Location: South Korea (mentally) United states (physically)
Posts: 1,980
^ lmao i was in it?? didnt i have a dream about you before too? we need to stop XD hahaha
anyway, thanks kristel for the videos!! i love the beginning of the photoshoot where GD and seungri were playing the fish game...they look so...concentrated lol its like a childs toy why is it even there?? who brought that? haha
anyway here is a bit more info on Seungris solo~ apparently he is working with Big Tone
Quote:
Officially just ten days away from his project comeback, it has been revealed that popular producer Big Tone is on the collaboration with Big Bang’s Seungri. Last October, Big Tone has hinted that he is working with Seungri as he posted updates on microblogging site Twitter.
On the 2nd of January, he further hinted fans with a tweet saying, “Be on the look out for V.I commin’ soon!!” and “Y G~ G~ G~ G~ baybeh baybeh~ ^^.”
This is not the first time Big Tone has collaborated with the entertainment agency, as he previously produced songs for 2NE1 (‘Im Busy’ and ‘Love Is Ouch’) and Se7en (‘Reset’ and ‘Drips’).
im pretty effin excited since those 2ne1 songs are my favorite on their album and those two se7en songs are my second fave on his!! im way super more excited for seungris mini-album now!!~
also, here are some GD&TOP interviews, i have been neglecting posting them because i have been lazy but then i was like "well, im just horrible...other people might want to read those.." so i felt bad and now im posting them XD
T.O.P interview 1
Spoiler:
Quote:
▶ T.O.P has been praised for his acting skills in the film, Into the Fire, and has also claimed the newcomer award in the 31st Blue Dragon Film Festival.
T.O.P: I think my dyed hair suits the concept of the new album. Not many Koreans would dye their hair like this because it's like making your head bleed to get right color successfully. The color was just too eye-catching for an awards ceremony. I heard that some people said things like "Is it because he wants to get an award that he dyed his hair like that?" and "What if he doesn't get it?" I got annoyed a bit by these but I felt so happy when I got the award that I wasn't even expecting to get... though I really got bothered by those words.
▶ In Into The Fire, T.O.P successfully carried the character who possesses an unfathomable power and won the newcomer award. During the award giving ceremony, the "white head" of T.O.P was particularly eye-catching when he was walking on the red carpet.
T.O.P: Two days before attending the ceremony, I dyed my hair with this colour for the shoot of High High's music video. To be honest, I was embarrassed to present myself with this hairstyle in front of so many veteran actors. I also worried about not getting the award because my efforts, then, will be all in vain. I actually felt guilty when I received the award because getting it with this kind of look will be recorded in Blue Dragon's history... Why did I have to get the award at that time?
▶ Immediately after the filming of Into the Fire, he returned to the studio to create the new album, GD & TOP, in order to surprise fans who have been waiting for BIGBANG's album.
T.O.P: "How about forming a duet?" Although we made the album with this kind of thought, we didn't just make it carelessly. From High High and Oh Yeah, which can suit the tastes of people from all walks of life, to Don't Go Home and Baby Good Night, which are about how a man yearns for a woman until they fall in love with each other, songs which tell stories are found in tis album.
▶ The response is quite good since almost all of the songs in the album have swept music charts, which shows how popular the album is.
T.O.P: We really gave a lot of effort in making this album and the response is better than what we expected. We plan to extend our period of activities until we satisfy our fans.
▶ We shouldn't worry about the delay of BIGBANG's team album with this statement because he said...
T.O.P: We are carefully working on the album at the moment. What we want is that we can promote for as long as possible before the release of our team album.
▶ Although everyone praises him as the best actor with the singer background, this hasn't made T.O.P complacent...
T.O.P: I didn't have confidence in acting before I participated in Into The Fire. I am that kind of person who will be only be calm if I am confident enough. I am working hard on my weaknesses now.
▶ He was afraid of acting badly in the well-received KBS TV drama Iris too...
T.O.P: I'm not normally talkative in real life so it felt really difficult when I was told to act out my character without detailed guidance.
▶ Now, as an acclaimed actor, T.O.P has also set new targets.
T.O.P: There are so many excellent veterans. I learn a lot from them when I look back at their glorious past. I want to polish myself and present some new things in the industry to show that I am a wise latecomer too.
▶ So, how do you rank your acting?
T.O.P: Since I am currently at a period where I want to act as much as possible, there are still a lot of things that I want to present. I think it is still too early to rank my own performance now.
▶ How can you dislike this man? But surprisingly, he has been single for a long time.
T.O.P: I like to stay at home a lot together with my timidness. I always want to flee away from strangers because I am afraid of them. Although there are times that I have thought that it would be great if I had a girlfriend, my heart still tends to allocate my leisure time to working.
▶ This proves his determination to do things well. Once he encounters the things that sparks his ambition, he will work hard to achieve them. Although he said that he's concentrating on work at the moment, he still has his own ideal girl, who is wise and gentle.
T.O.P: If she is able to lead me to a better place and point me to the right direction, then she would be the right person. I like the role of a follower, although sometimes, I would like to lead too.
▶ So, are there girl group members who can meet his requirements?
T.O.P: In the past, I was too busy to watch the music programs. Usually, I stay away from watching too because with so many people performing well, I was worried that I would imitate them unconsciously when I perform. But I am a fan of all girl groups even though I am like that. Haha!
T.O.P interview with 10asia (this interview is quite lengthy)
Spoiler:
Quote:
During the performance of their new song “Knockout,” T.O.P, during most of the time, either stood still or moved slowly when he rapped while his partner G-Dragon (GD) moved wildly around the stage. But no one would dare say he moves less for their performance of "Knockout" only becomes complete when GD’s swiftness is combined with T.O.P’s heaviness along with the presence of their unique characters that are as different as their hairstyles. Furthermore, T.O.P has the ability to 'eat up' the audience with the most unexpected movements. He once used to be one of the five members of Big Bang who worried over his lack of dancing skills but he can now capture people’s attention without so much as moving a muscle. Here is T.O.P's remarks about performing on stage, his thoughts and his confidence. 10Asia will publish its interview with both T.O.P and GD tomorrow.
10: Of all the days, I'm interviewing you on Christmas (Laugh). You must already be exhausted from yesterday's concert and here I am bothering you with this.
T.O.P: It’s alright (Laugh). What did you think of our performance?
10: I posted few photos from your concert on my Twitter account and was hated by a few followers. They called me selfish for having fun by myself (Laugh).
T.O.P: I guess I'll have to say I'm thankful if they think of our concert that way. (Laugh) When doing concerts something can always go wrong such as problem with sounds but it is our duty to make the best out of even the worst situations. I’m also grateful to everyone who was there with us and how they put in much effort to help us enjoy ourselves. It's been a while since we've performed on televised shows as well but I feel heartened and happy performing thanks to their consideration and great stage preparations.
10: Your performance seems to have changed from the past. For example, at your YG Family Concert, you suddenly approached a fan in the standing area of the stage, stuck your face right in front of hers, and started rapping.
