Big Bang

Name: Big Bang

Label: YG Entertainment

Genre: Hip-Hop, R&B, Pop, Dance

Year Debuted: 2006

Fanclub: V.I.P.

Fan Color: Yellow

Sites: http://www.ygbigbang.com/

The Members…

T.O.P

Name: Choi Seunghyun

Position: Rapper, Beatboxer

Birthdate: November 4, 1987

Bloodtype: B

Height: 181 cm.

Our Comments:

T.O.P is probably one of our favorite people in all of K-Pop. When we lose faith in humanity, we think of his sheer manly perfection. T.O.P, put simply, is a pimp. He owns a 2 million dollar villa where he stashes his extensive collection of toys. He always dresses classy (even to dance practices; yes we’ve seen this ourselves), and we’re not talking anything remotely cheap either. He has proven himself to be Korea’s sexiest man without ever having to wear anything more than a t-shirt. T.O.P can impregnate females with just a glance. His voice alone can make thousands of ovaries explode with enthusiasm. T.O.P is the real life example of the man that every other man wants to be and every other woman wants. The epitome of class and money.

No mere human could ever possibly be this amazing, and so, we, along with others, have concluded that T.O.P is no mere earthling. We have formally decided that he very well may be from the same distant alien planet that Park Bom is from. His voice is nothing like that of any other human, as it sounds naturally autotuned. The very audible vibrations whenever he talks or raps is enough to put any human in a state of awe.

As magnificent of a person he is now, T.O.P had a pretty sad childhood. He was once a lonely, overweight child, and due to this is very self-conscious about his body (not that any of us should ever see him shirtless as we’re sure it would cause wide-spread pandemonium). It is our belief that his lonely childhood is the reason he seeks so much affection from the members, and the friendship from his toys.

P&B Scale

Appearance: 10

T.O.P is essentially the perfect man. With no exceptions, he has every characteristic that a man needs to be a god. T.O.P is tall, while maintaing the perfect proportions of an elegant and perfectly classy man. With broad shoulders and perfect posture he carries himself with a suave sophistication. T.O.P has a man’s face, with a perfectly chiseled sharp jaw-line, strong cheekbones, a perfect nose, shapely lips, and intensely sensual almond shaped eyes topped by immaculately groomed eyebrows.  T.O.P is the full package of what everyone wants a man to look like.

Talent: 10 SC

As we all know, T.O.P does not dance or sing; he is a rapper, and has been for years. Though T.O.P’s skill is praise-able, we’d much rather go on and on about his amazing voice (and can you blame us?). His voice is stunning; when he speaks there is a natural vibration that gives an auto-tuned effect to every word that comes out of his mouth. His voice is truly so spectacular that T.O.P need do nothing more than utter mere words to have the attention of any female (and male).

Most groups that have multiple main rappers usually turn out frenzied- the rap will just be a flurry of bad English and crazy attempts to outdo each other. However, in Big Bang, T.O.P and G-Dragon have such different styles and voices that they actually complement each other and enhance the overall experience of a Big Bang song.

Personality: 9.5

Upon first glance, T.O.P presents himself with upturning charisma and a cool, unapproachable aura. That may be the case when we’re talking about normal civilians being around him. When T.O.P is with his close friends however, it turns out that he is not entirely scary and intimidating, but in fact misunderstood. As we mentioned earlier, T.O.P was a victim to isolation, and was quite a social outcast when growing up. The fact that he received little love and friendship during his necessary years has only transformed him into a unique person. Though he seems like an extremely manly male, T.O.P is actually genuinely soft and sensitive on the inside. He adores affection from the other members, and is unbelievably cute and childish at times when expressing his sentiments. His social ineptitude does make him slightly awkward and shy, however once a friend of T.O.P’s, he is sure to be loyal and open-eared.

Overall: 9.8

Taeyang

Name: Dong Youngbae

Position: Vocalist

Birthdate: May 18, 1988

Bloodtype: AB

Height: 174 cm.

