Coachella 2020 Artist of the Week || BIGBANG

The colorful world of BIGBANG is coming to Coachella with their infectious energy, dance moves, and sound that blends K-Pop and Hip-Hop.

While the sounds of rock, hip-hop, and electronic dance music dominate the Empire Polo Grounds during Coachella each year, the lineups always shine a light on other genres as well. This year they’ve continued that trend by adding unique artists from all over the world and K-Pop group BIGBANG is one that stood out the most!

Over the years, BIGBANG has achieved the status of being one of the biggest K-Pop groups in the world and they’ve received numerous accolades as well. Additionally, they hold the record of 18 number one tracks on Melon, South Korea’s biggest online music service. They were one of the first K-pop groups that control creativity behind their music production from songs to music videos rather than rely completely on other producers.

Since the day they arrived, BIGBANG sought to stand out among all other K-pop acts.

In 2006, BIGBANG made its debut at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena in Seoul during the 10th anniversary of the YG Family Concert and originally consisted of five members: T.O.P., Taeyang, G-Dragon, Daesung, and Seungri. The group rose to fame when they began branching out of traditional hip-hop sounds to a more electronic sound that mixed pop and hip hop vocals as heard in their breakout single, “Lies.”

Their K-pop and hip-hop fusion tracks became a sensation as they wrote hit after hit from “Haru Haru” to a remake of Lee Moon Se’s “Sunset Glow.” By 2009, they became an international sensation as they released their first full Japanese album and gained a following around the world, including the United States.

After the release of the first Japanese album, members of BIGBANG took a break and pursued solo activities either in more music or acting.

As solo artists, they were able to distinguish themselves better and exemplify their art. Taeyang’s solo album, Solar, showcased his R&B side that audiences don’t often see in during group tracks. G-Dragon released Heartbreaker and the title track became the number one selling single for a decade.

T.O.P. pursued a few acting roles and was in a film called 71: Into the Fire as well as being featured in other artist’s tracks. Seungri also acted in a Korean drama called Lights and Shadows. He also released a few solo tracks, “VVIP” and “What Can I Do.” Daesung found himself unable to stay away from the stage as he went on a Korean variety show called Family Outing. He was a host on MBC’s Music Core, a Korean version of MTV and appeared in the Korean drama, What’s Up.

BIGBANG would reunite in 2012 for their next album, Alive.

With the release of Alive the group became bigger than ever, mostly due to their hit song, “Fantastic Baby,” which featured electro-pop sounds as well as bursts of the word “DANCE!” in the track. The album found itself at number 150 on the Billboard 200 list, a first for any Korean act at the time.

That same year, Live Nation and YG Entertainment announced the Alive Galaxy International Tour with twenty-one stops over thirteen different countries. They appeared in Hong Kong, Europe, and the United States for the first time with additional concerts held at Los Angeles, New Jersey, and London to meet the demand.

After ending the run surrounding the album, there was no denying that Korean artists were the ones to watch. G-Dragon and former labelmate CL were featured on Skrillex and Diplo’s track, “Dirty Vibe,” which displayed their prowess for rapping in English and Korean. Soon, more and more Korean artists have been integrated into today’s music culture across the globe.

The world is eager to see BIGBANG on stage as it’s been a few years since the last performance.

BIGBANG went on hiatus for two years as South Korea requires male citizens to complete mandatory military service. However, only four of the original five members will be present at Coachella as a scandal broke out in 2019 involving Seungri. This resulted in his early retirement from the entertainment industry and the first member to leave the group.

Those who catch their set at Coachella can expect a variety of high energy music and a great time.

BIGBANG knows how to party on stage and rile up the crowd with their infectious energy. Not to mention that K-pop artists are known for having an eclectic wardrobe that is a mixture of luxury urban wear to eye-popping costumes. And they aren’t the only K-Pop artists featured at the festival this year as Epik High is set to return to the festival after an impressive performance in 2016.

Outside of their often flashy outfits, you don’t have to know the Korean language to enjoy their music. You just have to witness the magic of BIGBANG and say, “Wow, Fantastic Baby.” Listen to their music on Spotify below and let us know if you’ll be catching them!

Explore the sounds of BIGBANG and listen to their releases on Spotify:

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