Hey! Not sure if you watched the Coachella performance via live.
If you did, do you know what Jiyong said before Still Life about four seasons?
Some people at it was ‘Four season for no reason’ to show TOP has really gone but not sure if it was ‘Four seasons for a reason’ to show that he would also be part of the no matter what.
I did watch the Coachella performance! In fact, I recorded it, so I can answer this question with absolute confidence.
He very clearly says "four seasons with no reason," which are the original Still Life lyrics.
Everyone can interpret those lyrics the way they choose, but I think both of your statements are true at once. Yes, Top really has moved on from BigBang in a professional capacity, and yes, of course he'll be a part of them no matter what! There is so much love, respect, and care there between them after 20 years, and I think all four of them have made that clear.
Now, to address those lyrics specifically:
To me, "four seasons with no reason" doesn't only refer to Seunghyun's decision to leave the group (which was as relevant in 2022 when Still Life dropped as it is now). It's about the cyclical nature of life and human experience. At the time Still Life released, it was GD acknowledging and accepting that time passed, all four of them experienced change that was ultimately as inevitable as the changing of the seasons, and that there were things in life that were simply out of his control. Despite his desires for them to all come out of the military and get back together, that wasn't how it happened, and to him I'm sure it did feel like it all fell apart for no reason.
That being said, the whole song is about the natural way we (and they) experience periods of withering, followed by growth. Pain followed by joy. It's not a bad thing! As GD himself says in his verse, "after the rain, instead of sadness comes a happy end." He's accepted it. He's alright with it. He knows that these changes are hard now but will lead to beautiful things, and again, that's as relevant in 2022 as it is right now in 2026.
I don't want to beat this to death because I think everyone is entitled to their opinion and everyone should feel what they want to feel about all of this. It's been an enormous week for Bigbang and for Seunghyun as a solo artist. What I will say is that Jiyong, Youngbae, and Daesung have all more than shown that Seunghyun is with them always in their hearts, and they'll always have his back.
Their public show of support on social media when Another Dimension came out was huge in revealing where they all stand. They're all still in contact, they all still love and care for each other, and they're all celebrating his comeback in a way that both respects his personal and professional boundaries.
They could have easily cut his verse out of Still Life the way they omitted his parts in every other song in their Coachella set, but they didn't. It was hugely impactful to save it for last and to let his voice ring out for the crowd loud and proud.
To me, it was them saying to us, 'Don't be sad, he's still here, he'll always be a part of what we made together, even if he's not physically with us on stage.' It was a pretty beautiful way of telling us that they're going to do BB20 in their own way, as OT3, but it doesn't mean that Seunghyun's presence isn't felt.
I think we can all agree he was missed last night. His absence was noticeable, because how could it not be? But it's all okay besties, because this is a changing of the season! Seunghyun's winter is over and he's in his spring era, baby! He's given us the most perfect album, he's celebrating 20 years in a way that feels good and right to him. Jiyong, Daesung, and Youngbae are back together the way they want to be, and it's a new spring for them, too! I think this year is going to be immensely healing for all four of them, and I think they're going to be there for each other every step of the way, regardless of what they do or do not show us on social media or on stage.
As Bop and I talked about last night, we both just love the idea that Jiyong got off stage and called Seunghyun just beaming and full of excitement, and Seunghyun would have been thrilled for them. Given the circumstances, given all that has happened, given the wounds that have healed and the new seasons on the horizon for all four of them--I don't think any of them could have asked for more.