T.O.P: It wasn’t anything calculated beforehand or anything. While performing together with Ji-yong [G-Dragon] we already have a picture of what to do but all the small things are improvised. I think that’s the kind of power we came to gain while being in show business for past few years. Just like with acting, the emotions we deliver are feelings that we get from our music, not something that's pre-arranged. I believe it comes from our confidence.
10: You seem to exude more confidence in both the music in your newest album and stage manner. There is also a different kind of ease we get from your smoky makeup with the song “Knockout” which is quite interesting. Any special reason for such change?
T.O.P: It’s more about how I questioned myself over the past year. In the past I used to wonder what am I really doing this. There were some parts that burdened me greatly, leaving me to wonder whether I’m doing something that may be too much for me. But as I grew older I changed the question. “What do people want from me?”
10: The answer was your confidence?
T.O.P: Won’t people wish to gain vicarious satisfaction from me and confidence to go on with their lives? I think that was part of the reason my raps started to include lyrics like “Turn it up,” and same for the album. It’s not just to do something fancy or to bluff. Even if I show off a bit I wish those listening to my music have confidence for themselves just like I have for my career. I’m not sure how listeners will take it but I put a lot into that lyrics.
10: Is that the reason you started to share your name with a well-known brand, thus making a brand out your name as well? It seems like you were saying toward those who observe you “You can take me as you like. So I am.”
T.O.P: I became a bit bold. Actually my real self if more of a thinker, worrying about lots of things and careful about things like that. But when thinking about what people want from me and what could be the right thing to do, I decided that carrying on like this would be much more refreshing. I wish people who are feeling down to feel better as they listen to this music. Whether this is just a showing off for me or not, I wish the music to reach to them with ease, hopefully not too bossy (Laugh). I wanted to express my sincerity at least once and I believe that one way of expressing for me.
10: You used to give off impression of delving deeper into your inner self but now you’ve started to think about your influence toward others as well. How was such switch in thoughts possible?
T.O.P: I think I began to think more widely about the world I live in. World is such a bustling place yet lots of people today go through hard times, unable to gain energy from that vigor. And those are the people who are so good to me, to Big Bang or at least those listening to our songs. I thought I would like them to feel vicarious happiness by listening to our music. It got me wanting to express the way of feeling vicarious happiness in several roundabout ways.
10: Are such thoughts from perceiving your position as a singer? If you wish to do something for others you have to prepare yourself to take that much more responsibility.
TOP: I used to hate and feel burdened by such love and interest from other people in the past. I couldn’t enjoy any of it. But after letting go of my greed, I became more relaxed toward it. My ambition for music, the thoughts that I got to do something with my music which used to haunt me melted away. In the past I remember frequently saying “Hope you like it,” whenever I release a new song but now it doesn’t matter if people don’t expect much. Instead I came to think that I shall be the person who can amplify other’s expectations. I want to return as much as I receive, urge myself to work harder to study music. There is so much I wanted to show.
10: Is this linked to your present situation? You’ve been involved in acting but then return to pour out your music all at once with the latest album.
T.O.P: When I returned back from the film “Into The Fire (2010) GD was already in the middle of doing his music and I resumed my place in Big Bang. So much has changed in music world, great people out in the stage and everything. Since I’d been away from that flow for quite some time that gave me a moment to step back and re-organize my thoughts.
10: The way you express yourself seems to have changed. Before, you said you act out a virtual character but in recent album you likened yourself to “someone you meet only through speaker or ear phone.” Did you create a character out of yourself?
T.O.P: Yes. We get to stand before a great many people compared to our age. Of course we gained praise as well as criticism but after going through that process repeatedly I became tired of it too. I wanted to maintain a certain level of distance from people and to show myself only at stage or in the music. But since satisfying the listeners comes as priority much of the thinking was about how to best harmonize the two needs in making of the new album.
10: You are in a sense, unrealistic, aren't you? Big Bang members aren’t exactly the ordinary lot.
T.O.P: I do think that. Sometimes when I have a drink with GD we do feel great about how everything is going in our daily lives but lonely at the same time. Although there are things hard to handle at our age and things that we have missed out on, we also achieved just as much, which makes us think that we live in a dream world. Sometimes even we have trouble identifying whether we live in dream or reality.
10: It must be tough, continuing to get judged by others, always forced to think in business mind-set while doing things your way.
T.O.P: I think about that all the time. But I think I’ve reached close to the answer. In case of music, rather than thinking “what kind of music do people want and which trend should we follow,” I believe I should just do what I want to do and try something I’ve never done before but not going too far with it. I have wonderful experts who can correct me if that happens so placing my faith on them, I would like to pursue new and if not bold, at least a bold direction in doing my music.
10: Korea is not the best place for celebrity to live so you seemed to have somehow reached your own nirvana just like GD.
T.O.P: Yup, my nirvana (Laugh). Just kidding. I just boldly let myself go (Laugh). I know there are people who regard me and other Big Bang members with some prejudice. But it doesn’t matter. Those are the perceptions that drive us to keep improving. I don’t mean I enjoy rude comments online but we try to do even harder because of such misunderstanding. Personally I think the best part of our Big Bang members is that we enjoy efforts of that kind. Not because they we want something but simply enjoying the process, which becomes our biggest strength.
10: The lyrics by TOP in the latest album seem to be in that much more unique. Rapper is an artificial character yet it tells things that one wanted to say for oneself with the most confidence.
T.O.P: When I decided to become partner with GD the first thing we discussed was to write lyrics that only we can write. After all we went through much expectations and criticism since young age. Amid all that we wanted to write story lyrics about ourselves. Some can simply view it as we’re just full of ourselves. But we really wanted to write lyrics that can defy denounce such thought when analyzing it phrase by phrase. Something like “This is what we are made of. Who are you to snub?”
10: That’s what “Intro” part felt like. The sound was closer to old school hip hop, so it was like returning back to rap of back in middle school.
T.O.P: That’s right. By giving a sample of old school hip hop I wanted to show the basis of GD and my music. At the same time I also wanted to ask which rap should be considered seriously as I’ve laid out my story and my present in my own way.
10: Is “Oh mom” a reverse expression of that thought? Unlike other songs you did with GD that piece expressed one’s inner self instead of how one I viewed outside.
T.O.P: “Oh mom” is based on an actual episode. I can’t exactly detail on that but basically it’s my letter to one friend who is very, very sick. It’s a very meaningful piece for me which wasn’t planned in the track list but got included because I wanted it to be there badly.
10: “Oh mom” was arranged as rock music and the drum was made to sound loud as if a real performance. Is there special reason to making such choice? You could’ve taken the rhythm part differently.
T.O.P: I wanted it to go in a bit more analogue style. In other words, something warmer. These days the trend in music industry changes in crazy speed and quite a few songs get forgotten within the span of two or three weeks. At the same time it seems people are getting tired of music. Electronica music is good to enjoy but if one leans toward that too much it also wears people out too. So if not me, than for the sake of fans, I wanted to try something that sounds more analogue. And besides, GD and I are both starting to get interested in rock. Our rap style changed quite a bit too. In the past I tried to give off a thicker and huskier sound but now I try to come up with more relaxed sound. Something like a hardwood of its original form (Laugh).
