YG maintains BIGBANG is not disbanded and is discussing future activities and contract status with the members
For the time being, BIGBANG is going their separate ways to pursue their individual goals.
On December 26th, YG Entertainment announced they were discussing future activities, including contracts with the rest of the members and whether to renew their contracts with G-Dragon and Daesung.
Regarding Taeyang’s future, the company said, “Taeyang will be working as an artist under The Black Label, a company affiliated with YG. We are sincerely happy to deliver the news of Taeyang’s new start.”
Black Label, which started as a label under YG, is a YG-related company that YG currently holds about 30% of its stake. Teddy, a producer from Group One Time, is leading as the head. In addition to Teddy, solo singers Zion.T, Jeon So-mi, and producer R. Tee. As Teddy has participated in many songs from the group Big Bang’s group album as well as Taeyang’s solo album since its debut, Teddy is expected to have influence in Taeyang’s new solo album, which is scheduled to be released in the first half of next year.
Prior to Taeyang, member T.O.P ended YG’s exclusive contract with the release of BIGBANG’s new single “Still Life” in April.
“Thank you all for the last 16 years,” T.O.P said on his official SNS on April 5, adding, “I might be going through another important turning point of my life at the moment. I look forward to the day when I’ll be able to come back as a man of inspiration in the near future. I’m utmost grateful for my fans.”
There will be no plans for BIGBANG comeback for the time being. In an interview with “Prestige Hong Kong” magazine, T.O.P said he was preparing to release his first solo album, adding, “I don’t want to say this is my last time. But honestly, it may take a long time for me to come back as T.O.P. Our music tastes and activities have been very different over the past five years, and now BIGBANG’s music and my music are quite different. My first solo album, which will soon be released, will be the first journey to share who I really am,” he explained.
YG maintained that BIGBANG would not be disbanded. At the end of the contract with T.O.P., “We respected T.O.P.’s opinion that he wanted to expand his personal activities, so we discussed this well with the members.” However, the company assured fans that T.O.P would join BIGBANG’s activities if conditions allowed. YG said while delivering the news of Taeyang’s departure, saying, “There is no change in the fact that Taeyang is a BIGBANG member and part of the YG Family. We know that many are waiting for BIGBANG’s activities, so we will work together for this.”
BIGBANG debuted with their first single “Big Bang” in 2006 and will go their separate ways 16 years after their debut.
BIGBANG was once considered one of the leading groups of K-pop, with numerous hit songs such as “Lies,” “Last Farewell,” “Day by Day,” “Fantastic Baby,” and “Fxxk It.” However, the group’s reputation fell due to various controversies such as G-Dragon’s 2011 cannabis scandal, T.O.P’s 2017 cannabis scandal, Daesung’s 2019 controversy over the violation of the Food Sanitation Act and the prostitution and illegal business.
In particular, Seungri (real name Lee Seung-hyun), who left the group in March 2019 and left YG, was found to have been at the center of the so-called “Burning Sun Gate” that erupted in late 2018, sparking shock from K-pop fans.
Seung-ri was indicted in January 2020 on eight charges, including prostitution solicitation, prostitution service arrangement, sexual violence, aggravated punishment of certain economic crimes, occupational embezzlement, food sanitation, habitual gambling, and violation of Foreign Exchange Transactions Act. In May this year, he was sentenced to prison for one year and six months by the Supreme Court and transferred to wartime labor. He will be done with his time by February next year.
Source: daum
