#SHOWBIZ: Still bad, still Taeyang: K-pop icon defies time with high-octane comeback

SEOUL: South Korean singer-songwriter Taeyang is stepping into one of the most defining chapters of his career.

As his iconic K-pop group BigBang celebrates its landmark 20th anniversary, the 38-year-old vocal powerhouse has made a triumphant return with his first solo album in nearly a decade, the Korea Herald reported.

The launch follows a blockbuster start to 2026, which saw BigBang rock the stage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in California last month.

Capping off the excitement, Taeyang dropped his fourth studio album, Quintessence, on May 18—coinciding exactly with his birthday.

Navigating his dual identity as a veteran group member and a returning solo artist, Taeyang spent nearly a year crafting the record.

His mission was to strike a delicate balance between comforting familiarity and bold artistic reinvention.

“Since this year marks BigBang’s 20th anniversary, the most important thing for me when I started working on this album was figuring out what felt the most like myself while also being something new,” Taeyang shared during a Seoul listening party on the day of the release.

Reflecting on the creative hurdle, he admitted: “Over the past 20 years, I have already tried so many different things, so it was difficult. I kept asking myself what kind of new challenge I could take on at this point.”

Guided by the concepts of “essence” and “quintessence,” the 10-track album—his first full-length release since 2017’s White Night—delves deep into a quest for self-identity.

This sonic experimentation saw Taeyang step outside his comfort zone, branching out from his agency The Black Label’s in-house producers to collaborate with a diverse pool of external hitmakers.

The album kicks off with Bad, a darker, choreography-heavy track produced by American team The Stereotypes, throwing it back to the vibe of his 2009 solo hit Where U At.

“The title is Bad, but throughout the song it says ‘still bad’, meaning I am still the same,” Taeyang explained. “Usually that phrase sounds like bragging, but for me, the lyrics are about the path I have walked, the things I have fought against and the life I have lived.”

Meanwhile, the album’s lead single, Live Fast Die Slow, clocks in as the fastest-tempo track of his entire discography, symbolising his resolve to march to the beat of his own drum in a frantic modern world.

“While writing the lyrics, I thought this was the song that explains Taeyang the best,” he noted, adding that his solo tour two years ago convinced him that his next musical chapter needed high-energy pacing.

Generating massive buzz among K-pop enthusiasts is the third track, Would You, which features Tarzzan and Woochan from the rising group AllDay Project.

“Watching AllDay Project debut reminded me a lot of BigBang’s own debut days,” Taeyang recalled warmly. “I thought it would be great to work together, and I felt their rap verses could bring the youthful texture and freshness that BigBang once had.”

The album also boasts star-studded lyricism from hip-hop legend Tablo of Epik High, who penned three tracks: Movie, Open Up, and G.O.A.T. Notably, Movie was the sole song on the project where Taeyang completely relinquished songwriting duties.

“Usually, I have a specific direction in mind and make many revisions, but Tablo’s lyrics for Movie were already perfect,” Taeyang revealed. “I recorded it almost immediately without making changes.”

Ultimately, the journey of creating Quintessence taught the seasoned superstar that true identity defies simple classification.

“When we talk about things like freedom or love, so many different elements come together to create those meanings,” he reflected.

“I realised what matters is the attitude with which I pursue those values. Even if I feel like I have found the answer, it is not something I can simply define.”

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

المصدر: New Straits Times