Our Comments:

In our opinion Taeyang is just a slightly larger, and very much less ghetto version of Jay Park.
They look alike, they dress alike, they give off the same general aura.  If Taeyang married a Korean woman and had a child with her, by the time it was about 11 it would probably look just like current Jay Park.

Other than his Jay Park-status however, there is not much else going on with this boy. Taeyang holds his family, friends (especially G-Dragon) and most importantly, God, dear to his heart. His commitments should reveal much about him.

P&B Scale

Appearance: 7.0

Somehow Taeyang barely looks Korean at all. We, P&B, have officially decided he is a Cuban, Vietnamese, Jamaican, and French mix. With his dark skin and facial features, Taeyang looks more like a very light black guy. Personally, unlike the majority of American girls, we don’t find him attractive at all.

Besides his face, Taeyang is flat out short. He is miniature sized, in a stereotypical Asian way. It’s not really the fact that he is so tiny in stature that bothers us, but his body is completely out of proportion. His torso/abdomen is abnormally long; in some pictures, his trunk seems to be longer than his legs. On top of having an irregularly long torso, he is way too muscular for his size. Proportionally, he would be much more attractive if he had a less cut body and had more of a thin frame. But all that bulk on top only results in giving his legs a stubby appearance.

Talent: 8.0

Taeyang’s singing is completely overrated. We don’t see the basis for all of his praise, because his control leaves much to be desired and his range is limited.  He is average at best; his voice is nothing unique, because it’s not like we haven’t heard a boy from K-Pop with a moderately high voice that sings using falsettos.

His voice isn’t horrible, it’s just not unique. At times, Taeyang’s voice is quite nice, but his overuse of falsettos should be illegal. For instance, his song “You’re My” from his solo album Solar starts very nicely BUT the falsetto that is predominant throughout the latter half of the song is god-awful. Whoever approved of that should be burnt.  Not only is it annoying after about half a second, the longer it lingers, the more whiny and aggravating it becomes. About halfway through that horrid little section, his voice somehow morphed into the sound of a bird getting beat to death.

We don’t care much for his singing (and it’s a good thing too, otherwise his talent score would be much lower if we graded him on a special consideration), his dancing is commendable. He has a very Hip-Hop vibe and energy to his dancing; it may not be the best in the industry but it is good for him. At times though, we wish he’d tone it down a bit. The raunchiness is so unbearable sometimes we literally want to vomit.

Personality: 4.6

Taeyang’s low rating for his personality is mainly due to his lack of one. Comparable to Super Junior’s Siwon or any other super religious person, their religion almost consumes them. If you’re a hard-core Christian you probably love these kinds of people, but if you have a different religion, or are not fanatical, or not religious at all, there is nothing to compare to.

Out of Big Bang, Taeyang is definitely the most boring. The others have their ridiculous personalities that make them so entertaining, whereas Taeyang is very quiet and demure, while being totally socially awkward. Unlike others, we do believe he has never had a girlfriend, just as he claims, because he really does not know how to treat a lady or even act around girls. For example, he really was kind of an unintentional douche to Dara when they were filming “I Need A Girl”. For those of you that don’t know, he told her that she was everything the song described (which is quite sweet), but then added she isn’t as voluptuous as the song says. This pretty much caused Dara to momentarily become self-conscious of her slender figure. The statement was obviously rude, but Taeyang just didn’t seem to grasp this. He was trying to be nice and compliment her, but his social awkwardness and non-experience about girls didn’t let him know when to stop.

Taeyang would be a much more interesting person if he just fell in love and got a girl; it might make him a bit more lively.

Overall: 6.5

G-Dragon

Name: Kwon Jiyong

Position: Leader, Main Rapper

Birthdate: August 18, 1988

Bloodtype: A

Height: 177 cm.

Our Comments:

G-Dragon just may be one of the most controversial people out there. Many V.I.Ps out there are willing to defend their precious leader from the blasphemies of his actions and criticisms. In our opinion, G-Dragon doesn’t deserve half the hate he gets.

