BIGBANG: Happy birthday TAEYANG !

This May 18, 2021, the singer of BIGBANG, TAEYANG celebrates his 33 years. On this occasion, we propose you a retrospective of his long career.

 

Name : DONG YOUNG BAE / 동영배

Stage name : TAEYANG

Birthday : 18 mai 1988

Birthplace : Uijeongbu

Height : 173 cm

Blood type : AB

Zodiac signs : Taureau/Dragon

Skills : chant, rap, danse, écriture, piano

– Childhood –

The young YOUNGBAE did’t have a very rosy childhood, since he had to help his family financially by working relatively early. The family of the future singer was indeed hit hard by the economic crisis that all Asian countries underwent in the late 90s. However, he already shows a certain interest for music. During his youth, he listened to classical music such as Franz Peter Schubert or Beethoven. Influenced by this musical trend, he learns the piano. After a few years, he became interested in rap, he auditioned for the MV of the group JINUSEAN, a rap group of the YG Entertainment.

YOUNGBAE has found his way and he doesn’t intend to miss his chance. He calls Yang Hyunsuk, the CEO of YG Entertainment, to integrate the trainees of the agency. He will go, without discouraging, to the agency many times, the CEO will be impressed by his tenacity and will offer him to integrate his agency.. 

YOUNGBAE joined YG Entertainment when he was 12 years old, but he didn’t start his musical training right away, serving drinks to older artists and cleaning up at first. He will admit later that this period was very difficult for him. During this period, he met KWON JIYONG with whom he became friends. The agency decided to create a duo with these two young recruits and to start their real trainings at this time.

The duo will be called GD&YB.

6 years later, YG Entertainment decided to abandon the duo, preferring to form a group of five members. YOUNGBAE then participated in the Survival Documentary, which decided the final members of the group BIGBANG.

–   Debut    –

TAEYANG made his debut in 2006 as the lead singer of the new group BIGBANG. He is joined by his friend G-DRAGON, TOP, DAESUNG and SEUNGRI.

The group made its first appearance on August 19, 2006 at the 10th YG Family concert.
Their first album, Bigbang Vol. is a success with the titles Bigbang, Bigbang is V.I.P or BigBang 03.

The group received a very good reception during its first performances but its popularity exploded with the release of the EP “ALWAYS” in 2007. Especially thanks to the song “Lies”, it was supposed to be a solo of G-DRAGON but Yang Hyun Suk saw its potential and decided to make the whole band sing. He was right, because “Lies” became a huge success in Korea. The group stands out because it is the leader of the group who composed and wrote the song. This is a rare thing for a Kpop group. The group imposes its style and succeeds thanks to its talent to propel itself at the top of the Korean charts.

– Career  –

2006

TAEYANG is the first of the five members of BIGBANG to release a solo song “My girl” featured on the group’s first single “Bigbang is VIP”.

2007

After a remarkable entry in the Korean music industry, the group continues its momentum with “Last farewell” (2007) which will know a similar success to “Lies”.

2008

G-DRAGON composed “Haru Haru”, once again it became a must-have song in the Korean music scene. BIGBANG is, once again, at the top of the charts.

During the same year, TAEYANG participated in LEXY‘s album but above all, offered to the fans his first solo mini-album, “HOT”. The album turned to R&B and soul and was a huge success. The track that stands out is “Only look at me” composed by G-DRAGON the song allows him to win many awards such as “Best R&B album” or “Best R&B song”. The young singer will say that his only regret is not to have been able to compose and write his album.

2009

The year 2009 is a busy year for TAEYANG who released two solo singles. He will take part this time in the composition and writing. “When U at” and “Wedding dress” are released, and was very successful.

