainment announced that they personally contacted Flo Rida's representatives requesting that he feature in G-Dragon's live album, Shine a Light, to which Flo Rida accepted.
In support of his album, G-Dragon staged his first solo concert at the Olympic Park in December 2009. Entitled Shine a Light, the name of the concert was derived from the lyrics to his song "A Boy".[21] The concert subsequently sparked controversy following complaints of obscenity and suggestive content.The Korean Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs later asked the government prosecutors to investigate if G-Dragon or YG Entertainment violated laws on obscene performances in his concert. He was found innocent and was cleared of all charges on March 15, 2010.
In November 2010, YG Entertainment announced the collaboration album from G-Dragon and bandmate T.O.P.Preceding the release of the album, the duo held a world-wide premiere showcase for their album at Times Square in Yeongdeungpo of Seoul, South Korea, which was also broadcast live on YouTube.[29] To promote their album, the duo released three singles: "High High," "Oh Yeah," and "Knock out." All three singles preceded the release of the album. The singles were commercial successes: "High High" was a chartopper[31] while "Oh Yeah" and "Knock Out" both peaked at number two and number three respectively. The album was released on Christmas Eve, and debuted at number one on the Gaon Chart with pre-orders of 200,000 copies.
Image and artistry
[T]he right kind of music is not made once the artist feels that music is work. [W]hen one is working on music, performing or just having fun, [...] it directly influences the music [...] The more I work, the more I feel like I'm learning and maturing at the same time. — G-Dragon
Public image
Described as the "most fashionable" one in his group, G-Dragon's role in influencing fashion trends in South Korea have garnered him awards such as the "Style Icon of 2008" and the award for "Most Influential Men of 2008" sponsored by Arena magazine. Fashion icon Kang Dong Wan have also acknowledge G-Dragon's influences, calling him a "fashionista."
While promoting Heartbreaker, his change in hairstyle from dying it to blonde gained popularity among his fans and became one of the top hairstyles of the year. Additionally, his constant sporting of triangular scarves became a trend among teenagers and were later nicknamed the "Big Bang scarves."
Despite his influences, G-Dragon has admit to being self-conscious of his role as a muscian, noting how he had "changed many things including the tone of my voice because I was conscious about my job when I was in front of others." Aware that his public image is important when promoting his materials, G-Dragon notes that "what the public perceives of [my physical appearance] is my doing so it's my fault if I give off the wrong intention." He also strongly opposes the idea of singers as "products" of the entertainment industry.
Inspired by music by the Wu-Tang Clan, G-Dragon participated in the annual hip hop Flex album in 2001 at the age of 12, establishing his career as an artist. During the early days of Big Bang's career, the band was market predominately as a hip-hop group, though they went on to experiment with electronic music and setting it as the new music trend in Korea. From previous exposure to a range of genres with Big Bang, G-Dragon incorporated a mix of dance, hip-hop, and R&B songs into Heartbreaker. During the production for the collaboration album GD & TOP, G-dragon opted for a more hip-hop sound, though he does acknowledge that R&B, acoustic, and electronic music heavily influenced it.
Since becoming a solo artist, G-Dragon has maintained tight control over his music, stating that "each feeling [in creating the music] is different," using his emotions to direct the lyrical content and the composition of his songs. In attempts to distinguish himself from other artists and composer, G-Dragon admits to "giving twist and turn at every corner and evoking [a] different story" with each part of his music, acknowledging that although the chorus is the catchiest part of the song, he wants all the parts to his song to be remembered. Prior to his establishment as a solo artist, he was also involved with the production of Big Bang's albums, writing and composing majority of their songs.