For starters, we’re all aware of his marijuana scandal (yes, we’re of tired it too, but what kind of post would this be without addressing it?). While we don’t believe a word that comes out of G-Dragon’s mouth regarding this issue (other than the fact he was drunk), we can’t say we’re displeased with his responses. Some people are just so ludicrous- do you really think he can just comfortably come out and say that yeah, he did smoke a joint? Of course he can’t. And if he could, we have no doubt G-Dragon would come out and be honest with his fans, but let’s get real here: the entertainment industry does not work that way. G-Dragon may seem as if he’s treating his fans like ignorant idiots, but what else can the guy do?

Secondly, there are plenty of issues out there regarding G-Dragon’s “un-idol” attitude and “ungratefulness” towards fans. And all we have to say is puh-lease. G-Dragon as a person is very against idol-ideals, but that’s what makes him so different. It’s his charm, and if you don’t like the way he runs Big Bang, as artists rather than idols, you best leave him alone. Secondly, the reports of G-Dragon being ungrateful for his fans are absolutely stupid. So the guy tells his fans not to buy birthday presents for him, and immediately that makes him rude? How about it’s just that G-Dragon felt displeased with the idea of his fans spending needless money on him? And, bless this boy, when his fans decide to instead donate money to charity, he puts some money from his own pocket in as well. G-Dragon is not ungrateful, he’s not narcissistic about Big Bang and neither is he vain: He’s Kwon Jiyong, a young Korean boy who fell in love with hip-hop and rap, who’s decided to revolutionize music, which he so unbelievably loves, with his talent, one awesome composition at a time.

P&B Scale

Appearance: 10

When people look at Big Bang, most don’t see “idol looks”. About the only member that usually receives recognition for astounding good looks is T.O.P, for his undeniable manliness, sexiness and charisma. However, in our opinion, G-Dragon definitely has the capability of not just being pretty damn good-looking, but being one of the most attractive K-Pop idols (yes, we said it). G-Dragon’s facial features are certainly pretty, and if we dare say, slightly feminine. His jaw bone is incredibly smooth and round. His soft eyes and pouty lips give off a lovely feel, and when his eyes are played up with eyeliner, this boy just looks so gorgeous. His skin is one to admire, and definitely helps him maintain a youthful appeal. What we love most about G-Dragon is that he is so far from actually trying to be “idol-ish” and “pretty”, yet he cannot help his beauty. Even when he appears rugged or masculine, his baby-face pales in masculinity as compared to the other Big Bang members. And when G-Dragon actually does play himself up with make-up, and a pretty smile rather than a stoic gaze, the results are breathtaking.

Talent: 10

We’re not going to exaggerate G-Dragon’s musical genius. We’re not going to praise him for being “the most extraordinaire musician ever” in this, apparently talentless world. Because he’s not. And neither is this world talentless.

It’s no secret that G-Dragon’s music potential has been extremely exaggerated. Whether it’s from the Korean media, V.I.Ps, or just K-Pop fans alike, they all seem to regard him as a sort of God, whom should not be looked down on. And frankly, it is those exact elitist thoughts that turn so many people off. And that’s heartbreaking, to be honest. G-Dragon himself has remarked he is no genius, so why do his fans continue to regard him as such? Our point is this: G-Dragon is not some once-in-a-million prodigy come to save the music industry from trash.

However, is he talented? Extremely so. G-Dragon is an amazing song-writer, composer and rapper. Granted he’s not perfect (we can honestly say we’ve enjoyed some works more than others), but just how many K-Pop idols do you see, composing nearly all of their group’s songs, writing their lyrics and hands-on working with their comebacks, albums and yes, even concerts. Yeah, not many. G-Dragon is an experimenter. Without him, we doubt Big Bang could’ve led the revolution of the Korean Pop industry with “Lies” and “Haru Haru” that they are so famous for.

