2024.12.12
BIGBANG has returned.
For KPOP fans, the biggest music awards ceremony, MAMA AWARDS, is always exciting.
This year, marking its 25th anniversary, MAMA was held for three days from November 21 to 23, including its first-ever event in the United States.
And on the final day, November 23, at Osaka Kyocera Dome, that moment would come.
The only announcement from MAMA prior to the event was that G-DRAGON would perform, and it was strictly as a solo artist.
As announced, when G-DRAGON’s solo song “Untitled” began to play, the Kyocera Dome erupted in excitement.
Even though I was just watching the live broadcast on my TV at home, the excitement came through the screen vividly.
Then, G-DRAGON appeared on stage with “POWER,” which had just been released on October 31, and the venue reached its peak excitement of the day.
By this point, the atmosphere was already electric, but when the intro of the next song “HOME SWEET HOME” started, the excitement soared even higher.
And rightly so.
This song was suddenly released on November 22, the day before, and was credited as featuring TAEYANG & DAESUNG, making it essentially a new BIGBANG song despite being under G-DRAGON’s solo name.
With such an intro, it was only natural that the audience couldn’t contain their excitement.
After the atmosphere shifted to one where TAEYANG and DAESUNG’s appearance on stage seemed certain, the performance of “HOME SWEET HOME” began with G-DRAGON’s part.
Like “POWER,” G-DRAGON, dressed in pink, danced and sang gracefully at the center, accompanied by a troop of dancers. During the rap part of the B melody, a young G-DRAGON was displayed on the monitor, and in front of that, he delivered an overwhelming rap as if to say, “I am G-DRAGON!”
Then, just before TAEYANG’s part, G-DRAGON pointed towards the camera, and TAEYANG appeared with both hands raised, striking a pose reminiscent of Michael Jackson on the poster for “THIS IS IT.”
At that moment, the venue was filled with deafening cheers, it was incredible.
Furthermore, when DAESUNG appeared afterward, the energy in the venue exceeded boiling point, as if to say, “We’ve been waiting for this!”
The excitement was so intense that it felt like a new song released just the day before.
And with that heightened excitement, the song ended, and the three descended into the stage’s abyss.
At that moment, I wondered if they would really end without performing any BIGBANG songs despite the overwhelming excitement, and a slight anxiety crossed my mind.
This was because, at the MAMA the day before, the hype around the first performance of Rosé & Bruno Mars’ “APT.” led to a shocking outcome where only a pre-recorded video was shown on the venue’s monitor, and there was no live performance! This left the audience in a hellish atmosphere.
Having lost trust in MAMA after the previous day’s events, I was prepared for G-DRAGON’s stage to end without any further performances.
It’s easier not to expect than to be disappointed.
However, there was no sign of the next artist appearing, nor any indication that the awards ceremony would continue.
This caused the venue to start buzzing, and the atmosphere shifted to one of “This is different from yesterday!”
Then, out of nowhere, the call for BIGBANG began, resembling an encore at a concert.
Suddenly, the intro to BIGBANG’s hit song “BANG BANG BANG” started playing, and a scream-like cheer echoed throughout the venue.
The heat that peaked with “HOME SWEET HOME” was further intensified, reaching new heights.
Afterward, the three appeared in changed outfits, and it had transformed into a full-fledged BIGBANG concert.
Even though I was just watching on TV, I felt as if I were there, and for the first time, I understood why BIGBANG is called the kings.
Yes, while I have written passionately up to this point, I, who entered KPOP through BTS, have hardly witnessed the peak of BIGBANG.
The only experience I had in real-time was with the song “春夏秋冬（Still Life）” released in 2022.
The only other songs I know are “BANG BANG BANG” and “FANTASTIC BABY,” which were also performed at this MAMA, making me a super novice.
Yet, even as a novice, BIGBANG captivated me in an instant.
I regretted not having listened to and watched BIGBANG properly until now.
And the stage footage from MAMA released on YouTube has surpassed 33 million views (as of December 12).
On the Melon chart, a major music chart in Korea, “HOME SWEET HOME” has jumped to number one, surpassing Rosé’s “APT.” which had long held the top spot, proving BIGBANG’s enduring popularity.
Now, while this may sound like BIGBANG is amazing to those who aren’t very familiar with them, the reason why this revival of BIGBANG has been welcomed so enthusiastically by not just fans but also others is significant.
That is because BIGBANG is a group that has gone through too much over the years.
Originally a five-member group, BIGBANG is now a trio after two members left.
While member departures are not uncommon in KPOP, BIGBANG’s situation is different.
Former member Seungri (V.I) was arrested as one of the masterminds behind the Burning Sun incident that made headlines not just in Korea but worldwide in 2018.
This was not just about a member of a nationally popular group being arrested; it developed into a massive scandal that engulfed the entire nation due to the magnitude of the incident.
While I won’t go into details about the incident here, it’s easy to imagine the scale of it given that the BBC in the UK produced a documentary about it this past May.
Following this incident, Seungri left the group and was later convicted, receiving a sentence of one and a half years in prison.
Thus, BIGBANG became a four-member group, but the crazy gears did not easily return to normal, and after the release of “春夏秋冬（Still Life）” in April 2022, member T.O.P also departed.
He then erased all traces of being in BIGBANG from his personal Instagram and took the action of blocking fans who celebrated BIGBANG’s 18th anniversary this year.
T.O.P had previously been arrested for marijuana use in 2017, but at that time, he received a suspended sentence and continued group activities, so many fans were disappointed by T.O.P’s actions this time.
For those who were concerned about the future of BIGBANG, now reduced to three members, this stage as BIGBANG must have been deeply moving, and for those like me who did not know BIGBANG in real-time, it was an exciting and wonderful performance.
In fact, this MAMA prompted me to watch past MVs of BIGBANG and G-DRAGON, their performances on music shows, and their appearances on variety shows, and I became completely captivated by BIGBANG.
And I was surprised by how many great songs there were, to the point where I wanted to scold myself for not having listened to BIGBANG properly until now.
In particular, G-DRAGON’s solo song “ピタカゲ（Crooked）” has struck a chord with me, and I’ve been listening to it a lot.
In conclusion, I can only say thank you to MAMA for teaching me the greatness of BIGBANG.
I want to continue waiting as a KPOP fan for the official release of BIGBANG’s works and their comeback, and that’s how the end of 2024 has come to be.
King is Back!!
BIGBANG is Never Die!!
End
猫町ぺこー
SKOOTA KPOP部チーム長
〈Originally a rock music enthusiast who once considered working at Rockin’ On. Started listening to KPOP due to BTS, later became a fan of BLACKPINK, and gradually got immersed in KPOP. Became a hardcore fan of Kep1er, who debuted from the survival audition program “Girls Planet 999,” resulting in fully diving into the KPOP world.〉
