Telling the world about the K-pop boy group BIGBANG can be difficult. Because honestly, with their countless accomplishments, influences, and contributions to the music industry, a day won’t be enough to cover them all. Definitely, it was not an easy journey, but it was also productive and worthwhile. Calling BIGBANG as “Kings of K-pop” may still be disputable, but you can’t deny that they’re legends and icons who reshaped the K-pop industry that people known today.
A Slow Beginning
As many K-pop groups have experienced, BIGBANG was also formed through a television program, which is called BigBang Documentary. Being a part of the BIG 3 companies, YG Entertainment made sure that they gathered the best trainees in the show to produce a new group. They went down up to the last five trainees, namely Kwon Ji Yong or G-dragon (Leader), Choi Seung Hyun or T.O.P., Dong Yong Bae or Taeyang, Kang Daesung, and the maknae Lee Seung Hyun or Seungri.
BIGBANG debuted on August 19, 2006, which was held at Olympic Gymnastics Arena during the YG Family 10th Anniversary Concert. Strategically, they represented their group with contemporary Western music and sound. Seo Taiji and Boys, the first K-pop group ever, influenced the next generation of idols with this type of music genre that they called Korean pop. But BIGBANG also experimented with other genres, especially urban R&B, like in their song A Fool of Tears. They have been doing their best since then, but it seems that the public is not catching up.
An Explosive Breakthrough
Until a year after their debut, BIGBANG released the single title Lies in August 2007 that skyrocketed in the music charts locally. What made this song special is that the members, especially G-Dragon, started to be more hands-on in the music production. From the contemporary R&B, they decided to shift to electronic music that was popular in Asia during that time. Naturally, the success continued as they won “Best Male Group” and “Song of the Year” at the 2007 Mnet Asian Music Awards.
With this breakthrough, BIGBANG finally found the musical identity that made them hit song makers all throughout their careers. They never disappoint every time their new songs and albums are released. Having G-Dragon lead the songwriting and composition, they were known as the first K-pop group to have storylines and continuity in their discography. With this, The Korea Times praised his contributions and called him a “genius singer-songwriter”. And it is also important to note that this method and style was what inspired the globally successful K-pop boy group, BTS, to write their own songs with their own stories and thoughts. And it is not just them, but many more K-pop groups today have looked up to BIGBANG as legends in the industry.
Hit Song Makers
Even if you are not a BIGBANG fan or VIP, you will still surely recognize songs like Heartbreaker, Wedding Dress, Bad Boy, Good Boy, Last Farewell, Bang Bang Bang, Eyes Nose Lips, and Haru Haru. They were from the collection of BIGBANG group and solo songs that dominated local as well as international music charts. If you listen to them, they are a combination of different genres. According to Billboard, BIGBANG has a “dominating style of music that surpasses genre boundaries”.
There is also the song Fantastic Baby that helped break BIGBANG to the international market in 2012. That same year, they were able to hold their first-ever world tour in 21 cities and 13 countries. After 3 years of mostly solo projects and activities, BIGBANG came back as a group in 2015 releasing the M.A.D.E. album. This is 9 years since their debut, and it was amazing how they didn’t lose their supremacy, even among the biggest K-pop groups during that time. Continually, they dominated the music charts and expanded their reach as well with their songs “Loser” and “Bae Bae“. This is also in preparation for their 10th Anniversary, where they released the full-length album for M.A.D.E. and held the concert tour 0.TO.10.
Sought-After Influencers
BIGBANG‘s global recognition was not just because of their songs but also with their influence in fashion and style. The Chicago Sun-Times called the BIGBANG members “five of the most daring, dapper dressers in the world” and praised their style as “bold, innovative, and trend-setting”. This is how they present themselves authentically and sincerely, which is probably the reason why people are drawn to them. As Los Angeles Times also noticed this, they called BIGBANG “one of the most inventive, aesthetically visionary acts in its genre”.
Being successful in music, fashion, and style fields, BIGBANG were also icons and ambassadors of the biggest brands like Chanel and The Saem. Trust them to bring new consumers to the market that they endorse. Individually, the members have their own styles when it comes to music and fashion. That is why they all sold thousands and millions of album copies, even during their solo projects. They were also invited to fashion shows and events where they are considered the VIPs.
BIGBANG's Own Brand
BIGBANG has a lot of “firsts” in the K-pop industry: the first to produce their own songs, collaborate with Western artists, win an international award (beating Britney Spears in the same category), and the first male group to dominate local digital charts in Korea. But in terms of their own brand, they were the first to create their own fandom light stick. Yup, the light sticks represent fans of K-pop groups. G-Dragon was the first to think of doing and designing one for their VIPs. It is called the Bang Bong.
Albums and DVDs also define the superiority of BIGBANG’s brand. Releasing the best songs in the K-pop industry, everyone would want to get a hold of those treasures. From their first album Bigbang Vol. 1, to their latest album M.A.D.E., you won’t surely waste your money.
Another brand identity of BIGBANG is their clothing and accessories merchandise. Being fashion icons, they set the trends in the K-pop world, with both fans and celebrities following their style. You can find a wide variety of clothing and accessories collections in YG’s official online store, YG Select.
Buying BIGBANG’s official merchandise may be a hassle for fans, especially those from countries outside Korea. But you can now go to online K-pop stores like their official store YGSELECT, G-market, Cokodive, KPOPTOWN, and KTown4u. They accept accessible payment options and an easy ordering process. On the other hand, package forwarding services are conveniently helpful and less expensive in terms of shipping the products to your country. You can check out DELIVERED KOREA that offers international shipping, personal shopping, consolidating, and other useful services for K-pop fan’s purchasing experience.
