G-Dragon Was an SME Trainee, Could He Have Been a Member of DBSK?
It was revealed that G-Dragon used to be a trainee with SM Entertainment. That makes one wonder, what if G-Dragon had been a part of DBSK, or even Super Junior? On May 8, Mnet’s “Wide Entertainment News” revealed 8 secrets about celebrities’ pasts.
Big Bang’s Interview for AnAn Magazine 2012 Translation [TRANS]
T.O.P:
I will only act in romance drama after I know more about love.For now, I’m still lacking in experience.
TOP made a comeback with a shocking mint green hairstyle. What’s your thought for the ‘ALIVE’ album?
“When I wrote the rap lyrics, I was trying my best to do it with honesty and choosing beautiful words. For the Japanese version, I also use gentle words to make sure all listeners regardless of their ages can understand well. For me, this album is the most high quality compared to the other albums. This mint color hair style was decided upon an instinct while producing the album. I confident this hairstyle will match the album concept very well. Changing to this hairstyle, I felt that my characteristic has become more gentle. ”
Big Bang to promote Korea by saying “Hello”
Big Bang participated in a public campaign to warmly greet foreigners for the year of Visit Korea.
On April 30, Visit Korea Committee reported that Big Bang would appear in the 2012 public campaign advertisement to warmly greet foreigners, titled “Let’s Say Hello First!”
This public campaign advertisement was created in order to improve the image of Korea by warmly greeting foreigners with smiles as over ten million foreigners are visiting Korea nowadays.
In the advertisement, which was shot at Gwanghwamun Square, Big Bang sing a campaign song about how to say hello in different languages.
Big Bang’s staying power, “Fantastic Baby” in Top 10 on music charts for 10 consecutive weeks
Big Bang once again proves that they are the kings of K-Pop.
Their fifth mini-album ‘ALIVE‘ has been acknowledged for its strong staying power, as “Fantastic Baby” still remains on the charts 10 weeks after its release. ”Fantastic Baby” is #8 on Melon, #9 on Mnet.com and #10 on Olleh Music.
Representatives from the music industry remarked, “In the music market, new albums get shuffled around and the life span of songs on music charts are extremely short. There are many songs that seize the #1 spot in real time, but there are very few that remain within the Top 10 for more than 2 weeks.”
“Big Bang’s long 2-month run is truly a rare sight,” they continued.
Big Bang’s hits “Blue“, “Fantastic Baby”, “Bad Boy“, “Ain’t No Fun“, and “Love Dust” all ranked within the Top 10 on the various Korean music sites.
G-Dragon’s hair gives him a new character
G-Dragon didn’t get long hair for nothing; he’s really playing the part.
The user of an online community recently uploaded a series of photos titled, ‘G-Dragon Eating Ramen While Holding Back His Hair’. The photos were from the April 23 broadcast of Japan’s popular late-night program Shabekuri 007 on Nihon TV. On the show, Big Bang appeared with an interpreter, but managed to get around in Japanese without the interpreter’s help.
Near the end of the episode, the producers treated the group to ramen from a famous restaurant in Tokyo, and G-Dragon was caught eating while holding back his long hair or covering his mouth when he talked.
To the show, netizens left reactions such as, ‘G-Dragon explodes with femininity! He looks gentler than a girl. It’s funny and cute at the same time’ and ‘Seungri speaks like a native’.
Big Bang’s “Bling Bling” Punk Look
Big Bang is a daily topic for not just music, but other things, like title song selection, unique music videos and visuals, and their individual fashion style. From their music video clothing to their performance clothing, they have been gathering much interest. Their shocking hairstyles and everything in general is interesting the general public as well as fans.
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Big Bang on ‘MTV World Stage’ to air in 160 countries
Big Bang will be meeting with fans in 160 countries around the world through MTV World Stage-Big Bang Alive before the start of its world tour.
MTV World Stage-Big Bang Alive will air worldwide on May 4. Most of the broadcast will be devoted to the group’s performances of tracks from its fifth mini album Alive.
The performances of Bad Boy, Fantastic Baby and Blue from the group’s Big Bang Alive Tour 2012 held in Seoul in February will be making it into the broadcast, which is expected to effectively draw anticipation from the fans waiting for Big Bang’s world tour to come by their countries.
More performances from Alive and interviews of the members previously revealed through the ‘YG On Air’ service on Naver Music will air alongside the other videos.
Big Bang’s cover contest gathers heat with celebrity contestants
A lot of groups are out to try their hands at becoming Big Bang.
Big Bang’s official survival cover contest is gathering a great variety of contestants – including even celebrities.
The three-week preliminaries for the Fantastic Baby cover contest held on Nate Pann drew in a total of 213 teams, with 1100 people. The views for all the videos added up to 6.4 million, proving the great attention the contest was gathering.
