By 
2024.12.12
BIGBANG has returned.
For KPOP fans, the biggest music awards ceremony, MAMA AWARDS, is always exciting.
This year marks the 25th anniversary, and for the first time, MAMA was held in the United States over three days from November 21 to 23.
On the final day, November 23, at the Osaka Kyocera Dome, the moment would arrive.
Prior to the event, MAMA announced only G-DRAGON’s participation, and it was confirmed that he would perform as a solo artist.
As announced, when G-DRAGON’s solo song “Untitled” began to play, the Kyocera Dome erupted with excitement.
Even though I was just watching the live broadcast at home, the thrill 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 intensified even further.
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 was expected, the performance of “HOME SWEET HOME” began with G-DRAGON’s part.
Like “POWER,” G-DRAGON danced and sang gracefully at the center, surrounded by dancers in pink outfits. During the rap part of the B melody, a childhood image of G-DRAGON was displayed on the monitor, and he delivered an impressive rap as if to say, “I am G-DRAGON!”
Just before TAEYANG’s part, G-DRAGON pointed towards the camera, and TAEYANG appeared with both hands raised, reminiscent of Michael Jackson’s pose on the “THIS IS IT” poster.
At that moment, the venue was filled with deafening cheers, it was incredible.
Furthermore, when DAESUNG appeared, the audience’s excitement reached a boiling point, as if to say, “We’ve been waiting for this!”
The energy was so high that it was hard to believe it was a new song released just the day before.
As the song ended in this heightened state, the three of them descended into the stage’s depths.
At that moment, I couldn’t help but feel a slight anxiety: would they really end without performing any BIGBANG songs despite the excitement?
This concern arose because, just the day before, at MAMA, the highly anticipated live performance of Rosé & Bruno Mars’ “APT.” turned out to be just a pre-recorded video, leaving the audience in a hellish atmosphere.
Having lost trust in MAMA after that incident, I was prepared for G-DRAGON’s stage to end without any further performances.
It felt easier not to expect anything 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 a stir in the audience, 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 of BIGBANG’s hit song “BANG BANG BANG” started playing, and the venue erupted with screams that were almost like shrieks.
The heat that peaked with “HOME SWEET HOME” intensified even further.
After the three reappeared in new outfits, it felt like 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 been writing passionately about this, I, who entered KPOP through BTS, have hardly experienced the peak of BIGBANG.
The only song I experienced in real-time was “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 complete novice.
Yet, even as a novice, BIGBANG captivated me in an instant.
I regretted not listening to and watching BIGBANG properly until now.
Moreover, 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 risen to the top, surpassing Rosé’s “APT.,” which had long held the number one spot, proving BIGBANG’s enduring popularity.
While this may sound like BIGBANG is amazing to those who aren’t very familiar with them, the reason why BIGBANG’s comeback 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 a lot.
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 incident not only involved the arrest of a member from a nationally popular group but also escalated into a massive scandal that engulfed the entire nation.
While I won’t go into details about the incident here, it’s easy to imagine the scale of it given that the BBC produced a documentary about it in May of this year.
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 chaotic situation 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 blocked fans’ SNS accounts that celebrated BIGBANG’s 18th anniversary this year.
T.O.P had previously been arrested for marijuana use in 2017, but he continued group activities after receiving a suspended sentence, so many fans were disappointed by his recent actions.
For those who were worried about the future of BIGBANG, now reduced to three members, this performance 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 staging.
In fact, after this MAMA, I found myself watching past BIGBANG and G-DRAGON music videos, performances from music shows, and variety show appearances, completely captivated by BIGBANG.
And I was surprised by how many great songs there were, making me want to scold myself for not listening to BIGBANG properly until now.
In particular, G-DRAGON’s solo song “ピタカゲ（Crooked）” has resonated with me so much that I’ve been listening to it constantly.
In conclusion, I want to express my gratitude to MAMA for showing me the greatness of BIGBANG.
I want to continue waiting as a KPOP fan for the official release of new works and a comeback from BIGBANG, and this has been a memorable end to 2024.
King is Back!!
BIGBANG is Never Die!!
The End
猫町ぺこー
SKOOTA KPOP部チーム長
Originally a rock music enthusiast who once considered working for a music magazine, I started listening to KPOP through BTS, later became a fan of BLACKPINK, and gradually immersed myself in KPOP. I became a hardcore fan of Kep1er, who debuted from the survival audition show “Girls Planet 999,” resulting in my full immersion in the KPOP world.
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