Planet Young Bae

South Korea’s representing idol group BIGBANG is showing incredible power by topping various charts with their first comeback songs in 3 years. And now the excitement is starting to build up for their upcoming tracks in June.

On May 1 the quintet released a single album titled “M,” including tracks “LOSER” and “BAE BAE.” Out of the two, “LOSER” has been topping major domestic charts for more than 2 weeks. It has been 3 years since they released an album as a whole group.

From every first of the month during the period of June to August, the quintet will be releasing new songs in the form of single albums. In September a complete “MADE” album will be unveiled.

BIGBANG will be unveiling two new songs on June 1. All the attention is now on the upcoming songs.

To quench the thirst, YG Entertainment executive told Star News on May 16, “BIGBANG’s ‘LOSER’ and ‘BAE BAE’ were about touching the sentiments. They were like the appetizers. BIGBANG had been known for powerful tracks like ‘FANTASTIC BABY,’ and the tracks to be unveiled in June are like the main dish,” hinting that the upcoming ones will be more powerful.

On May 16th, Big Bang filmed for their first appearance on KBS variety show “Happy Together”. The show’s producer Kim Gwangsoo shared with OSEN, “The members who haven’t been on talk shows in a while came up with lots of topics to talk about. Maybe it’s because they’ve been together for a long time, but the atmosphere during the recording was really great.”Big Bang members have been on KBS variety shows like “Star Golden Bell” and “Gag Concert” in the past, but this is the first time that they are appearing as a complete group. The episode will air on 21st at 11:10 pm.

Osen via BBU

BIGBANG’s big triumph never ceases to move forward.

As of 8am on May 17, BIGBANG’s “LOSER” swept across 5 major charts including Monkey 3, Naver, Bugs and Genie. This is a triumph seen for 17 days in a row, proving their undying popularity.

Apart from “LOSER,” “BAE BAE” is also attracting much popularity by ranking at #2 on Melon, Olleh and Bugs. On Naver it stands at #3, Mnet at #4 and Soribada at #5.

They are also championing music programs. On May 16 they topped MBC’s “Show! Music Program” for 2 weeks in a row and then on SBS’s “Inkigayo,” Mnet’s “M Countdown, and KBS’s “Music Bank.” They seized whopping 5 trophies.

Music video also continues to attract viewers. On May 17 at 8 am “LOSER” hit 19.3 million views on YouTube, soon to reach 20 million. “BAE BAE” stands at 15.8 million views, with a total of 35.11 views.

They are certainly well received by the public with their new tracks in 3 years, and they will be actively appearing not only on music programs but also variety shows like KBS 2TV’s “Happy Together” as a whole.

In the evening BIGBANG will be appearing on Inkigayo to deliver some dynamic performances, aiming to seize the trophy once again.

The keyword of the music industry in the year 2015 is certainly BIGBANG. They are back for the first time as a whole in 3 years, already seizing 5 trophies on TV and topping music charts for 17 days in a row. They are on the roll. But is that all? No, because the second song in the ranking is also their track. BIGBANG’s “LOSER” and “BAE BAE.” BIGBANG’s rival is BIGBANG.

BIGBANG’s comeback influence is far greater than expected. Now they are at the beginning stage, and it is hard to predict how far they will go. YG’s Executive Producer YANG HYUN SUK announced something very provocative: BIGBANG will be releasing new songs every month from May to August. And their first step already became an enormous success. Fans are curious to see how far the quintet will go.

First, BIGBANG won against the Bangtan Boys’ “I Need U” and EXO’s “Call Me Baby” to seize the trophy on MBC’s Show! Music Center with their newest track “LOSER” on May 16. Without even appearing on the show, they topped the program for 2 weeks in a row.

On May 9, they also grabbed the trophy on MBC’s Show! Music Center, again without making an official comeback on the show, and on May 10 on SBS’s Inkigayo, on 14 Mnet’s M Countdown and KBS 2TV’s Music Bank. They already possess 5 trophies, and it is hard to predict if they will be getting more.

“LOSER” and “BAE BAE” are ranked #1 and #2 on major South Korean music sites for 16 straight days as well. On Gaon Chart, they are breaking the record for being the most-streamed songs of the week.