10: I was quite impressed by a rap from “Baby Good Night.” If the rap of your past was the kind that tried to stand out of the sound to take over the whole song, that particular rap was closer to melting into the sound as much as it can. Then there were lyrics that matched the sound of vocabularies like “whipping cream.”
T.O.P: It may be because we wished to express our inner sentiment. As for "Baby Good Night” we took extra care to leave out provocative elements so the listeners can without worrying about their ears. These days people say the song sounds too long if it goes over three minutes and same for the song that doesn’t come to you in a snap. But I believe there are lots of music that are not boring without extra stimulation. So I wanted to tell people - those who like Big Bang, or GD and I - especially those in teens and in 20s that there are music of this style as well. Even if it’s long and out of trend, music is just music.
10: I think that’s the point where your personal goal and thoughts for public meet.
T.O.P: The songs are something that came out by voluntarily by instinct rather than through complicated thoughts but then we became extremely successful at young age. At the same time we are still a sensitive young people who want to do music. In between our work we go through lots of emotions which we try to express and also seek our goals. But as we distance ourselves to give a thought about our lives, it seems like I’m starting to see a big picture and seeing my goals more clearly. That’s why I wanted to help those listening to my music to be confident and become a source of that strength to me and to those people.
10: Your confidence seems to truly “knockout” the odds (Laugh). There may be people that will be sharpening their blades, ready to attack what you do, whenever you and GD go on stage. What’s your plan?
T.O.P: Our blades are sharper. (Laugh)
G-Dragons 10asia interview
Spoiler:
Quote:
The reporters of 10Asia spent three days, starting December 24 till 26, working. It was the weekend that included Christmas. However, who cares about working? During those three days, we watched the performance by G-Dragon (from here on GD) and T.O.P, we interviewed them on the set of their show and took pictures of them on stage. We just feel bad for them having to spend Christmas with the two who said they feel bad for each other. Below are the excerpts from 10Asia’s interview with GD.
Big Bang member GD [Chae Ki-won, Lee Jin-hyuk/10Asia]
10: You seem to have some dark bags under your eyes. (laugh)
GD: Yes, I performed all night yesterday as well. (laugh)
10: You have returned to living a busy life. I know that you enjoyed some free time after your solo activities.
GD: I partied hard for about a month or two after receiving permission from the CEO of YG Entertainment [Yang Hyun-suk] as soon as I finished my solo activities. (laugh)
10: Was it the first time having free time since making your debut? What kind of effect did that time have on you?
GD: It was tiring and difficult when we [Big Bang] had a busy schedule but it all disappeared when we were done. (laugh) I think it was a similar feeling to that. Everthing from the past seems like nothing. That is why I had plenty of time to prepare myself for my future activities after figuring things out. That one year, after finishing my solo activities was the first time since making my debut that I got to prepare something. Whether it was to rest or think, I was able to work on something in a leisurely manner during the past year instead of rushing through everything. That is why my confidence for the next album and meeting people grew.
10: I can’t find the appropriate word but I guess I should say your attitude has changed?
GD: Yes, my attitude has changed a lot. I became more placid and I feel that I try to understand things more. The CEO told me that I shouldn’t always think of myself and that I should try to put myself in the other person’s position as well. I began to understand most of everything much better after he said that. Before, whenever we had a busy schedule, I’d say ‘Why do we have so much on our schedule’ and get irritated about it but I know now that even the smallest things are important. One could say that I am like someone who just recovered from a serious illness. That is why I’m in such great condition and am looking forward to what I’ll get to do in the future.
10: It seems like you’ve achieved a sense of liberation. (laugh)
GD: My mind has become a lot more at ease because I feel that this is what I am supposed to do rather than call it liberation. Others might say that I have achieved huge success but to me it became my stimulus and the process of how I developed. And now, instead of being burdened about how others see me, I want to present them with what I can give them.
10: So does that mean you had cared what the people thought about you?
GD: In the past, I changed many things including the tone of my voice because I was conscious about my job when I was in front of others. Also, I had a different image in front of others versus my friends but now I feel they’re becoming similar. That’s why I’m more afaid of doing interviews now. I think that breaking that line between myself and as an entertainer and the real me is good but it can become a dangerous thing when doing interviews in Korea. (laugh) Other than that, I don’t feel that there is anything to worry about how others see me. It is who I am and I think that the people like me for it and I will continue with it in the future.
10: I think that is why the lyric “Even though I’m short, my girlfriend is tall” in the “Intro” track of the new album is quite memorable. It seems like you didn’t want to drag on about what happened in the past and just cleared everything up by saying “Ah, I’m just like that.”
GD: It cleared up many things. When I made my debut I was younger and I don’t think I thought about what kind of image I was portraying to others. And I began assessing who I was after I released my solo album. I experienced a lot of pain and it was even scary to wake up every morning. When I wake up something happened and another thing would happen. I think that’s why I was quite broken then.
10: How did you overcome that?
GD: It takes time. As time went by I realized that I’m a pop singer so whatever my intention was, what the public perceives of it is my doing so it’s my fault if I give off the wrong intention. And I thought that it’s no use to talk about every little thing that has happened. I wanted to show it coolly through the next album or through words and I just remained quiet because the way I wanted to express my feelings, such as through writing or talking about it, wasn’t acceptable. That is why during that time I did my best in what I was doing and put in all my efforts to give a good impression. I now see more people who support me. I think that is how I should go about things from now on.
10: Have those inner changes had influence on your music? The track “Baby good night” from the new album is unlike the other style of songs from your previous work.
GD: Of course. It’s because when you break away from the mold the possibilities are endless. While, the artist will produce the same music over and over again if they decide on the style of music. You can say that is the problem of all idol stars and it will continue to become a problem if it’s not broken and worsen if they release album after album without resting.
10: That’s true. The artist will just coast along if they don’t have the time to think.
GD: Yes. I think that the right kind of music is not made once the artist feels that music is work. On the contrary, I will be able to enjoy making music if I am given a year or three months time. I feel that when one is working on music, performing or just having fun that it directly influences the music.
10: So it will be harder from now. You were busy making track after track since your debut.
GD: I lost my confidence during that time. I thought to myself that I can always do my best and I was in a slump once I locked myself into trying to form my own style of music. I heard that rocker Seotaiji and other singers said that they go through torment thinking about their next album. I haven’t gone through that phase yet and it may seem pretty cocky to say this at a young age but there was a time where I thought to myself, thinking that there is no guarantee for the next five to ten years if I thought I have come with everything that I can.
10: That was why I felt bad about “Heartbreaker.” While you did a thorough job on perfecting a single idea with “Lies,” that same process was missing in “Heartbreaker” giving a likely reason to doubt even if it wasn’t a plagery. I wonder if things could’ve turned out different if you had more time.