What’s notable in the contest is that it managed to draw in some interesting participants with interesting backgrounds.
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Teen Top covers Big Bang’s “Fantastic Baby” for Big Bang Cover Contest?
Big Bang‘s Global Cover Contest is well underway, and it looks like the boys of TEEN TOP took the time to also participate in the event!
A video of some of the TEEN TOP members covering Big Bang’s “Fantastic Baby” has been surfacing all over the internet.
Niel, Ricky, and Changjo put on a fierce dance performance that was so spot-on, VIP‘s couldn’t help but applause their efforts.
They did the Big Bang members proud.
Big Bang scheduled to film a music video for a new song
Big Bang, ‘New Song’ Preparing a Massive Secret Music Video.. Why?
Five member boy group Big Bang is preparing to film a music video once again for a new song.
According to multiple music officials, Big Bang will be filming a music video from the 18th to the 20th.
The song that they are filming for is not from the 5th mini album that was released in February, but rather a new and unreleased song.
NU’EST, “We all like TVXQ and Big Bang”
Excerpt from rookie group NU’EST’s interview with WStar News:
Q: Excluding your sunbaes of the same agency, who is your favorite singer?
JR: The members all like TVXQ and Big Bang. As for individually, I like Eminem. At first, no one appreciated him, but he put in a lot of effort and later, he achieved recognition from white people, black people, everyone and became the best singer. I also want to try to become the best musician recognized by everyone.
Ren: I like Michael Jackson and Beyonce. I long to take after their perfection.
Big Bang is the foreign artist who attracted the largest crowd of fans in Taiwan Airport
Big Bang was welcomed warmly by their fans in Taiwan.
On 9th, Big Bang arrived at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport. Starting from the morning of that day, there were fans going to the airport to welcome them and at last there were a total of 1200 of them. Local media also came to the airport to report their arrival.
The fans who were waiting at the airport told the members,‘ please hold a concert in Taiwan.’ There were placards on which such a wish was written on. We can feel the wish of the fans here.
Big Bang then held a an official press conference in Taipei 101. CTV, CTS, FTV, TTV, China Times, Liberty Times were all there. There were a total of about 100 local major media to report the news.
Drowned in Sound: “The 10 Biggest Number 1 Singles You’ve Never Heard Of”
Hello and welcome to a brand new spin-off from the commercially ignored and critically underrated DiS Does Pop. In the innovatively-titled DiS Does International Pop column we’ll be cocking our ear for a Top 40 smash abroad and shining a light on the biggest hits from foreign lands.
Want a sarcastic view of the Eurovision Song Contest that isn’t written by a Guardian staff writer? Fancy dipping your toes into the hyperactive world of J-Pop? Got a burning desire to discover Azerbaijan’s answer to Jedward? We’ll be answering most, if not all, of these questions in the months ahead.
We begin the column with a list of the biggest singles you’ve never heard of. Some are good. Some are excruciatingly bad. One of them is by Shakira.
1) B’z – Taiyo no Komachi Angel
2) Fun – We Are Young
3) Shakira – La Tortura
4) Marlon Roudette – New Age
5) Celine Dion – Pour que tu m’aimes encore
6) Tino Rossi – Petit Papa Noël
7) Big Bang & 2NE1 – Lollipop
8) Jedward – Bad Behaviour
9) Kent – Max 500
10) Chris Rene – Young Homie
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Big Bang, JYJ, 2PM, and more take over the advertisement market with ‘CM songs’
Simply landing CF deals doesn’t seem to be enough for idols on their quest for world domination, as even singing ‘CM songs’ is now a required must for the hottest idol stars.
With the K-Pop boom being felt all over the world, the influence of idols has definitely reached new heights. Their names are regularly seen on everything from internet portals, variety shows, dramas, and endorsement deals, so it’s no wonder the advertisement industry is eagerly making full use of their potential.
CM songs, or theme songs for CFs and endorsements, has become an easy and effective way to increase marketing power for brands, as songs sung by idols will easily land at the top of music charts and earn an explosive response from consumers. Previously, bands like Big Bang, Girls’ Generation, JYJ, KARA, 2PM, and T-ara all have experience with hit CM songs under their belts.
Perhaps the strongest in the area is Big Bang thanks to their hits like “Stylish” for ‘Fila’, “So Fresh, So Cool” for ‘Hite Beer‘, and “Lollipop” for ‘LG Cyon’. Just these three tracks alone recorded over $883,978 USD in profits.