They have been away for a long time, and they are seeing viral success as soon as they are back. Perhaps it is not that shocking. But what’s notable is that things change with the speed of light in the present day, and topping charts with two songs for this long in the rapidly changing music world would not be possible if it wasn’t BIGBANG.

From solos to groups, no matter how popular they are, it is normal that they yield their top positions after a few days, perhaps 3 days tops. But for BIGBANG the phenomenon is lasting whopping 16 days. No matter how popular the band is, the longevity of their music depends on the word-of-mouth. So it is certainly safe to say that BIGBANG is recognized for their musical talents.

Unveiled at 0 hour of May 1, “LOSER” topped all 8 South Korean major charts including Melon and Bugs on May 8. The second title tracks “BAE BAE” is following the first one. On Melon, it topped the ranking of “24-hour Usage Comparison” and even reached the highest point. They now have the record of 46 times, not ceasing to climb up.

On Gaon Chart’s 19th week ranking on May 7 they were triple crowned on Digital, Download and Album Charts category while occupying the top two slots of Billboard’s  “World Digital Songs” chart on May 8.

“LOSER” is a song about a lonely person. It is not powerful or fast, but you can tell that it is produced by BIGBANG. The rhythmical rapping and the addictive hook attract the listeners’ attention at once. T.O.P, G-DRAGON wrote the song while TAEYANG was involved in composing. TEDDY was in charge of the overall producing.

[150517] TaeYang’s instagram update

"BIGBANG JangHyunseung showing off their lasting friendship" #Hyunseung #BIGBANG #reunion

TaeYang on Grazia Korea’s Cover (June Issue)

BIGBANG seized their first trophy on M Countdown since their comeback.

BIGBANG won against the Bangtan Boys’ “I Need U” with their newest track “LOSER.”

BIGBANG commented, “Thank you so much. We are standing here for the first time in a while, and we are grateful. We thank all the other artists and all the crewmembers. Thank you, VIP.”

BIGBANG previously topped MBC’s “Show! Music Center” on May 9 and SBS’s “Inkigayo” on May 10. Now this is their third, reaching a triple-crown triumph.

“LOSER” is a about a lonely person. It is not powerful or fast, but you can tell that it is produced by BIGBANG. The rhythmical rapping and the addictive hook attract the listeners’ attention at once. T.O.P, G-DRAGON wrote the song while TAEYANG was involved in composing. TEDDY was in charge of the overall producing.

Group BIGBANG is maintaining its No.1 on music charts for 13 days in a row, despite flood of new songs entering top places on charts.

As of the 13 at 7am, BIGBANG’s new song “LOSER” released on the 1 this month is in the No.1 on the real-time chart of Korea’s biggest music-streaming website Melon and Bugs, etc. “BAE BAE”, another title track of BIGBANG’s new single album, is also in top places on the chart of music websites.

Notably, “LOSER” took the No.1 in MBC “Show! Music Center” on the 9 even without a performance in the show, and also received the No.1 trophy in SBS “INKIGAYO” on the 10 as well.

“LOSER” is a song that expresses the heart of a loner. Its beat is not that strong and tempo is rather slow, but it has the “BIGBANG color” standing out immediately one hears it. Its calm but rhythmical rap and catchy hook part also catches the ears of the listeners. T.O.P and G-DRAGON wrote the lyrics and TAEYANG took part in the composition of the melody. TEDDY supported as the producer.

BIGBANG is to release a single album on the 1 of every month for four months . So, it is expected that BIGBANG will maintain its No.1 on charts. Music fans are paying keen attention to what an “unprecedented record” BIGBANG will set.

Group BIGBANG has come back. As expected, every move of them draws keen attention. They are sweeping No.1 places on charts as expected, and becoming a black hole that absorbs every issue in the music scene, as expected.

BIGBANG who needs no explanation (On contrary, “like BIGBANG” is the best word for explanation of any boy group.) marked the end for the long-time waiting of fans, by releasing “M”, the first album of their third full-length album project “MADE”.

As BIGBANG has come back after three years of absence, the “MADE” project is unprecedentedly bold from the very beginning. “M” that includes “LOSER” and “BAE BAE” was released on May 1 to mark the beginning of the project, and then single album “A”, “D”, and “E” with more than one songs will be released on the 1 of June, July, and August, respectively. Then, eventually, the final album “MADE” will be released on September 1.

