Big Bang - BIGBANG (Korean: 빅뱅)

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. Initially a six-member group, one member, Jang Hyunseung (now a member of BEAST), got eliminated during the airing of the show before the official debut 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. 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. 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. 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.

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. 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. In an interview, the group also expressed interests in covering the music genre trot.

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, 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, 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".However, the group has been criticized for their over-use of electronic music in their materials.

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. 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."

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. 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". Sumber : Wikipedia

Korean Discography

Studio Albums

Bigbang Vol.1 (2007)

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)

Concert Albums

First Live Concert: The Real LIVE Concert CD (2006)

2ND LIVE Concert: The GREAT LIVE Concert CD (2008)

BIG SHOW LIVE CONCERT ALBUM (2009)

BIG SHOW LIVE CONCERT ALBUM (2010)

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)

The Ultimate -International Best- (2011)

Singles

My Heaven (2009)

Gara Gara Go! (2009)

Koe wo Kikasete (2009)

Tell Me Goodbye (2010)

Beautiful Hangover (2010)