G-Dragon's contributions to his own music have garnered him praises and criticism alike. Preferring to pen lyrics that "sound like an actual story", the Korea Times have praised him as a "genius singer-songwriter",[18] though the rapper has expressed being uncomfortable with the label. His effort to create melodies won him praises as one of the best composers of 2008, with many pop culture critics and industry representatives choosing him as the "musician whose future they anticipate the most."His rap lyrics have also placed him fourth during a vote for "Most God-like" rapper in Japan. The rapper also topped Forbes listing of "Most Hardworking Idol".Regardless, G-Dragon has undergone accusations of plagiarism, most notably for the song "With U", which he composed for Big Bang, and "Heartbreaker" and "Butterfly", which he performed independently.
Studio albums
* Heartbreaker (2009)
Collaboration albums
* GD & TOP (with TOP) (2010)
Live albums
* Shine a Light (2010)
DVDs
* Shine a Light (2010)
Awards
* 2007 Mnet KM Music Festival: Music Arrangement ("Lies")
2009
* 38th Cyworld Digital Music Award: Song of the month (September) "Heartbreaker"
* 2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards: 2009 Best Album of the Year "Heartbreaker"
* 2009 Melon Music Awards: 2009 Album of the Year "Heartbreaker"
* 2009 Melon Music Awards: 2009 Top 10
2010
* 2010 Cyworld Digital Music Awards: Ting’s Choice Award
* 2010 Cyworld Digital Music Awards: Bonsang Award
* 2010 MTV Video Music Awards Japan: Best Collaboration Video (Rain is Fallin')
Seungri
Biography
Seungri is known for his dance skills] In his hometown, Gwangju, he was part of the dance group II Hwa. He has competed against his fellow Big Bang member Taeyang in several dance competitions, as well as against Super Junior's Eunhyuk, TVXQ's Yunho, and Shinee's Taemin.[4] Seungri also choreographed some of Big Bang's dance.[5]
Seungri became the first member of Big Bang to act in a musical with the performance in Sonagi in 2008. His next musical, Shouting, was performed in 2009 alongside another Big Bang member Daesung, who was unable to perform at the last minute due to a car accident.[6] Seungri made his film debut in with the movie Why Did You Come to My House?, followed by My 19 alongside another Big Bang member T.O.P. The movie was released on November 12, 2009.Although his first solo song "Next Day" was recorded as part of Big Bang's album track, his second solo song "Strong Baby" was released as a promotional single for the group's second Korean album. In order to shed the "youngest member" look from Big Bang. Seungri promoted the single with a more mature look along with a stylized dance.[9][10]
[edit] Personal life
After passing the college entrance exams, Seungri was accepted into Chung-Ang University and began his college education in spring 2010, along with Yuri and Sooyoung of Girls' Generation.
Discography
Singles
* "The Next Day" (Seungri solo) (2008)
* "Strong Baby" featuring G-Dragon (2009)
All tracks were written and composed by Seungri. Track no.3 창문을 열어 (OPEN THE WINDOW) was written and composed by Choi Pil Kang
VVIP
1. VVIP (TITLE)
2. 어쩌라고 (WHAT CAN I DO) (TITLE)
3. 창문을 열어 (OPEN THE WINDOW) (FEAT. G-Dragon)
4. MAGIC
5. I KNOW (WITH IU)
6. WHITE LOVE
7. OUTRO (IN MY WORLD)
Musical
* Sonagi (2008)
* Shouting (2009)
Film
* Why Did You Come to My House? (2009)
* Nineteen (2009)
Daesung
Although his parents were against the idea of him becoming a singer, Daesung pursued a career as a singer and was eventually recruited by YG Entertainment after auditioning. He later appeared on a documentary show following the potential members of what eventually became Big Bang.
Their first appearance as a group was on August 19, 2006 at YG Family's 10th Anniversary concert. On September 23, 2006, they had their debut performance. The group had its first big hit with "Geojitmal" (Korean: "거짓말", "Lies") in 2007.
In between various albums and EPs as a group, the members were able to pursue solo activities. Daesung released his debut trot single "Nal Bwa Gwisoon" (Korean: "날 봐, 귀순", "Look at Me, Gwisun") in 2008;[1] he stated that although he was worried about dampening the group's image, he wanted to try something different.[2] The singer also joined the reality-variety show Family Outing as a permanent member. The show revealed that his IQ was 110.He also joined the Korean production of Cats, playing the role of Rum Tum Tiger.