Let us also not forget his status as one of the strongest idols out there. His rapping is well praised by many, and this is no secret. However, there seems to be a slight misconception, or so we’ve noticed. G-Dragon’s rapping is not phenomenal; it’s his charisma and attitude that are so readily apparent that make his rapping so good. GD may not be the fastest rapper, and neither is he the best at skill or technique (though we’d argue with anyone who’d claim him not to be one of the best), but you have to admit he has undeniable and amazing stage presence. When G-Dragon went solo with Heartbreaker, we were astounded at how he did not need choreography, back-up dancers, special effects, etc., in order to get the audience’s attention. All G-Dragon has to do is go up on stage and perform his heart out. When he’s on stage, he makes sure the audience knows, loud and clear, who he is.

Oftentimes, G-Dragon is definitely exaggerated, but our hope is that potential fans and onlookers will actually see into this boy’s talent before making a judgment call, and realize that, yes, while G-Dragon is not the world’s best musician, he very well may be the best K-Pop has to offer. His innovation, passion and presence have all changed the K-Pop sound (Do you all really think “Sorry, Sorry” could’ve been made without “Lies” first introducing electronica?), and we sincerely wish for G-Dragon to keep his crazy antics coming and continue to revolutionize music around him.

Personality: 9.8

Kwon Jiyong is a sweetheart. He is one of the most kindred and sweetest people in Korean idolism; most stars these days are getting way too big headed and addicted to fame. While it does sound crazy to call someone who is arguably the most “famous” person the most down to earth, in this case, it’s true. G-Dragon is an incredibly down to earth individual, and unfortunately most people are blind to his gentle and kind-hearted character, and perceive him as his on stage persona: the charismatic, confident and slightly cocky leader of Big Bang. However, people need to realize this is just one part of the whole Kwon Jiyong. It is the mask he wears on stage, or rather, not a mask, as a mask is fake and plastic, but just another part of his whole. G-Dragon really is all of the aforementioned things above, but it is his stage self that is those things, and not his off stage self.

Off stage, G-Dragon is a sweet and precious human being. Take into consideration he’s human, and as human he makes mistakes like the rest of us. His heart is pure and filled with immense love and gratitude towards his family, his friends, and of course, his YG Family.

It is so frustrating to see so many people have a huge misconception about him; that he’s “rude”, “conceited”, and “ungrateful”. G-Dragon is humble and grateful for what he has. Contrary to popular opinion, he does not have a “full of it” idol personality, and he does a good job at making sure the other members of Big Bang don’t either (Seungri was born that way).

While G-Dragon is not the type to praise easily, one must understand he gives constructive criticism. Many ignorantly take that as “mean” and “harsh”, however his comments mean much more. By criticizing Big Bang when building an album, he assists them to grow as artists and keeps them grounded. As many know, he is a perfectionist; G-Dragon is known to keep Big Bang in the studio for hours, but this is all to produce the finest quality of music, and his members know and love him for it.

G-Dragon may seem cold and unrelenting if you catch him on the streets, but this is due to two things: firstly, the boy has built up a reputation of being shy. Secondly, are most idols not like this? They are all hounded by so many fans, and are constantly being bombarded, that it is only a matter of time before they begin to get annoyed.

Overall: 9.9

Daesung

Name: Kang Daesung

Position: Vocalist

Birthdate: April 26, 1989

Bloodtype: O

Height: 178 cm.

Our Comments:

As cheesy as it sounds, Daesung is Big Bang’s ray of sunshine. One could argue the other member have an aura of slight unapproachability, timidness and superiority. Daesung, on the other hand, looks friendly, bright and genuinely happy. Unfortunately, after his accident, we’ve noticed his sunshine aura to have dissipated a bit. Not enough so that he looks as distant as the other members, but enough that we’d think twice before talking to him. And this, to say the least, is really saddening.

Daesung is Big Bang’s youth. He is their smile and laughter. Beloved by all generations of Korean citizens, he’s one of the Variety kings out there that know how to get a good laugh out of people. After Big Bang’s most recent comeback, we were ecstatic to see him again, and then sad at how broken he looks as compared to before. Hopefully, time will heal, and we will be able to see Smiling Daesung dominating Big Bang again.

