This one is going to be a bit of a departure from the music I have presented so far. In the past decade my wife has gotten into K-pop something fierce. Not just K-pop but Korean dramas as well. I can’t say why she finds the Korean culture fascinating, but it is her thing and I fully support it. A few years back, I had the opportunity to surprise her with the ultimate gift, I managed to get tickets to see her favorite K-pop band, Bigbang and, to my surprise, I really had a good time at the concert myself.
Why This Album?
Made is the last full album release from the famous Korean Pop band Bigbang, as several of the members have gone into the obligatory armed forces service effectively ending the band. Luckily for my wife, the concert we went to was one of the last US performances they would ever have.
When I first arrived at the concert, I was not sure what to expect and she thought for sure I would hate every second of it. When the band finally started, I have to admit, I was more than impressed with the level of production and quality of the show itself. These boys from South Korea put on a performance not unlike the famous boy bands of the 90’s but ratcheted up a few notched. They came out on the stage full of energy and, even as the concert progressed, their energy level seemed to only grow with each song that was played.
After sitting through what was a visual and aural assault of the senses, I went home and began to explore some of this bands music only to discover that each member of the Korean Quintet were each accomplished performers of their own. From the rap styling of G-dragon and T.O.P to the vocals of Taeyang, Dasung and Seungri, each of the members has a style and fan-base of their own, but when they bring their talents together it is as if they were a superhero group of their own, it is pretty damned impressive!
Each track on this album is a different style, from dance mixes to rap to love ballads, this is a mixed bag that shouldn’t work but it does. If there is any Korean Pop band that makes me understand the fervor and fandom, it is this band and this specific album. It is an impressive collection of music that I am shocked that I actually enjoy.
Favorite Tracks
I am not sure why but I find the track If You to be a gorgeous ballad. It is probably my favorite on the album and I am not ashamed to admit that.
Lets Not Fall In Love is a great one as well, really showcasing the talent behind the band.
Loser is a cool track and heck, I think you will dig it too.
Ok, Where do I get it?
This is going to be tricky. Most of these albums are not officially released in the US so you have to either find a record store that imports them or find a way to import them yourself. Plus they release them as a series of EP’s before combining the EP’s into a single album so it makes it even harder to find them all. Luckily, Spotify has us covered for now.
Unfortunately, as with so many musicians and celebrities these days, members of this band have had their share of problems too. Recently Seungri was charged with some pretty serious crimes, I won’t get into them here but a quick google search should tell you all you need to know. That being said, while it is doubtful we will ever see this band reunite, their music as a group is really what matters. It is clear they had a talent that set them on a road to insane fandom however, like others before them, their flame went out as quickly as it caught fire. Honestly, I am truly thankful I went to one of their final concerts to witness this powerhouse in action.
Late to the Game 11/24/2020 (Originally Published 8/13/2019)
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