Just before Big Bang's debut, Daesung was diagnosed with voice chord nodules. He was able to recover with the help of fellow singer Gummy, who had been diagnosed previously as well, and the two became close because of this situation. Before the release of their second album, Daesung's condition improved drastically.
In the midst of Big Bang's break in early 2009, Daesung released his second trot single in early 2009, titled "Daebakiya" ("Korean: 대박이야", "Big Hit"). He was also scheduled to join bandmate Seungri in the autobiographical musical Shouting;[5] however, the singer was injured in a car accident before the musical's run, and ultimately required surgery.[6][7] The injuries forced Daesung to halt all activities; he eventually made his return in October 2009, joining his group for the Dream Concert.
According to his agency, YG Entertainment, he is supposed to release his solo album during 2010 along with fellow bandmate T.O.P. Daesung's new song, "Cotton Candy", was released at the end of January. The album was not released in 2010. In the beginning of 2011, YG Entertainment suggested that Daesung and Seungri will promote this year, but no actions have been made on Daesung's part. Seungri, however, did release two music videos. Daesung is the only member of Bigbang who does not have a solo music video.
Released Singles
이제,우리 (Now We) Nemo featuring Daesung
웃어본다 (Try Smiling)
날 봐, 귀순 (Look at Me, Gwisun)
대박이야! (Big Hit!)
패밀리의 하루 (Family Day) with Family Outing Cast
솜사탕 (Cotton Candy)
How Did We Get ft Lee Hyori
Baby Don't Cry
Drama
2011 What's Up
Musical
2008 Cats(ver.kor)
Movie
2010 sammy's adventure(kor Ver dubbing)
Teayang

2000—2008: Early beginnings and debut with Big Bang
Dong's first appearance in the entertainment industry was in the hip-hop group Jinusean's music video "A-yo". The collaboration eventually lead him to successfully auditioning into the group's record label YG Entertainment, where he became one of the rappers alongside fellow trainee G-Dragon. The two were later coined as GDYB.[2] In 2003, Dong provided the rap verse in singer Wheesung’s single "Player" on the latter's second album.
Although Dong was scheduled to debut alongside G-Dragon as the duo GDYB, the plan was scrapped by their record label. Instead, they were joined by four other trainees (T.O.P., Daesung, Seungri, and Hyun Seung) to form the group Big Bang. Before their official debut, however, Hyun Seung was dropped and their final lineup consisted of five members. Choosing the stage-name Taeyang (Korean: 태양, meaning sun), Dong abandoned the idea of rapping to focus on singing.[4] The group's formation was documented on television. Although their debut was fairly successful, the group reached mainstream success with the release of their mini-album Always, which yielded the number-one song "Lies" (Korean: 거짓말; Revised Romanization: Geojinmal). followed by "Last Farewell" (Korean: 마지막 인사; Revised Romanization: Majimak Insa) from the mini-album Hot Issue and "Day by Day" (Korean: 하루하루; Revised Romanization: Haru Haru) from Stand Up, both chart-toppers.
After contributions to singer Lexy's album, Taeyang was scheduled to release a solo album. Initially scheduled for a September release, the project was pushed back due to conflicting schedules with his group. Taeyang released his debut mini-album Hot on May 22, 2008, backed by a production team that included Teddy, Yang Hyun Suk, Kush, and his fellow member G-Dragon.[nb 1] Moving beyond the hip-hop genre of Big Bang, Taeyang incorporated mainly R&B songs into his album, stating that it was his "main focus".He expressed disappointment with the album, however, admitting that he did not write any of the songs; he later stated that he would do so in the future to express his "thoughts and ideas."
