Taeyang Dreamt of Becoming a Singer During IMF Crisis, G-Dragon Is His Only Friend in Tough Times

BIGBANG’s Taeyang appeared as a guest on tvN’s entertainment program “You Quiz On The Block” aired on April 26.

On this day’s broadcast, Taeyang talked about his entry into the entertainment industry being influenced by the IMF crisis. He said, “When I was in the second grade of elementary school, the IMF hit our country. My father’s company went bankrupt and my parents started working together to make ends meet. I naturally ended up staying with my aunt. Even at a young age, it was too difficult to see my family struggling because of the economic situation.” 

Taeyang continued, “No matter how much I thought about it, I didn’t feel like I could succeed through studying. I thought that if I liked music more than anything else and worked hard at it, I could succeed and make it easier for my family.” 

Taeyang confessed that he remembers hearing his parents fighting in the bathroom when his family’s financial situation became difficult.

While living with his aunt, Taeyang started attending an acting academy with his cousins. By chance, he auditioned for the MV for Jinusean’s “A-YO” and was selected. 

Taeyang reminisced, “I actually auditioned for the child actor role, not as a trainee. I only had to film the MV, but the music was so good and Jinusean was so cool. So I asked to be accepted as a trainee. I kept asking, and they finally let me become a trainee.”

After six years of being a trainee, Taeyang debuted at the age of 19. “Being a trainee is not guaranteed. You don’t know when you might be eliminated, and there’s no guarantee that you will become a singer, so it’s very uneasy. I didn’t become a trainee because I was good at dancing, rapping, or singing. I was anxious. But strangely, I had confidence. I thought I would definitely debut as a singer and perform on stage. I thought about it every day,” Taeyang shared.

G-Dragon, the leader of BIGBANG, was Taeyang’s best friend during his trainee days and even now. Taeyang said, “He was my only friend who helped me through tough times. Even now, he is my only friend who helped me get through difficult times,” he said. 

Taeyang continued, “We don’t have many memories of our school days like other kids our age. We had to go straight to the practice room after school. When I think back to when I was young, all I can remember is being with Jiyong (G-Dragon’s real name) all the time.”

Source: Daum.