GD: That’s when I realized that I will always need much time for preparation. I used to compose songs on the spot, as if pulling things out of a vending machine but now I can’t bear to stand before my fans with music made in such a way, and it also affects my attitude on stage as well.
10: That’s what I thought as I listened to “Heartbreaker Part II” participated by Flo Rida. Part II was created with more understanding toward music than the earlier version, analyzed and re-combined to give a new flow and rhyme. It would have been awesome if the earlier version had come out like Part II.
GD: Most people turns the conversation to Flo Rida whenever that song is mentioned together with the issue of plagiarism but that wasn’t my intention to begin with. What I had in mind was to show local musicians can stand equal to musicians from abroad just like I was doing rap alongside with Flor Rida in the same track. It’s like what I wrote in the lyrics “I shall not kneel anywhere.” But because of what happened beforehand, the reviews I received at the time, both good or bad, weren’t properly focused solely on music which is quite a pity.
10: The rap at Part II was very interesting, the way you divided its flow in short units and confronted each sound with rap. You created a perfect beginning to end flow within your given part.
GD: I did the rap as fast as I could (Laugh) When I did solo album I took my time deciding on arrangements that fit the role of title track. But this second time, where my part came before the Flo Rida’s part, I decided that I got to show everything within the short time frame so I filled it with strong, diverse elements.
“I wish lyrics alone can sound like a good writing”
10: I believe all those thinking to compose that single piece have helped to widen your horizon for both understanding and composing music.
GD: I gained more freedom in some aspect. But each feeling is different: the times I work as a member of Big Bang and the times I do my solo album. But the more I work, the more I feel like I’m learning and maturing at the same time. I wouldn’t know the consequences of album I produce now but the feelings I gained from this present experience will be reflected on future albums of Big Bang. Because both other Big Bang members and I will notice the way the music matures, this will again be a great help down the road.
10: Your lyrics seem to have changed in part, too. In the recent album I got the impression that you went deeper into yourself rather than expressing yourself aloud to the public.
GD: Just like movies that contain various stories in genres of comedy, thriller, horror and more, I concentrated on the aspect of story-telling for lyrics. I wanted them to sound like an actual story with or without music. I wanted a clear plot for them. I guess it’s the influence of all the foreign raps with stories that I grew up listening to.
10: The track “Nightmare” in the latest album seems to best reflect your point. Just by closing my eyes I can actually visualize a person who runs and then flies during the early part of the song. It has that flow of rise from beginning to end.
GD: That’s right. That’s the kind of impression I was hoping to give to those who listen to “Nightmare” with their eyes closed. I wish to compose a kind of music like shown in the film “Inception (2010)” in which the final part turns out to be either a horror or fantasy depending on the individual. I put particular effort there so the ending could be anybody’s guess.
10: I’m not sure if it’s because this is solo track but “Nightmare” seems to be the piece that makes the most obvious display of your characteristics, the sharp changes between parts. I could detect almost four different levels of changes. The style is similar to that found in “Lies” and “Heartbreaker” whose music both has beginning and end marked by sudden of sound in between. Is there a reason you prefer this style?
GD: It’s one way of showing what my music is like, wholesomely, to the public. These days people can make ring tones out of certain parts of the song they like. Melodies of such ring tones are usually chosen among the song parts that have the strongest impact, which usually happens to be chorus part of the song. And because people these days decide on music just with few listening, the chorus part with strong impact became even more important. Of course, you could say a song is already a hit if many people remember it by its ending chorus alone. But I want all parts of my song to be remembered. This is my way of composing a song that can be remembered wholly, by giving twist and turn at every corner and evoking different story.
“Now is the real beginning.”
10: It seems like you have just gotten over a certain stage in your life.
GD: Entertainers should come forth to address the public. In my case I had to both create and sing the song on the stage. I came this far thinking this is probably the only thing I can do but I guess I was burdened by the fact that everything went public.
10: Last year in particular, no doubt, as everything linked to GD became an issue.
GD: Yes. Under such circumstances I became more wary and lonelier. But after going through all that, doing my music and waking up to new things I believe I can now take things with more ease. I think I can show 100-percent real me through this latest album.
10: It seems like this is the real start.
GD: It is. It also seems like I have been building up on my experience all along and this feels like my true beginning. It is same for Big Bang.
10: So what would you like to do at this point? From the track “High High” you wrote that life is about one lucky shot but in reality it was your consistent effort in music industry that got you this far.
GD: Wait, I don’t think I’ve come across my lucky shot yet (Laugh)
10: Really? (Laugh)
GD: This may sound a bit snobbish but I don’t think I’ve achieved anything yet. It’s still a long way ahead and I don’t think I’ve shown anything of a lasting impact – still in the process of building it up step by step. I’m sure this is what all the other members of Big Bang are dreaming of, too, the opportunity to strike something really big someday. (Laugh).
thanks bbupdates
man! long interviews but they are very informative, i had no idea that 2009 was such a rough year for poor GD =[ and i feel bad that T.O.P was so embarrassed about his hair, i totally can understand what he means though
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Last edited by Lizzyboo; 3rd January 2011 at 03:19 AM.
Exept for those hoes sitting next to my TOP and that hoe lying on top of GD.
You know, I think I would find it less disturbing if it were Asian females .... and Gaho cameo!
^^ Lol, Kristel, you make me laugh. "The hoe on GD and the hoes next to TOP"
At least the hoes weren't on TOP
Quote:
Originally Posted by Lizzyboo
that video is dumb XD i love them for being so goofy!
LMFAOOOOOOOOO omfg~ that is a hilarious video! I love it! It's so stupid! GD with the lion... TOP and GD popping the bubble wrap.. ahh! priceless!!! lol!
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Listened to GD&TOP, only song I liked was High High and Turn It Up :/ fawebfaoeub can't wait for Seungri's solo stuff though. Then that freaking BIGBANG comeback finally wabfaweuobfoab
Location: South Korea (mentally) United states (physically)
Posts: 1,980
YGE’s CEO explains why he encourages sub-unit and solo activities
Quote:
YG Entertainment’s CEO, Yang Hyun Suk, recently sat down for an interview with Osen and shared his opinion on why some idol groups disband.
The CEO was asked about why groups like Big Bang and 2NE1 present sub-units; this led to a lengthy response regarding why he feels sub-unit activities should be encouraged. 2NE1 and Big Bang have both led a solo/sub-unit boom last year with their individual activities, such as CL & Minzy and GD&TOP.
Yang stated, “We let the Big Bang members go solo in order for them to better focus on Big Bang itself. I’d like for Big Bang and 2NE1 to become groups that stay together for a long time. A lot of groups disband when their five or seven year contracts come to an end, and the reason is almost always the differences in musical opinion between each of the members.”