2010

Postponed because of the too many activities of BIGBANG, the complete album, solo, of TAEYANG is finally released in July 2010. The album is called “SOLAR” nothing surprising since the stage name, TAEYANG, means sun. The album is available in several editions, a first “Regular edition”, a second “Deluxe edition”. The second edition sold more than 30,000 copies worldwide on the first day. It’s ranked second in its category on Itunes in the United States and first in Canada. Feeling the international demand, TAEYANG released an international version containing new tracks like “I’ll be there”. However the song that will mark this album is “I need a girl”.

The clips highlight the talent for dance of the young man, especially abroad. This allowed him to take lessons in the USA with talented teachers. He is recognized in South Korea as one of the best Kpop artists in the dance category in front of Hyuna from 4minutes or Kahi from After school.

2011

Shaken by the scandals, the group is quiet at the beginning of the year. However, TAEYANG finally made a comeback with the whole group at the YG Family concert and participated in the MTV EMA Awards in Europe.

2012

2012, marks the comeback of the group BIGBANG. They return with the album Alive, carried by the title “Fantastic baby” composed with TEDDY PARK. The album is once again a huge success in Korea but not only because for the first time a Korean album reaches the “Billboard Top 200”.

2013

After having devoted the two previous years to BIGBANG, the singer devotes himself to his solo activities. He collaborates with several magazines, of which he makes the cover, then appears in the clip of the first solo title of his colleague CL of 2NE1.

In November, TAEYANG announced his second solo album “RISE”. The title written by G-DRAGON, “Ringa linga” is an unprecedented success in the career of the singer. Recognized again for his talents as a dancer, he collaborates with PARRIS GOEBEL for the creation of a choreography. This last one makes it possible to arouse the curiosity of the Americans towards TAEYANG who, of this fact, will make a solo concert in San Francisco. Many American artists, after that, contacted the YG Entertainment in the optics of a featuring.

2014

In 2014, TAEYANG unveiled its collaboration with M-Flo a Japanese band.

In June of the same year, the MV “Eyes, nose, lips” is unveiled and will be a huge success. The song became an emblematic song of Kpop in the world and still remains so. It allows him to win many awards and to rank in the first places of the music charts.

The album announced the year before was released in June including a song, but more importantly a video that would change his life. “1AM”. It is indeed on the shooting of the clip of this song that TAEYANG will meet the actress MIN HYORIN, the one who will become his wife.

The album “RISE” gathers the various outstanding titles of the interpreter namely “I need a girls”, “Eyes, nose, lips” and “Wedding dress”. It sells 50,000 copies which allows him to rank second in the Oricon chart. The solo tour he undertakes Solo japan tour rise 2014 is an unexpected success as YG Entertainment is forced to add dates, the last two closing concerts in Seoul are sold out in 10 minutes, a third will be planned and will be played to a full house too.

At the end of 2014, TAEYANG formed a duo with G-DRAGON again, called GD&Taeyang. The song “Good boy” is released in November, the video clip counts 6 million views on YouTube in just two days, a record for that time. He participates in the MAMA, a Korean music awards ceremony with G-DRAGON, where they will win 3 awards.

2015

The year 2015 marks the return of the whole group with the album “MADE”. The album is carried by tracks such as “Loser” or even “Bae bae”. This album is perhaps the most successful of the group. It quickly reaches the top of the charts, and its tracks quickly become cult in the industry.

2017

TAEYANG‘s third album was announced by YG Entertainment in January. The album “WHITE NIGHT” was released in August, with the songs “Darling” and “Wake me up”. The album will have a great success, these two songs will reach the top 10 of the Gaon Digital Chart. The song “Wake me up” will reach the fifth place in Billboard’s world digital songs.

 

Moreover the album will be ranked first in Billboard’s world digital albums and will stay there for more than a week which is a record for a solo Kpop artist. Only G-DRAGON has already achieved this feat. In South Korea, the album sold more than 57,000 copies only in the month of its release. A tour will follow the release of this album, called soberly “White night”. TAEYANG touring 19 countries around the world.

In September, TAEYANG appears in the survival Mix nine as a judge. Then he will participate in the show, Livin’ the Double Life with CL and OH HYUK.