Considering the current trend in the music scene where idol groups perform for a new album for about only one month, BIGBANG will give performances for about five months.

T.O.P explained the reason behind such a special promotion plan, saying, “We are performing for Korean fans after a very long time of absence, so we wanted to see fans for longer period of time”. “Some ask if we can perform in Korea enough, because we have a lot of schedules for overseas performances, but we’ll do our best with the plan. Usually, singers perform for a new album for a month or a month and a half at longest, but we thought we should perform for our comeback for an extended period of time, rather than just one month”, added T.O.P.

Plus, the “MADE” project shows BIGBANG’s big ambition for music. In the past, G-DRAGON once expressed his regret for the current situation in the music market, in which songs other than the title track of a new album are not recognized and evaluated properly but just forgotten. That is part of the reason why BIGBANG releases the songs of “MADE” album one by one.

TAEYANG explained, “Even until a month ago, we were thinking about whether we should release a full-length album or a single album. Releasing a full-length album would also be good, but we decided to unveil a single album every month and show music video for every song”. G-DRAGON said, “More than anything, our goal was to promote (the album) better”.

That means BIGBANG is confident in the quality of all the songs of the album, and that is understandable, as it is BIGBANG.

G-DRAGON expressed his confidence in “LOSER” and “BAE BAE”, as well as the singles to be released in the following months, saying, “It is hard to define the color (of our music), but I think we found out something we want to do and show because it is BIGBANG. I feel more comfortable and fun, because I know that. Since “M” is the first single, we didn’t put the strongest songs in it. We just put songs that go well with this season of spring in it. Just as everyone has different feelings even for the same music, every single we release will feel differently. I’m now concentrating on thinking about what kind of performance we will show on the stage, nothing else”.

TAEYANG asked for big expectations for “BIGBANG” music to follow in the months to come, saying, “I think it is right for us to show the music we like now. We’re very satisfied with this album. Every single will have different feel, and the feel will get stronger and more defined album by album”.

One thing interesting is BIGBANG members’ perception of “BIGBANG’s popular appeal”. T.O.P gave a rather vague answer, saying, “Rather than an objective evaluation of a team named BIGBANG about whether it has the popular appeal or not, eventually, BIGBANG can be seen as appealing to the public, as the public like BIGBANG”.

Then, G-DRAGON made it clear, “We are a pop singer, so we sing popular songs, but we were not thinking we should write popular songs. We just wanted to write good songs. I think the timing is good. It is lucky that the song we like coincides with the song the public like”.

Everyone may have different opinions on which came first, whether BIGBANG liked the songs first or the public liked them first, but everyone would agree that “LOSER” and “BAE BAE” are sweeping the current music scene.

In fact, the lyrics of “LOSER” are rather unique, which cannot be usually seen in other singers’ songs. The song is appealing to people in their middle age, going beyond popularity among younger generation where most of fans belong. Middle-aged people praising an idol group’s song is a rare and interesting scene.

G-DRAGON explained the background of the birth of “LOSER”’s lyrics, “What we wanted to say was that not only BIGBANG but also all the famous people who stand under the spotlight in front of the public are just human beings. All these people are the same humans who get their feelings hurt some times and smile some times. It’s just that those people have a different job. We ourselves have given up some things in our lives because our job is singer. I think the lyrics were written based on our own experiences”.

“It could also be heard as a light love song. However, we wanted to give a bigger theme to this song, so we drew a bigger picture. Somebody may not have a friend, and somebody may not have love, you know, everyone lives in a different situation. According to how you accept it, this song could be your story”, added G-DRAGON.

On contrary, “BAE BAE” is a song that expresses more explicit and kitsch feelings about love. G-DRAGON said, “I expressed men’s selfish desire for his girlfriend not to grow old from the age of 25, when a woman is the most beautiful in her entire life”.

Then, he went on to explain the intention of each song, saying, “The age of 25 seems to be the right age for a man and woman to have the most passionate love in their lives. I expressed a situation in which the man and woman promise that their love will never change. Word ‘Chapssalteok’ (sticky rice cake) was picked for the lyrics, in the process of trying words that give funnier and more kitsch feel. At first, I picked the word without thinking seriously, but it went very well with the song’s entire mood. ‘BAE BAE’ is a song that is somewhat experimental, which does not have a defined feel. Rather, I pursued a kind of twisted and bizarre feel”.