He continued, “It’s something that I experienced myself while working as a member of Seo Taiji and Kids. In order to solve such problems, I let all of the Big Bang members work as solo artists or sub-units in order to release as much of their musical creativity as they desired. After going through that process, they come back to the group with better focus, and nurture a stronger affection towards the group. 2NE1 is the same.”
When asked about why his groups do not appear on variety show programs, Yang answered, “The reason we minimize their variety appearances is because we care for our artists. If it’s a stage that’s perfected in every aspect and truly cares for the artist, there’s no reason we would reject the opportunity.”
He concluded, “If we became a company that succumbed to the requests of broadcast companies and stressed the importance of building relationships with related representatives, it would have been easier for us, but we are lasting as long as we can by having a different mindset from others.”
and this is why YG is going to be so succesfull for a long amount of time, YG really understands things like this
T.O.P talks about his relationships with President Yang and the actors he worked with
Quote:
Possessing an irresistible charisma on stage, the more we talk with him, the more we see his humanity. When asked about how a lot of people say that he's a prankster, he smiled shyly and said, "I've always been like that from the start." How do his different personalities of being a 24-year-old mischievous kid, a mature actor and a perfectionist musician co-exist?
Even with his attractive face, he only has male friends. Not just because he has only worked with just men, but together with his character of being afraid of mingling with strangers, he is seen as unapproachable. But his friends and female artists can't blame him.
When asked about how he's not like others who keep in contact with female artists and then introduce them to their male friends, he said, "I don't present myself like this intentionally. I also want to know how to get their contacts (of female artists)!"
To get to know him better, let's have a close look at his relationship map:
1) YG President Yang Hyun Seok
Yang Hyun Seok and the members of BIGBANG are the first people that came to T.O.P's mind. He says, "Ever since I was young, I dreamt of training other musicians and had a very strong interest towards hip-hop. This is why I was a fan (of President Yang)." After having his first meeting with him, T.O.P has regarded him as someone he can lean on. He explains, "Whenever I think too much by myself, he asks me why I always think so much and then would lead me to the right direction."
2) Lee Byung Hun
T.O.P: "He is the senior who teaches me how to act without any reservations. Ever since we worked together in Iris, we have kept a special relationship. He's not the type of hyung who only treats his brothers well when he's free. I have been receiving a lot of love and care from him."
3) Kwon Sang Woo, Cha Seung Won and Kim Seung Woo
T.O.P: "Because of Into The Fire, I had the chance to know these 3 married men. It was because of them that I thought of getting married for the first time. The hyungs would get calls from their wives from home and I thought that that's how men should be. I thought that it was very manly and that I would look more handsome and great if I was like that too. By seeing how they are more stable now that they are married, the thought of settling down came to my mind."
4) Yang Dong Geun
T.O.P says, "He's the senior who made me first taste how it is to act and change my role from being a singer to an actor." The first time the two met was in the KBS drama, I Am Sam. He explains, "I was not that interested in acting then because I felt more burdened in front of the camera than when I am performing on stage. I thought that it was not the place for me. However, hyung (YDG) told me, "To me, you're a kid who can have a very promising future in this field." This really gave me strength especially since he's not exactly ac talkative person. I believe he said this from his heart. Thanks to him, I now have interest in acting."
TOP is so cute!~ i love how he looks up to so many actors~ its so sweet
hey guys, almost time for a new thread!~ any idea for a name?
that video is dumb XD i love them for being so goofy!
also, the track suits that GD, TOP and the little kids wear at the end are for sale at the YGeSHOP and the buttons that they wear all over their vests
OMG I about died watching this. THIS is amazing!!!!!!! Lizzyboo, I know you were so kind to make me some screen caps from the video I requested before, could you do it again from this video? Pictures of T.O.P.s hair from the side and back, there are some really great parts that show it off better than the previous video. I get my haircut on friday! I'd be so every appreciative.
Location: South Korea (mentally) United states (physically)
Posts: 1,980
^ of course! here ya go ^^ i hope they are ok~
Spoiler:
also, someone needs to make the new thread i would do it....but i dont feel like it lol
edit:
Dumb. dumb. dumb.
GD&TOPs song "Knock out" has been banned by SBS, KBS and MBC (i dont know why they ban after they already performed them on those......)
Quote:
GD&TOP’s third title track, “Knock Out“, has been banned from all three public broadcasting networks.
KBS, MBC, and SBS stated that the reason for the ban was because the title and lyrics used slang, which they believed would damage the national psyche. The song itself has been popular on music charts, and news of the song’s ban quickly became a controversy amongst fans and netizens alike. The majority are of the belief that the ban is “ridiculous and out of line.”
One netizen commented, “TV dramas are allowed to show adultery, violence, swears, and even sexual abuse. I cannot understand why they would say that the expressions used in ‘Knock Out’ is a problem.”
Representatives of YG Entertainment commented, “The song has already been released to the public, and we cannot edit the title or the song just because the public broadcast networks ban it. We won’t be editing anything that damages the original meaning of the song.”
G-Dragon had previously revealed that he drew inspiration for the song’s Korean title, ‘Bbeokigayo,’ from the MBC drama, “My Name is Kim Sam Soon“, since it was an expression used by the leading character.
GD&TOP has decided to jump over their triple track promotion by promoting an additional two songs, making it a total of five tracks they will be promoting this cycle.
Source + Photos: Osen via Daum
“Knock Out” Lyrics
Knock out, it’s a knock out, knock knock
T.O.P
Knock out, it’s a knock out, knock knock knock knock
When I see the two, I get knocked out
Wait, my hands reach out, shall we go out? You’re a knock out
GD
THIS IS DOUBLE DOUBLE DOUBLE DOUBLE COMBO
DOUBLE DOUBLE DOUBLE COMBO
THIS AIN’T BUBBLE BUBBLE BUBBLE BUBBLE GUM
I’ll chew you, spin spin together
T.O.P
Those ladies that are walking down the street
And even all the guys are screaming out my name (TOP)
My rap is Korea’s favorite food, all the youths are copying me
A motley, it’s jumbled, but also sweet
My two job adventure even broke colored lens glasses
All the WANNA BE STARs that resemble me
They try to chase and chase after me but I’m a MOVIE STAR
I may like toys more than girls, but laugh at me you’ll get hurt
I GET MEANER, you’re getting angry, aren’t you
I’m ORIGINAL
Even the corner store coffee’s name is T.O.P
My black eyes shake that woman up
My long eyelashes are born from natural freedom,
different from disgusting SMOKY makeup
GD
G-Dragon has come by separating the clouds
Fly super board, the Son Oh Gong on top of the BEAT
My MIC is a baton, I’m Napoleon on stage
HOMME WHEN YOU SEE MY SWAGG YOU SAID WANNA BE
The second Kwon Jiyong
BLING BLING BLING I can wear anything I want and it’s a photoshoot
You all know my name
BRAVO MY LIFE YO! SEOUL TO TOKYO! Record it and
Again they cal me Hong Gil Dong
Mon, Tue, Wed, Thur, Fri, Sat, I go through schedules all day
But when it’s night, I’M SO LONELY
All my scandals, wait for me
How can that oppa be hot?