P&B Scale

Appearance: 9.1

Daesung is a weird mix of ugly-cute. The individual parts of his face are not bad, but together they look slightly odd. Not saying that he is completely ugly, but definitely not the most attractive member of Big Bang.

Daesung has very typical Asian features; a flat wide nose, little eyes, and full lips. His features are very reminiscent of what a typical Chinese boy would look like, while his bone structure and facial shape is distinctively Korean. With a strong jaw line and prevalent cheek bones, his overall look is still very Korean.

He is of decent height but a bit on the short side, however Daesung has a very well toned body. This, ladies and gentlemen, are what muscles should look like; not excessive but just enough to give nice definition.

Talent: 9

Daesung definitely has the best singing voice in the group. He has control, and is able to vocalize better than any of his group mates. Other than T.O.P, he is the only one with a somewhat manly singing voice and is not in the slightest bit whiny or annoying. We really wish that he sang more in the groups’ songs because he is truly an unappreciated singer.

Personality: 8.9

This young man has an adorable personality. He is full of laughter and kindness, and is first and foremost a funny character. There is not a stain on Daesung’s personality; he is not rude, mean or insensitive, neither is he lazy or arrogant. However, his personality does remain distinct and his own. His great sense of humor, cheesy romanticism and totally selfless persona make Daesung a beautiful person. His warmth generates outwards, and we can’t help but smile when we see his own smile. All we hope is that his accident did not leave a permanent crack in Daesung’s fragile and totally undeserving heart, and that, with the help of his family and friends, he is able to grow healthy and stronger.

Overall: 9.0

Seungri

Name: Lee Seunghyun

Position: Maknae, Vocalist

Birthdate: December 12, 1990

Bloodtype: A

Height: 176 cm.

Our Comments:

Seungri is the most interesting member Big Bang has to offer. Hate him or love him, we’d like to think of him as someone similar to Super Junior’s Heechul – a crazy personality, totally unique and someone to stick around for. However, Seungri and Heechul are completely different in terms of just why they’re so interesting. Whereas Heechul is known for his bold and daring antics and (seemingly) lazy personality, Seungri is famous for his running mouth, hilarious arrogance and variety success.

Seungri has made a reputation for himself for being one of the “greatest” (get our sarcasm here) maknaes ever. Big Bang practically has heart attacks any time Seungri does variety solo, and, with good reason, expect the worst. His arrogant attitude is well found in his beliefs of being one of the “best-looking” in Big Bang and being a “play-boy”. Big Bang has raised this boy well.

Underneath all the cocky confidence Seungri immediately displays on first glance is actually a very obedient and spoiled maknae. The other members soil Seungri with love, and though Big Bang isn’t the biggest group on open fan-service, they shower their affection onto Seungri backstage, happily receiving love in return. Essentially, Seungri’s just another hyung-whore. He uses his age to his advantage like a manipulative person, but has in fact been revealed more than once to be a total softie. Surprising or not, he cherishes Big Bang deeply. On Big Bang’s “Healing Camp”, it was revealed that Seungri cried the most after G-Dragon’s marijuana scandal- just a small example of his actual vulnerable and caring heart.

P&B Scale

Appearance: 8

We’re sorry, but Seungri just isn’t that cute. He is definitely the most typically normal looking in K-Pop, and in no sense of the term is he a “Flower Boy”. Seungri is only a step above some of the ugliest people in K-Pop – he actually looks average.

He definitely doesn’t have the face of an idol- it is missing the prettiness that all boys/men have in this industry. There is nothing sweet and delicate about his face, but at the same time it lacks a strong manly presence. He kind of looks like a normal Asian farmer. Not even specifically Korean, but just a farmer that anyone in America could see getting off a big tour bus with their farmer comrades in any outlet mall. His face is missing a special factor, something that just makes him look like he should be famous.

Seungri’s traditional looks contrast so sharply with those of G-Dragon and T.O.P, who arguably are two of the best looking men in all of Asia, making him look almost ugly.

