Bigbang

Big Bang (Korean: 빅뱅), commonly stylized as BIGBANG, is a South Korean pop boy band. The group's formation was chronicled on the television series Big Bang Documentary, from July to August 2006. The show was also aired online on GomTV and on MTV Korea.Initially a six-member group, one member, SO-1, got eliminated during the airing of the show before the official debut leading to their current line-up.

Signed to YG Entertainment, Big Bang released several successful singles and EPs. Their first release, the EP Always (2007), spawned the number-one single "Lies" (Korean:거짓말; Revised Romanization: Geojitmal). The follow-up EPs Hot Issue and Stand Upwere similarly successful.After they received the "Artist of the Year" award from theM.net KM Music Festival and the Seoul Gayo Daesang Award, the group expanded their activities into Japan, releasing mini-albums and airplay singles. Their materials would not receive major promotion until the following year with the release of their first physical Japanese single, "My Heaven".

By the end of 2009, Big Bang became the most searched artist in South Korea. They also became the first foreign group in Japan to receive the Japan Cable Broadcasting Award for "Best Newcomer", and the first from Korea to receive the Japan Records award.^[5] In recent years, the members have branched out to do solo activities: Taeyang and G-Dragon have released solo materials while T.O.P, Daesung and Seungri have started acting.

Members:

Kwon Ji-Yong (Korean: 권지용) (born August 18, 1988), better known by his stage name G-Dragon (Korean: G-드래곤), is a South Korean recording artist and producer. Born and raised inSeoul, South Korea, he was a trainee under the record label YG Entertainment for six years before officially debuting as the leader and one of two rappers for the Korean hip-hop group Big Bang. Since their debut, G-Dragon has been involved with the production of their albums: he composed and wrote several tracks by himself, including "Lies," "Last Farewell," and "Haru Haru."

Following Big Bang's hiatus, G-Dragon released his debut solo album, Heartbreaker (2009), which yielded the number-one single of the same name. The album went on to become one of the most successful albums of the year, garnering sales of over 200,000 copies and winning theMnet Asian Music Awards for Album of the Year. Heartbreaker also sparked major controversies for the artist, including accusations of plagiarism when several of his songs were deemed to be similar to that of other artists. After almost a year of hiatus, in which the rapper-singer was also involve in a controversy following complaints of obscenity and suggestive content for his concert Shine A Light, G-Dragon and bandmate T.O.P collaborated to record and release the album GD & TOP (2010). The album saw the release of three singles: "High High," "Oh Yeah," and "Knock Out," all of which have charted within the top three positions of the Gaon chart, with "High High" becoming a chart-topper.

G-Dragon's influence extends beyond the music industry, having shaped major trends in South Korea. His tight control over his image and artistry have won him praises for his contribution to fashion, and his lyrical contents and composition have garnered him awards.

Choi Seung-hyun (Korean: 최승현), born November 4, 1987), better known by his stage nameT.O.P (Korean: 탑), is a South Korean recording artist and actor. Best known as a member of the Korean boy band Big Bang, he has branched out to act in various dramas and films, including I Am Sam, Iris and 71: Into the Fire.

Dong Young-bae (Hangul: 동영배, Hanja: 董永培, born May 18, 1988), better known by his stage name Taeyang (Hangul: 태양, Hanja: 太陽, meaning Solar) or Sol (the Spanish word for Sun), is a South Korean recording artist and entertainer. After appearing in Jinusean's music video "A-yo", Taeyang began training under YG Entertainment at the age of 12 alongside fellow member and leader G-Dragon. After six years of vocal and dance training he made his debut in 2006 as a member of Big Bang. In 2008, Taeyang released his debut mini-album Hot. On July 1, 2010, he released his first full-length album titled Solar.

Daesung (born Kang Daesung 강대성 on April 26, 1989) is a member of South Korean hip hop group Big Bang. Since his debut, he has released solo singles, performed in musicals, and became a member of reality-variety series Family Outing.

Lee Seung-hyun (이승현), known by his stage name Seungri or baobao (승리) (lit. victory), is a member of Korean group Big Bang. Before joining the group, he was a member of a dance team in Gwangju.He first appeared on television on the reality television series Let's Cokeplay: M.Net Battle Shinhwa, a show in which Shinhwa attempted to create a boy band that could be a "second Shinhwa".Although he was noticed for his dance skills, his lack of vocal skills led to him being eliminated. He was later scouted by the record label YG Entertainment and joined the group Big Bang. Although he was initially cut on the ninth episode of the group's documentary series, he was given another chance to impress YG Entertainment CEO Yang Hyun Suk and succeeded.