My dog Gaho is more popular, my gestures are like hypnosis
This phone call is seducing you, my voice is like SWEET Medusa
I was born with this impressive voice
TOP & GD are like almond and chocolate
D D D D Diplo and our combination
An unrealistic fairy tale of your previous night
Not everybody can express their thoughts through music. And not everybody can organize and speak of the result of the thoughts they have gained from making music. But G-Dragon (GD) and T.O.P are musicians who can do both. They spoke only of their music throughout our interview with them and talked about the thoughts they injected into their music. Whether you agree with their music or not, we recommend you read this interview to hear what the two have to say about their music. This is what it means for these two young men in their early 20s, regarded as idols stars, to make their own music and present it to people
10: How does it feel having to work together during Christmas time? (laugh)
T.O.P : We feel sorry for each other. (laugh)
10: I feel bad that I'm interviewing you as well. (laugh) It’s been a week since you resumed your activities. How has the reaction been so far?
GD : We have to accept that we’ve been on a long break. (laugh) In the past, we really felt the heated response we'd get at once but it doesn't feel quite the same now that it's been two years since we've been Big Bang. I think that from now on, we'll receive attention from people depending on how we do. If necessary, I might appear in some variety shows to attract attention so that people will watch us perform.
T.O.P: I’m not quite sure yet. The album was released just yesterday and it's great to hear that a lot of copies have been sold so far. But I think it’ll take some time before I will really start feeling it.
10: How does it feel to perform on stage for the first time in a while? It's the first time just the two of you are performing together.
GD : I was nervous on our first televised stage performance but the burden has been lessening since then and I've been enjoying myself more. And when we pre-record performances, it'll leave us exhausted because we'll shoot three or four times over but it seems the best cuts always come out during go. On the first take we'll be overly conscious of the fact that we'll be on television so only do planned movements which isn't fun but then at the end, when we've almost given up and just move as we please, the best cuts seem to come out. So we'll usually try to take to the stage with a heightened mood in order to maintain that condition.
10: So you're “HIGH HIGH” just like the title of your song. (laugh)
T.O.P : Yes. We talked with our dance team a lot as well because we wanted to appeal with something more comfortable and free rather than putting on a uniform group dance.
GD : Idol groups are basically defined as doing pre-arranged dances and wearing matching clothes. But we decided that we will try to put on more natural performances and make people think that idol singers too can show their apply in such natural ways. It’s more fun showing something different every time than repeating the same thing over and over again.
10: But Big Bang has danced pre-arranged moves before. Although you two seem to be set on capturing the audience by showing them that you know how to have fun on the stage.
GD : The biggest strength that Big Bang has is that although we are a single team, we each have our individual styles. And we're a single team but we can create a new form of synergy depending on how we re-group ourselves. That’s what we wanted to show people and rather than focusing on where the camera is, we want to communicate with our audience during that moment so we decided we have to lift the mood as much as we can. I believe it’s our duty as singers to make our fans enjoy our performance from beginning to end and leave them exhausted when they're leaving after watching us. So we want put on performances that'll even make viewers at home jump up and down
10: I think you were like that particularly for your first performance [as a duo unit] at cable music channel Mnet's Asian Music Awards (MAMA). There really wasn't anything that was set up on stage and you two performed as if you were just skimming the stage.
GD : We really didn't have a single stage effect, that’s for sure (laugh). No equipment and fireworks weren't allowed.
T.O.P : But we're Big Bang and we've been performing for five years now which means we're bound to have learned something during that time so we half jokingly said, “Hey, let’s make it through with our accumulated expertise.” (laugh)
10: And it worked with your expertise? (laugh)
GD : We were in Macau so we wanted to leave a strong impression on even the people who don't know us. We also wanted to challenge the mindset that the stage can only feel complete when singers move around on it a lot -- we wanted to show people the weight and presence that can be felt by a single person standing on stage. So with nothing prepared, we said, "Let's kill it.” (laugh) I’m sure crowd felt it. We had also had our company's CEO, Yang Hyun-suk, pressuring us through text messages...
10: Pressuring you? (laugh)
GD : He wrote, “You guys will be scolded if you mess up on stage.” We had no choice but to do well that day. (laugh)
10: Yang definitely seems to push you hard. (laugh) But not everyone will have such thoughts just because they're pressured to.
GD : I think it has to do with a sense of owning the stage. On music programs alone, there will be as many as 30 groups waiting for their turn to sing, which means each team has three minutes or so to prove themselves. When you’re on stage, you have to own it because once the performance is over, it’s no longer yours. An owner is free to act whatever way he wants to at home, no matter how many people have gathered there because you’re the owner and I think you also get to accept people’s response from an owner's point of view. I think that is why I can perform on stage with confidence.
10: I can see that that sense of ownership has been reflected into your new album because there seems to be a story to the first six tracks. You introduce yourselves in the "INTRO," with “HIGH HIGH” and “OH YEAH” have fun on stage, and then you come down from it begging a woman “Don’t Leave.” (laugh)
GD : Us, as well as YG, and Big Bang in particular consider the flow to an album very important. If an album is one complete work, we believe there has to be some sort of a natural flow to it to a certain extent. So we start big, gradually somber, cut it off with "KNOCK OUT" and then show our individual styles. We always pay a lot of attention to these things.
T.O.P : It's actually been a while since we made our solo songs. It was decided later on that we'd include our solo songs in our project album. My songs are from when I was working on film “71 Into The Fire (2010)” and KBS drama “IRIS (2009).”
10: And that's even more so why unlike your solo songs, you had to maintain a consistent vibe to the songs you two worked on together. How did you discuss on the direction you would take your album?
T.O.P : I think it just came to us instinctively. Instead of saying, “Let’s take it like this, this time," we just went to the studio and stayed up several nights writing up lyrics and recording songs. In the past, we'd get together after GD records the parts he has made and I've recorded the parts I've made, and then make the necessary changes and additions, but this time, we gave advice to each other on what could be improved and a lot of the musicians we work with helped us out as well. I think this may be a product of YG's instincts. (laugh)
GD : That’s actually what our unit is about. Before making this album, I was working on Big Bang’s album and since it'll be the first we're releasing in a long time, I wanted to try a lot of things so I experimented with a variety of units including me and T.O.P, Taeyang, Seungri and Daesung, Daesung and me, and Seungri and Taeyang.
10: I think the other units would've been interesting as well.
GD : But it turned out that they're all busy with their individual activities and appearing on variety shows. (laugh) Only T.O.P and I had some time to kill so we ended up working together and producing the most songs together. (laugh) But our other projects were getting pushed back so Yang suggested we try various experiments for Big Bang’s music in the mean time and then have Big Bang's album itself contain songs with all five of our voices instead of in units. So that's why Seungri's song, which was actually supposed to go into Big Bang's album, will be released in his upcoming solo album and we're releasing our songs separately as well.
