BIGBANG's 18th anniversary: From BANG BANG BANG to Still Life, exploring K-pop icons' global music takeover
On the occasion of BIGBANG's 18th anniversary, let's take a glance at the group's phenomenal success throughout the years.
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BIGBANG’s influence knows no bounds. Starting their career and dominating the K-pop scene is no easy feat, but they did it effortlessly. Eighteen years later, the group still manages to ignite the same fuel among fans, maintaining their legacy as the kings of K-pop. The group further proved their grip on the industry with the 2022 release Still Life.
During the initial years of their career, BIGBANG continued to push boundaries by introducing hip-hop to the South Korean audience, which continues to inspire new artists even today. With experimental music and innovative sounds, the group gained immense popularity, not just domestically but internationally. K-pop became synonymous with BIGBANG, and they started to spread their influence through their songs.
BANG BANG BANG has undoubtedly become the favorite song of every K-pop fan, at least at some point in their lives. Blue, Loser, Fuxx It, and Flower Road are some of the few among many that reached mainstream success with their releases.
BIGBANG initially consisted of five members: G-Dragon, Taeyang, Daesung, T.O.P., and Seungri. As of 2024, with only three remaining members (G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung), the K-pop group does not feel the same. However, the four members, G-Dragon, Taeyang, Daesung, and T.O.P, came together for one last time in 2022 and made a comeback with a single titled Still Life after five long years.
It is perfectly natural for any artist’s popularity to shrink after remaining away from the industry for a long time. But the universal law bends for BIGBANG and proves they are destined to become and remain superstars. Still, Life’s release was initially anticipated by fans worldwide, but it surprised everyone with the extravagant response they got from the public.
The song topped all major South Korean music charts upon its release and reached number one on real-time charts in China and Japan. The song debuted at number one on the Gaon Digital, Download, Streaming, and BGM Charts, holding the top spot on the streaming chart for five consecutive weeks.
The chart-topping single achieved a Perfect All-Kill (PAK), further extending their record as the group with the most songs to earn this prestigious achievement. Within just the first week of its release, the song became the fastest song of 2022 to garner 2 million unique listeners on the South Korean music streaming platform MelOn.
Internationally, it debuted at number one on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart and peaked at number nine on the Billboard Global 200. Additionally, the song topped the iTunes charts in 33 regions and claimed the number one spot on charts across various Asian territories.
Watch Still Life music video.
From breaking records to setting new ones, Still Life proves that BIGBANG is far more than a fleeting trend. They are generational artists whose legacy endures, even in their absence from the industry. This recent release reaffirms their lasting impact, demonstrating their influence remains as strong as ever.
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