how long did it take for big bang to become huge?
Bigbang’s debut wasn’t strong and when they first started off they were marketed as one of the ‘not so good looking’ groups to debut. In fact they were called ugly and sloppy. Also DBSK was famous at the time so it wasn’t instant shot to fame. They were even ridiculed as DBSK wannabes and were continuously kicked aside.
We have to consider the lack of social media back then. They had to earn in with their music. What YG and Bigbang are capable of now, they they didn’t have the means back then. What really pushed them forward was ‘Lies’ and this was released in 2007 through a mini album. Bigbang being the first to introduce mini albums in kpop. This was a year after they debuted and that gained them a lot of recognition and not just ordinary recognition. This mini album got to TOP 15 in just THREE DAYS something their seniors couldn’t achieve. This got people talking. The public was opening up to them. Their debut received a lot of flak but this time reviews were 99.9% positive. How come? It became a phenomenon because they were making headlines everywhere. Bigbang was everywhere. Subway stations, schools, cafes, even elderly homes.
They became the most searched on the Internet. Lies was so loved that it stayed #1 on Melon for 54 weeks straight!! breaking records. Their fancafe registrations skyrocketed. They gained a lot of new fans. They only had a small number before that. It meant a lot for their steady existing fans because they saw their group get so much love. Something they did not receive when they debuted. Their once considered sloppy fashion and looks were now being sold everywhere lol. Everyone wanted to look like them. The neck scarves, baggy jeans, beanies and hats they wore. Ear piercings. Colorful tees. Star prints. Muscle tees. Bandanas. They were no longer considered ugly (because the music was good and that’s what people cared for). Then Haru Haru and Last Farewell happened.
In summary. The 3 kpop songs to chart the longest in history all belong to Bigbang :) all of which I’ve mentioned above. The highest digital downloads belong to Haru Haru. Millions. So this is where they became popular (in Korea at least, slowly spreading out to Asia). And it only went up up up from here!
By 2008 they were called ‘national male idols’ because everyone in Korea knew them. Of course DBSK was still the favored group but Bigbang got a lot of love for the genre and element they were in. They stopped calling them wannabes because they were completely different to the other idol groups at that time. And they were one of the firsts to be loved by all ages. Old and young. Everyone knew Bigbang and liked them. Apparently the fan age was more towards 18 and younger but more ages liked Bigbang easily.
They were the first idol group to make hiphop go mainstream successfully. After Bigbang, there were plenty debuting with similar concepts and it was easily welcomed. They also gained respect for being the first idol group to compose and write their own music. All 5 members have written and composed their own music.
The 3 songs that shot them to instant stardom were composed by GD. He is the youngest composer in Korea who is also an idol group leader. He is also the only solo artist to win Album of the Year with Heartbreaker a year later. So this will always be his pride and joy. Bigbang is a group that stands out because they make their own music. And they did it at a VERY early stage (1 year old babiessss) Bigbang was also the first to make EDM (music you’d hear at clubs) in kpop a thing. Now it’s a common sound.
They started from nothing. The fancy clothes they have now. They didn’t have it back then. Fancy videos? No. Worldwide connections. No. Designers and Hollywood directors? No. YG reputation? No. (YG only got a rep because of Bigbang) Viral videos? No. Viral songs? No. What they have today is what they worked for. They’re the first kpop group to chart #1 on iTunes 20 countries. First kpop group to chart top 10 in the iTunes US chart with Tonight. Taeyang was the first kpop artist to even have and album sold on iTunes! (Solar) Bigbang has the most no.1s, most triple crowns..well most number of awards for a Korean act.
They opened a lot of gates for their juniors but they didn’t have it so easy in the beginning. Their strength was in their composing skills and originality. That made Korea love them and from there they moved to more parts of Asia including Japan and they loved them. Now they’ve successfully held concerts in most parts of the world.