10: So it seems like your album came about by coincidence but how did you two actually make music together? It seems like you two had entirely different interpretations of “BABY GOOD NIGHT"?
GD : He has changed his name to e.knock now but that song was made when I was over at Kush's house. I was just hanging out with him when he played the arrangement for "BABY GOOD NIGHT" he'd made, asking me what I thought about it. I took it from him as soon as I heard it. (laugh) Then I came up with the melody that I thought would go with it, humming up the part that goes "Baby good night" and T.O.P added the rap to it. Then I added more lyrics to it, singing for the first time with this album. We made "DON'T LEAVE" after that.
T.O.P : That was the first song we completed together for the album. GD had been working on Big Bang's album and when I joined him after getting done with film “71 Into The Fire,” we recorded this song first but the result was satisfying so we started working together lot after that. In that sense, I think "BABY GOOD NIGHT" was how are album came about.
GD : For that song, the first thing we did was to come up with its theme. We thought of what song we would sing to our lovers if we had one. So we came up with the lyrics imagining that I was caressing my lover's hair while she sleeps, and then added the melody to it. We also wanted to make a very sexy song and I also wanted our song to be one that people would turn on when they want to create a romantic atmosphere with their lovers. (laugh)
10: Is that the reason you included narration in French for "BABY GOOD NIGHT"?
GD : I've done a lot of narrations for Big Bang's album and my fans probably won't mind hearing me do them again but I felt that other people might be sick of it. (laugh) I also wanted to give the song more of a movie-like vibe to it through the dialogue between a man and a woman, as well as use a language that goes better with the song's sound.
10: Are you saying that there are certain pronunciations that go better with certain sounds because GD, with all of your songs, it seems like you paid more attention to making sure you pronunciation mixes well with the sounds rather than making an effort to pronouncing everything accurately.
GD : People have pointed out problems with my pronunciation a lot since I was young but I thought about it a lot instead of trying to fix it. I feel that this is something I'm curious about as someone who listens to current music but I realized that songs become weird and their unique vibe gets lost when non-Korean songs are translated into Korean. It’s like how a movie seems different when it gets dubbed into another language. So I try tried to write the lyrics in Korean as much as I could but pronounce it differently. For example, I rolled my tongue more for pronouncing "round and round" in song "KNOCK OUT." I regarded my voice itself as an instrument so I paid careful attention to the effect that my voice is giving off.
10: I think that's why it seemed like you purposely affected your voice this time.
GD : Yes and I do it quite often. I tried as hard as I could to make it sound like an instrument and I also tried to make as many instrumental sounds as I could with my mouth.
10: T.O.P, you on the other hand, pronounce your words very accurately -- it's probably the most accurate you've sounded out of all of your albums so far. You've made the complete opposite choice from GD.
TOP : It wasn’t something I intended on, I just went with how I felt, but I have changed my vocalization technique. A lot of people listen to Big Ban's music so I want people to hear each and every sound, as if I'm talking right into their ears.
10: I think that’s how your voices work together to produce the songs we hear in the songs in your album. For example, in "HIGH HIGH" and "DON'T LEAVE," GD seems to be leading the flow of the sound rather than just rapping while T.O.P on the other hand gives impacts to the songs.
GD: T.O.P’s voice has weight and is very charismatic while mine is extremely light so I think we work well when I flutter around his grounded voice. (laugh)
10: But it's interesting to see that this is the album that two artists with such contrasting styles have produced. It's as if it reaches a bit beyond reality, that it's literally 'high.'
GD : Yes. That's the style we like.
T.O.P: We wanted to create music that is dreamy and with a sense of space.
10: Why did you choose to go with such sound? Both “HIGH HIGH" and "OH YEAH" seem to go beyond music one would listen to at a club to have fun and rather give off the vibe that you're 'drunk' with your music, as if you've reached a state of nirvana.
GD: We wanted to make music that can be pictured in one's mind, just by reading the lyrics, and we wanted to make music that is visual like a movie. It’s no fun simply enjoying yourself all the way from start to finish. During concerts as well, it is up to us to lead the crowd and in order to do that we have to know when to push, pull, loosen or tighten, because that’s how you create tension for excitement. So even during the short playing time, we changed the flow of the song and emotions expressed within it, and added in various effects to create ups and downs to make the listeners become immersed.
10: Is that how you brought the sense of space felt in clubs to life? You seemed to have made quite an effort to create the space at which your song is being sung as well as giving it different texture depending on what the song sings of.
GD: That's something we demand for in extreme detail. We don't say, “Hey, let's have that guy who's good at mixing work on our music” but instead explain everything saying, “Bro, this part has to ring more, as if we are singing from somewhere very far in the background and this part has to seem more as if we’re whispering.”
T.O.P : Our company also puts in the most effort into the sound mixing. Yang will sometimes do the mixing himself as well. For this album as well, the sound will seem different depending on whether you're listening to a CD or listening to the digital sound source because our boss personally took care of the sound mixing himself to suit the listening environment. (laugh)
GD: That’s why YG’s music is different depending on the generation you're in -- Perry’s generation, Teddy’s generation and our generation. Each producer will imagine of different sounds and that precisely is what gets reflected into the albums they work on.
10: That is why when you listen to "HIGH HIGH" or "OH YEAH," they sounded similar to Big Bang’s electronica style on the surface but it rather seems you two reproduced what goes on inside a club. And there may not be too many people who know how to enjoy themselves with the sort club that your song gives off.
T.O.P: We too knew we may be taking a chance. But if we had focused simply on the song's commercial success, we would've gone with the styles we did as Big Bang but we altered it a bit instead. And the first things we wanted to do was to present the public with our color to show who we are. We kept thinking that we need to seem different in some way since we're in front of the public for the first time in a while.
GD : Whether people know about club culture or not, I wanted to make them think, "Ah, so that's how you have fun in the club and that's how you move to this music to have fun" from watching our performances. We were confident that we could make people understand our music through our televised performance.
10: But “HIGH HIGH” and “OH YEAH” were not composed by you two although they’re the title tracks to your album.
T.O.P: When we first started working together, we wanted to do more heartwarming music. But we needed to take the public into consideration to a certain extent and our CEO thought the same as well so we asked Teddy for his help. We set the direction the details to the songs would take but we somewhat needed to go with a style that people are familiar with.
GD : There actually hadn’t been that many of Teddy’s songs in Big Bang’s albums so far. We always talk about this with Teddy as well but it had been hard to work with him because composers with strong musical tendencies don’t work with each other a lot. But we came to realize that we couldn’t stay like this so we had talked with him from six months ago and reached a conclusion. (laugh) When we get a song from Teddy, he’ll pass a song to us after he comes up with the structure for it. He’ll take his hands off of it completely. Then we’ll talk again to him again to share our opinions. I think these are the two songs we worked on together properly.
10: That’s why “HIGH HIGH” very strongly exudes your style GD, even though you didn’t compose it. It’s as if the song changes a level at each new section.
