Entertainment
Gwangju News’
K-pop
H
ello everyone! This is Jdragon, a lover of everything KPop!
Let me introduce you to my friend. “Hi, I am BigBang, and you will hate that you love me.”. This is probably the main message of this month’s article. So get ready to fall in love. BigBang, one of Korea’s biggest idol groups, have victoriously returned after lying dormant for nearly two years. Their comeback sent not only the Korean music industry into a tizzy, but also the hearts of fans worldwide. Having released about four albums in the past few months, there seems to be no end in sight, as they have baptised 2011 the year of BIGBANG. This five-member idol group, represented by YG Entertainment, debuted about five years ago. The charismatic members include group leader, song writer, producer and fashionista GDragon, T.O.P, Taeyang, Daesung and Seungri. Each member has also had major solo success with albums while on break from actual group activities. First, Taeyang released his international album Solar with hits like ‘I need a girl’ and ‘I’ll be there’. After that, GDragon and T.O.P released their full album at the tail-end of December 2010, conquering the charts with songs like ‘High High’, ‘Oh yeah’ and ‘Knock Out’. This was followed up by Seungri and his album. VVIP.
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Gwangju News May 2011
Once solo promotions were done, BigBang released their fourth mini album. All of the songs on that album delivered what the industry now calls an “all kill” on the music charts. The album’s six songs immediately ranked in the top spots on online and offline music sales, and according to a consulting firm, they had the best selling songs for all of March 2011. Three weeks after the release of their fourth mini album, they announced they would be re-releasing that exact album, now titled 4.5 Special Edition, with two new title tracks, ‘Love Song’ and ‘Stupid Liar’. This move was pure genius, meticulously merging their old sound with their new electronic rock. They have recently also extended their contracts with their agency for another five years, and are preparing for the release of their full album later this year, which will feature top international producers. Japanese concerts and promotions are also lined up for them. I am also highly anticipating the comeback of 2NE1, as their new album should drop late April or May. I can only hope. So, if you have just been introduced to Kpop or would like to purchase your first album, I would highly recommend giving BigBang’s 4.5 Special Edition a try. By JDragon – Stay Kpoptastic JDragon is one half of the dynamic K-pop duo who bring you GFN98.7FM’s KPOPULAR daily. Listen on www.gfn.or.kr right after the midday news.