The group, which is about to take a break from military service and is celebrating its tenth anniversary, is offering its fans a mini-series on YouTube featuring them as scouts.

After the single “Flower road”, a goodbye to their fans, the members of BIGBANG went to the army. TAEYANG enlisted on March 12 for his compulsory military service in the 6th infantry division in Cheorwon.

During his service, in 2018, the “Burning Sun” affair shook the VIPs, SEUNGRI‘s alleged involvement in this affair forced him to leave the YG Entertainment as well as the entertainment world in general. The fans do not know then if the group will return on the front of the scene after this hard blow.

2019/2020

The young man is discharged on November 10, 2019

A comeback will be announced in January 2020, the group BIGBANG is announced to the programming of the festival Coachella however because of the health crisis due to COVID 19, the event was postponed. Although rumors about their comeback are circulating and G-DRAGON confirmed during a live show for his collaboration with Nike that he was working on a new album. Nothing is officially announced yet.

In May 2020, TAEYANG made his fans wait for a documentary entitled White night documentary, available on YouTube that retraces his last tour.

 -A “Normal” life – 

TAEYANG, apart from his singing career, is also known for his very healthy lifestyle and his relatively ordinary daily life. Although normality is a more or less debatable idea, he is surely the one that Koreans feel closest to.

He obviously has other activities than music that are out of the ordinary, especially in fashion. He participated in the Chanel fashion show in 2014 alongside G-DRAGON and the model SOO JOO, he is also muse for Fendi the Italian luxury brand.

However, it seems that in his private life he wants to remain simple, down to earth. Different programs in which he participated show us that as I live alone. We then discover a young man who lives in a comfortable way certainly but with an exemplary simplicity. The commentators even compare him to a grandfather when viewing the images.

http://kshow123.net/show/i-live-alone/episode-218.html

The right to a private life, TAEYANG and BIGBANG in general defend this right, too often forgotten in the Kpop world. It is perhaps for this reason that the announcement of his relationship with the actress MIN HYORIN was so well received by the fans of the group. It all started with G-DRAGON. TAEYANG was looking for an actress to play in his MV. G-DRAGON recommended the friend of a friend who is none other than HYORIN.

YOUNGBAE falls then under his charm during the shooting of the clip where they play a couple. The two young people become a couple in 2013 and make their relationship official the same year. The couple is very discreet, few photos of them come out in the press, TAEYANG expresses himself on his couple in several shows. However the information disclosed remains very controlled the two stars.

In December 2017, the agencies announced the engagement of the couple, and announced their marriage in 2018.  Fans rejoice for the young man by congratulating him and it is in the same way that they will congratulate him for his marriage on February 3, 2018. Union that they will celebrate surrounded by their families as well as their close friends including the members of BIGBANG, and some other Korean personalities.

Like many Koreans, TAEYANG is Christian, religion seems to take a great place in his life, as evidenced by his tattoos having an undeniable Christian symbolism.

We can also underline, that his faith follows him even in his professional choices since the collection he designed for Fendi with Silvia Venturini Fendi includes the words “grace”, “faith”, “saved”, “passion” making, no doubt, reference to his beliefs.

Finally TAEYANG, has made many donations for various associations. Either from the sale of his albums or from his personal funds. When he came back from the army, in 2020, he organized an auction, selling his own clothes as well as those of other celebrities such as CL, WINNER, IKON. Proceeds from the auction benefited a non-profit organization, Snail of Love, which provides hearing aids and cochlear implants to hearing impaired children who cannot afford them.

This will to have a so simple and “normal” life in spite of his profession and his unusual career, gives him a certain closeness with the Korean people and his fans and it is perhaps for this reason that he is always so popular.

We hope that this retrospective will have allowed you to discover or better know this multi-faceted artist that is DONG YOUNG BAE. 

 

Journalists : Mmmrci & Ipadje.
Translator : Mmmrci
Sources : SNS YGENTERTAINEMENT, BIGBANG, TAEYANG.