As such, BIGBANG can do whatever they want with their music, based on the deep bond between the members who are now like family members.

Such bond between BIGBANG members is all the stronger, as they have been overcoming the difficulties and adversities of live together. TAEYANG boasted his friendship with the other members, saying, “We did anything given to us even though we did not understand that really, to do what we want finally now. We work hard because it is so fun to create music and music videos. Plus, we talk most and laugh most when all the five are together. We are the energy for each other”.

G-DRAGON also highlighted the meaning of the deep bond between the members, “Now we are successful and everything is so good, but each of us went through a lot of difficulties. That is the source of our passion. I myself experienced financial difficulty, and some personal pain and sufferings. As all of us know what difficulty and suffering in life is, we make a lot of efforts together, to maintain our current success as long as possible”.

Then, T.O.P humorously talked about the difficulties BIGBANG went through, “To be honest, each of the members does not have that many friends. The members are the only friends with whom we can share our lives and openly talk about personal things. When I was a trainee, I didn’t have any money so I could not eat the chips I like, and I still like the chips”.

As BIGBANG is enjoying a big popularity not only in Korea but also overseas, we asked BIGBANG a question about where they think the peak of their career is. TAEYANG answered, “Maybe it is right to set the peak (target) to some extent, but that may have come and gone already, or it may have not come yet. I’m curious what kind of meaning it has to set such a target”.

There are BIGBANG everywhere. While sweeping top places on charts ever since their comeback on the 1 this month, BIGBANG now begins to dominate TV music shows and entertainment shows, too. The team is setting a variety of unprecedented records with two new songs “LOSER” and “BAE BAE”, and they have announced a plan to release new songs on the 1 of every month until September.

First, BIGBANG is appearing in an entertainment TV show. They have been restraining from appearing in KBS’s entertainment shows for the recent few years, but will soon appear in “Happy Together” as a complete team.

That is their first-ever appearance in a KBS’s entertainment program in nine years since their debut. BIGBANG has not been frequently seen in TV shows so far unlike other idol groups, especially talk shows. That was because BIGBANG has been focused on their music itself, as an “artist”. The only TV talk shows BIGBANG has appeared in the nine years of their successful career as a musician were SBS’s “Strong Heart” and “Healing Camp”.

As for reality shows, MBC’s “The Infinite Challenge” and SBS “I Love Sunday-Running Man” are the only ones in which BIGBANG has appeared. All these TV shows are hosted by Yoo Jae-suk, an MC famous for his comfortable and witty hosting. “Happy Together 3″ in which BIGBANG will soon appear is also hosted by Yoo. Yoo and BIGBANG have showed their friendship in TV shows several times so far.

Yoo led SBS’s entertainment program “I Love Sunday-The Family Has Come” with DAESUNG’s regular appearance in it, and performed with G-DRAGON in “The Infinite Challenge”‘s music festival. That is why people are paying keen attention to the new encounter between Yoo and BIGBANG, as Yoo always creates a fun atmosphere. So, the focus of people’s interest is what harmony Yoo and BIGBANG will show in “Happy Together 3″.

Plus, as BIGBANG is known to be discussing on their appearance in SBS “Running Man”, fans will be able to see BIGBANG on TV more than ever.

The next is music shows. BIGBANG will appear in Mnet’s “M-Countdown” on the 14, in KBS 2 TV’s “Music Bank” on the 15, and in SBS “INKIGAYO” on the 17, to give captivating performances.

Plus, BIGBANG’s “LOSER” and “BAE BAE” are also staying in the No.1 and No.2 places on the daily chart of major music-streaming websites for 13 days since their release. BIGBANG’s new song “LOSER” and “BAE BAE” released on the 1 this month at 0 o’clock took the No.1 and No.2 places on the 13, on the daily chart of Korea’s major music websites including Melon, Bugs, and Monkey3.

While BIGBANG is showing off the “BIGBANG power” by dominating the top places on the real-time, daily, and weekly chart of music websites since their release, music fans are paying keen attention to until when such records will be maintained.

The music videos released in line with new songs are also creating sensation consistently. As of the 13 at 2pm, “LOSER” and “BAE BAE” are recording total 31,319,776 views on YouTube, 17,196,932 and 14,122,844 respectively.