GD: I think it’s because I start the song and when I come in strong, T.O.P will set the grounds for the song and when T.O.P comes in strong, I’ll set the ground for the song, which is why the song was fun. We didn’t want it to be boring.
T.O.P: I think that’s the result of our collaboration. We all have different styles so the whole process was about us adding our individual interpretations of the song if Teddy presents us with the basic direction. I think that’s why it felt a bit different.
10: But the response for "KNOCK OUT," which you don't promote much and "DON'T LEAVE" which you haven't sung on television at all, have gained response as favorable as that of "HIGH HIGH" or "OH YEAH." It’s not easy for songs like “KNOCK OUT” that has no melody and contains only rap, to get such response.
T.O.P: To be honest, I didn’t think the public would like this song. But at the same time, I also had a hunch that they might. It’s true that hip-hop element becomes more prominent when GD and I work together but we just wanted to do something that can be expressed at our age. While taking a break from our activities as Big Bang, I think hip-hop was the music through which we could express what we have felt and learned instinctively. We could’ve gone the easy way but we wanted to draw a bigger picture for ourselves.
GD: We aren't not confident when we release new albums, whether it be Big Bang's or Seungri's. What we’re not sure of is the rapid change in music trend. We'll release an album but people will only listen to the title song and forget about the rest of the tracks. In the past, we used to have this nostalgia for music like how old I was at the time and how it comforted me when I was with who. But now everything is decided within three weeks time and most people go “I only remember the chorus of the song.” I think we need to make people think of every song in an album as title tracks to catch up with this trend. And in order to do that, the overall flow and the quality of the songs have to be close to perfect.
10: So you’re saying that “HIGH HIGH" is not the only title track?
GD: We wanted to create an album in which some enjoy “HIGH HIGH" and others prefer “BABY GOOD NIGHT.” So we didn't put in extra effort into the title track. Of the songs we worked on with Teddy, we decided that the piece that is likely to be embraced by the majority of listeners would be the title track and tried to balance out the album by including other songs with different charms.
10: Apart from “HIGH HIGH” and “OH YEAH,” your album seems to have reached out to genres beyond electronica, such as hip-hop or something entirely different.
T.O.P : This is the album that contains most number of music that we wanted to do. Electronica alone sounds too cold and we get tired of that easily. We wanted to put a lot of effort into inserting what we felt throughout our singing career into each and every one of our songs by using new methods.
10: Couldn't you have been more adventurous then? If you had chosen “KNOCK OUT" as the title track, you could have presented a new style to mainstream music.
T.O.P: That’s what we're disappointed about too. You're allowed to use the term 'knockout' and curse in dramas but that's not quite the case with music. We want to promote "KNOCK OUT" too. (laugh)
GD: I’m not sure if it’s alright to say this (laugh) but I got the idea for "KNOCK OUT" while watching “My Name is Kim Sam-soon (MBC, 2005).” Kim Suna keeps repeating “It completely knocks me out, it's a knockout." I started composing the song based on that idea but the screening committee will not give it the green light. (laugh)
10: That seems to be the most personal story of the songs to your album (laugh). But how does it feel to receive response to the music you two have most wanted to do? The lyrics also tell of your personal stories and it's all working with the public.
T.O.P: I think we had always wanted to create music of our own in which listeners have no choice but to recognize. So I think what we wanted to achieve the most through this album was to produce an album [so great that] nobody would say anything about Big Bang's music in the future, no matter what it's like
10: I’m sure your thoughts on music has changed a lot as well. You’re both heading more and more towards doing music that is of your personal taste and talks about yourselves.
GD: It’s been five years since we debuted as members of Big Bang but I think we’re finally feeling a sense of satisfaction. I’m sure it would’ve been difficult to make a hit out of “KNOCK OUT” had we promoted it when we first debuted. But it feels like we’re heading in the way we intended them to. I think that the more we present people with such music, the more they’ll naturally come to accept it. It feels like things are going the way we hoped and pictured them to be.
T.O.P: If possible, we’d like for our album to be remembered as a work of art, something that people can picture in their minds, instead of something they just forget about after listening to.
GD: And if I may add one more thought about Big Bang, we are aware of the rumors of discord amongst our members with our album getting pushed back. But we’ve proceeded with both our and Seungri’s album thinking they are projects leading up to Big Bang’s album. What matters is not who comes out first and in what way it happens but that we present the path we want to take. If you consider our performances as ‘shows,’ there’ll be the show us to put on, Seungri’s show, and Big Bang’s show and I’m hoping you’ll enjoy all of them. We get upset over such rumors but they also cause headaches when we talk about them.
T.O.P: Discord or whatever it is people call it, we’ve never even fought before. (laugh)
10: What will Big Bang’s next step be?
GD: Whenever we get together, we always say we should do heartwarming music. People may think that singers are supposed to do music that will relieve them of their exhaustion from everyday life but we want to think of things on a bigger picture. We live in a harsh world and people have changed a lot. We may still be considered young but there’s a definite difference even between us and the generation below us. So if we could, we’d like to change that through our music. That’s why we want to do heartwarming music and why the next album we release as Big Bang may be very different from what you’re expecting from us. At the same time, there are reasons people like us because we have a style that is unique of us and for the music we’ve always done so we’ll still have to satisfy those two prerequisites.
10: It somehow seems you two have become grown ups while working on this album.
GD: During the past two years we halted our activities as Big Bang, there had been various rumors about us but I think we rather matured a lot because of that, growing closer to each other and forming stronger bonds. We may still be young but it’s as if Big Bang as a group has become bigger. I can’t tell you everything yet but I think proving how big we’ve become will be more important than what music we do.
10: A bigger Big Bang?
GD: Our upcoming Big Bang album will involve us working with artists in various genres which will largely expand the scope of music we do. I’m excited to get to create a bigger framework for ourselves. For example, you can consider Diplo’s participation in “KNOCK OUT” as the start to it. And it didn’t get included in the album but we tried to work with Tiesto as well. Through such collaborations, we wanted to show the public that such attractive music exists and encourage them to listen to it. We’re not teachers of any sort but as people who know a bit about music, we hope our music will tell people, “What do you think of this kind of music? Try listening to it. And try having fun like this.”
10: Your job is always about showing something to others but it feels like that with this album, you found the balance between talking about yourself and what you show on stage.
T.O.P: We have definitely changed in regards to personality but I don’t think for the worse. (laugh) Our perception has broadened a bit which is why I think we were able to enjoy more freedom in making in this album. I don’t think how we rank on music charts will matter anymore.
GD: Because we produced the album ourselves. We’d be putting on an act if the lyrics to our songs were about things we didn't or couldn’t do but what we speak of are things that only we can speak of. So that’s what we tried to write about as much as possible. In the future, when people listen to our music, we’d like to make people think, “Yes, they’ll think this because they’re Big Bang” instead of “Oh, they actually know how to think like this?”
3rd January 2011, 03:17 AM
i was in it?? didnt i have a dream about you before too? we need to stop XD hahaha
why is it even there?? who brought that? haha
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