Popdust’s “The Great Boy Band Hair-Off: We Have A Winner”
Over the last week we revisited the good, the bad and the ugliest of boy band hairstyles throughout pop music history. Our look back at everything from Davy Jones and Ringo Starr’s trailblazing swoops to the fluctuating styles of Justin Timberlake during his ‘N Sync days left us with 32 of the all-time greatest boy band haircuts, and a healthy debate over what is considered today’s definitive heartthrob look, according to you, the fans. Now that March Madness is over, the time has come to crown a winner. Drumroll, please…
Big Bang’s Interview with Oricon Style Japan (Part 2)
Starting from “love at first sight” then becoming lovers…
Q: The album includes songs in various types/genres. Please describe them.
V.I: FANTASTIC BABY is the most energetic song in the album. You won’t only see it in our outfits. We filmed the music video with a fantastic feeling too.
Big Bang and 2NE1 voted top K-pop stars in France
Big Bang and 2NE1 have been selected as the male and female groups most loved by the Hallyu fans in France.
The Paris office of Korean Tourism Organization has conducted ‘A survey to identify the status and distribution of Hallyu wave in France and the behavior of the Hallyu fans’ targeting 3,775 of local Hallyu fans. Big Bang and 2NE1 have each received 49.9% and 64.8% support coming in at #1.
The age range and gender of the fans who prefer 2NE1 and Big Bang were different. Big Bang was relatively highly preferred by male fans of Hallyu in France. As far a the age goes, Hallyu fans in their early 20′s seemed to prefer Big Bang. 2NE1 enjoyed most support of the Hallyu fans who are teenagers and those in their early 20′s and there was no significant difference between the genders.
The male group to rank #2 following Big Bang was Super Junior, then followed SHINee, B2ST, then 2PM. SNSD ranked #2 among female groups, followed by Miss A, f(x), then T-ara.
Big Bang’s Interview with Oricon Style Japan (Part 1)
BIGBANG 『Pressured!? Opening up about their mindset and thoughts on their new album!』
A turning point album for BIGBANG
Q: Before this interview, you were on the Telephone Shocking corner of ‘Waratte Iitomo’ (Fuji TV). Weren’t you nervous?
V.I: We’ve been on the show ‘Waratte Iitomo!’ before, so we were not that nervous.
Q: Unfortunately, you guys didn’t get the phone strap.
V.I: Yeah. Since we are gyudon (beef bowl) maniacs, we expected the audience to love gyudon too. A little bit disappointing.
Big Bang stopping in Indonesia for Alive Tour?
JAKARTA – Boy band BIG BANG is currently planning for their “BIG BANG Alive Tour 2012“. They will be traveling in 16 countries all over the world. Will Indonesia be one of the stops?
Some time ago, there was news that the promoter who brought Lady Gaga to Indonesia will be responsible for bringing Big Bang. During an interview, the director of Big Daddy Indonesia, Michael Rusli, confirmed that the group, made up of G-Dragon, T.O.P, Taeyang, Daesung and Seungri, will be visiting Indonesia in October.
“They have a schedule to have a tour in Indonesia in October for Alive Tour 2012” Michael commented when detikHOT news called on Monday (2/4/2012).
Despite confirming the news, he cannot confirm that Big Daddy will be the chosen promoting company for Big Bang’s concert in Indonesia.
T.O.P spotted shooting for “We Got Married” in Japan?
A photo of Big Bang‘s T.O.P in Japan was recently uploaded to a Korean community site with the caption, “T.O.P got married in Japan?”
In the photo, T.O.P was carrying a lady on his back with MBC‘s filming crew around them. Because of the photo, netizens are speculating that T.O.P is the latest idol that will be added to We Got Married‘s roster.
Many are also wondering who is the lucky celebrity that got paired with T.O.P.
Netizens commented, “That girl must have saved the country in her previous life to be paired up with T.O.P”, “Among the BIGBANG members, I was hoping it was Taeyang who will be on WGM”, “Thank goodness it isn’t Seungri”, “Doesn’t that lady look like Jiyong?”
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Vote for G-Dragon on Popdust’s ‘The Great Boy Band Hair-Off’
Popdust, a music and artist critique website recently pitted Big Bang‘s G-Dragon against Mindless Behavior‘s Princeton for the final round of ‘The Great Boy Band Hair-Off‘ tournament.
This tournament essentially provides fans to choose the artist who they believe has the most slick hair style. The tournament was launched about a week ago and 32 of the ‘all-time greatest boy band hair cuts‘ were lined up for round one. Since then, G-Dragon’s hairstyle has defeated several top notch hair cuts including that of Joe Jonas.
Now the fate of G-Dragon’s hairstyle in the final round rests in the hands of VIPs. Vote for him here!
Currently, G-Dragon has the upper hand with ~74% of the votes opposed to Princeton’s ~27%.
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