Talent: 6.5

When we were first introduced to Big Bang, we didn’t even know Seungri was in the group at all, let alone what his role was. We are still quite puzzled as to what his role even is- GD&TOP are obviously the rappers, Taeyang is the main singer and dancer, and Daesung is the vocalist. Let’s step aside from talent for a moment, and ask just what exactly is Seungri’s actual purpose in the group?  He is a good dancer and a decent singer but we rarely see either of each within the group’s activities.

The problem we see is that Seungri’s star does not shine as bright as those of his group mates. It must suck to be in a group with the other Big Bang members; G-Dragon or T.O.P. alone could probably eclipse any person in the world with their undeniable star power and imposing aura.

Personality: 10

Seungri is the most obnoxious and extroverted person alive. He reigns over the title of “evil” maknae without being actually evil but more irritating. Sharing private details about his group-mates’ personal lives, making unnecessary comments, and just pretty much being a huge pest is what gives Seungri such a title. In essence, Seungri is the guy that is in everybody’s class and never shuts up; even when nobody is talking, this person just has to be a distraction by, at the bare minimum, making unnecessary noise.

A primary example of his exasperating behavior is how he even got into Big Bang in the first place. He was originally sent home with Beast’s Hyunseung, however Seungri did not accept this (much like the people on American Idol who refuse to leave after they are told they failed), so he bothered YG, consistently showing up with persistence, until YG deemed Seungri’s pestering nature as passion, and passed him.

For being so unique and insane we decided Seungri should receive a high score.

Overall: 8.1

Overall Big Bang: 8.66

Lots of people can argue just who exactly is the “best” boy group. Is it Super Junior, the leading contributors of the Hallyu Wave? Is it TVXQ, who no doubt caused the surge in popularity for Korean boy groups in Asia (we know they were present before, but it was really TVXQ that began huge amounts of international popularity)? Or is it Big Bang, that, while obvious leaders of the Hallyu Wave and rising popularity internationally, have yet to call those achievements their own? Our opinion is our opinion, just as your opinion is your own, but let us share a little something before we carry on.

Let us go back in time, to a time before Big Bang and the Hallyu Wave, to even before TVXQ debuted. Way back, to a scene of a young boy. A young boy who just loved music; just wanted to be a part of it in his own way. This little boy would be given the opportunity of a lifetime, and granted, at the time, no one probably saw him and thought “That boy is going to be one of the greatest musicians the world has to offer, destined to revolutionize a music style”, there were some who saw something, something different in this young boy. He was not like others his age, and though popular in school and beloved by his peers, prefer to remain off the mainstream then, and live his life his own way.

Fast forward a few years and we find this young boy with a group to call his own. He isn’t the oldest, and in that aspect is certainly not qualified to be the leader, but that something that was witnessed a few years back is still present, getting stronger, more visible. And out debuts Big Bang. Are they popular at first? Maybe, but not in a way one would hope. Almost immediately, the five young boys are attacked, and exclaims of “Ugly!” and “Die!” are constantly thrown at them.

Do they give up? No. And just as other sob-stories idol groups have to offer, they overcame the antis and haters and whatever it is you want to call them, and went on to become one of the biggest acts to date. Although there is a difference, and a significant one at that, that makes Big Bang’s sob story different from others. Big Bang did not just persevere. They didn’t just conquer. They didn’t just rise from nobodies to somebodies. They changed music along the way. They lent significant contributions. They aren’t just here, having done nothing at all, but stand in 2012 as successful artists, and this is something Big Bang and V.I.Ps should be immensely proud of. They deserve their spotlight and fame, for without them, K-Pop as we know it would be nothing near the same it is now. Without them, we would not see the plethora of “Hip-hop” and “Badass” concepts attempted by many groups today. Big Bang brought rap into K-Pop, made it popular, and made it almost necessary for groups. They made it okay to be “ugly”, un-idol-like and just plain different. There may be many “differently”  styled K-Pop groups out there today, but remember this: Big Bang is the original. And they are the best at what they’ve introduced. 

♥P&B