The first single released was "Only Look At Me" (Korean: 나만 바라봐), an R&B song written by Teddy and Kush. Taeyang stated that the lyrics come from the perspective of a man who is "selfish" for wanting his girlfriend to be with him only, regardless of how he treats her. G-Dragon later recorded a "Part Two" version to the song. The second single was "Prayer (Korean: 기도)" which featured Teddy of 1TYM. Promotional videos were shot for both. In support of his album, he also staged his first solo concert, Hot. Later on, Taeyang received two awards from the 7th Korean Music Awards: Best R&B/Soul Song for "Only Look At Me" and Best R&B/Soul Album.
Throughout the majority of 2009, Taeyang contributed to his group's activities, recording the song "Lollipop" with his group and labelmate 2NE1. He later flew to Japan to promote the group's Japanese albums. After activities ended, he went back to the studio to record and release his first digital single "Where U At", followed by another digital single, "Wedding Dress". Promotional videos were filmed for both "Where U At" and "Wedding Dress." "Wedding Dress" was voted #3 on an online poll for a Dutch radio station.
Taeyang's first full-length album Solar was released on July 1, 2010. Two versions of this album - the “Regular Edition” and the “Deluxe Edition” - was released. The regular edition contained 11 songs, while the deluxe edition, limited to 30,000 copies worldwide, had 13 songs, including “Only Look At Me” and “Prayer" from Hot. On the first day of sales for the limited deluxe edition, the 30,000 copies released by YG entertainment were sold out in online and offline stores. The album was later released on iTunes, charting at the number-two spot on the iTunes' Top R&B-Soul albums chart in the United States and number-one in Canada, making him the first Asian musician to do so.Two singles were released for promotion: "I Need A Girl" featuring his bandmate G-Dragon and "I'll Be There."
Taeyang discography
* Hot (2008), EP
* Solar (2010)
* Solar International (2010)
Awards
2008
* The 6th Korean Music Awards: Best R&B/Soul Song - 나만 바라봐 (Only Look At Me)
* The 6th Korean Music Awards: Best R&B/Soul Album - Hot
* 2008 Naver Music Song of the Year – "Only Look At Me"
2010
* 12th Mnet Asian Music Awards: Best Male Singer Award
2011
* 8th Korean Music Awards: Male Musician of the Year Netizen Vote
T.O.P.
Prior to his involvement with YG Entertainment, Choi was an underground rapper and a childhood friend of G-Dragon, another member of Big Bang.[2] G-Dragon stated that the two were "neighborhood friend[s] from middle school" and would often dance and rap together.[3] Although G-Dragon later moved away and the two "became distant", he contacted Choi again when YG Entertainment was scouting for candidates to create a boy band. The pair recorded several demos and sent them to Yang Hyun Suk, CEO of YG Entertainment, who later asked Choi to audition. Choi was initially rejected by the record label, which deemed him too "chubby" to fit the "idealistic version" of an idol. Choi later stated that he "went home and exercised really hard because I wanted to join YG Entertainment." Six months later, he returned for another audition and was signed on.
Choosing the stage name of T.O.P. (Korean: 탑), he became one of the two rappers in the group Big Bang, alongside G-Dragon. The two were paired with four others: Taeyang, Daesung, Seungri and So-1; a documentation of their training was aired to promote them. So-1 was dropped by the record label, and Big Bang made its official debut with five members. Their first album, Since 2007, was a fair success,[6] and included T.O.P.'s first solo song "Big Boy." The group achieved mainstream success with the release of the song "Lie" (Korean: 거짓말; Revised Romanization: Geojismal) from their 2007 mini-album Always, which topped several charts upon its release. The singles, "Last Farewell" (Korean: 마지막 인사; Revised Romanization: Majimak Insa) from the mini-album Hot Issue and "Day by Day" (Korean: 하루하루; Revised Romanization: Haru Haru) from Stand Up, became chart-toppers as well.
Following the release of the band's albums and singles, T.O.P. began working on his solo career. In April 2007, he was featured with fellow Big Bang members Taeyang and G-Dragon on singer Lexy's single "Super Fly" for her album Rush. Later that summer, he appeared as an actor in Red Roc’s "Hello" music video.[9] He later became the first member of Big Bang to venture into acting, starring in the KBS2 drama, I Am Sam, portraying the school's top fighter, Chae Musin. He also took the role of MC of MBC's Music Core on November 10, 2007, only to resign in April of the following year. In 2008, he collaborated with R&B artist Gummy on the song "I'm Sorry" for her album Comfort, and later with singer Uhm Jung Hwa for her single "D.I.S.C.O."
T.O.P later put his solo career on hold while he joined his group for their promotional activities. After more than a year of promoting Big Bang's materials, he returned to acting, playing the assassin Vick in the critically acclaimed Korean television drama Iris. T.O.P. also recorded the song "Hallelujah" for the drama's soundtrack with Taeyang and G-Dragon. Following Iris, T.O.P. and Seungri appeared in the teenage suspense drama, My 19.
T.O.P filmed the movie 71: Into the Fire which released in June 2010. He received many good critics and praise for his acting; the movie hit 1 million views in a week, making it the first movie of the 2010 to reach that number of views in South Korea. He is also in preparation for his solo debut. During Big Bang's Big Show concert in January 2010, T.O.P. performed his new single "Turn It Up." YG Entertainment released a music video teaser for "Turn It Up" on June 14, 2010 which revealed the release date for the full music video to be June 21, 2010. The teaser itself received over 200,000 views within 48 hours of its original posting on YouTube. The official music video was released at noon in South Korea, with over 1,000,000 views and comments in just a few minutes. He is also the first Korean artist to have his song release worldwide on iTunes. On 29 October 2010, he won the Hallyu Popularity Award in the 47th Grand Bell Film Awards.
In November 2010, YG Entertainment announced T.O.P and bandmate G-Dragon would release a collaboration album. Preceding the release of the album, the duo held a world-wide premiere showcase for their album at Times Square in Yeongdeungpo of Seoul, South Korea, which was also broad-casted live on YouTube. To promote their album, the duo released three singles: "High High," "Oh Yeah," and "Knock out." All three singles preceded the release of the album. The singles were commercial successes: "High High" was a chartopper while "Oh Yeah" and "Knock Out" both peaked at #2 and #3 respectively. The album was released on Christmas Eve, and debuted at number one with pre-orders of 200,000 copies.
Discography
* GD & TOP (2010)
Digital singles, collaborations
* "Buckwild" NBK Gray featuring T.O.P.
* "Big Boy"
* "I'm Sorry" Gummy featuring T.O.P
* "All I See Is you" Zia featuring T.O.P
* "As If Nothing's Wrong" (Korean: 아무렇지 않은 척)
* "D.I.S.C.O " (Uhm Jung Hwa featuring T.O.P)
* "Friend" (Korean: 친구; Revised Romanization: Chingu) (T.O.P featuring Tae Yang)
* "Hallelujah" (T.O.P featuring Tae Yang and G-Dragon) (theme song of the drama Iris)
* "Turn It Up"
* "Digital Bounce" Se7en featuring T.O.P
* "Because" T.O.P featuring Seungri (theme song for 19teen)
Filmography
2008 Story of Men
2009 Nineteen
2010 71: Into the Fire
* Won – 47th Daejong Film Awards for Hallyu Popularity[26]
* Nominated – 47th Daejong Film Awards for Best New Actor[27]
* Nominated – 8th Korea Film Awards for Best New Actor[28]
* Won – Style Icon Awards for Best New Actor[29]
* Won – 31st Blue Dragon Film Awards for Best New Actor[30]
* Won – 31st Blue Dragon Film Awards for Popularity[30]
* Won – Max Movie Award for Best New Actor[citation needed]
* Nominated – 5th Asian Film Award for Best New Actor[31]
2011 Iris: The Last
*Film adaption of Iris for Japan
Television
*2007 I Am Sam
*2009 2NE1 TV
Reality show
Iris Vick