"Sober" ( ko, 맨정신) is a song recorded by South Korean boy band
Big Bang
The Big Bang event is a physical theory that describes how the universe expanded from an initial state of high density and temperature. Various cosmological models of the Big Bang explain the evolution of the observable universe from the ...
. It was released
digitally on July 1, 2015 by
YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production compa ...
, as the third single from ''
Made
Made or MADE may refer to:
Entertainment Film
* ''Made'' (1972 film), United Kingdom
* ''Made'' (2001 film), United States Music
* ''Made'' (Big Bang album), 2016
* ''Made'' (Hawk Nelson album), 2013
* ''Made'' (Scarface album), 2007
*'' M.A.D.E. ...
'', being included in the single album ''
D''. "Sober" was written by
Teddy
Teddy is an English language given name, usually a hypocorism of Edward or Theodore. It may refer to:
People Nickname
* Teddy Atlas (born 1956), boxing trainer and fight commentator
* Teddy Bourne (born 1948), British Olympic epee fencer
* Tedd ...
,
G-Dragon
Kwon Ji-yong (; born August 18, 1988), also known by his stage name G-Dragon (지드래곤), is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur and fashion designer, known as the " King of K-pop". G-Dragon is the recipi ...
and
T.O.P
Choi Seung-hyun (; born November 4, 1987), better known by his stage name T.O.P, is a South Korean rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. He performed as an underground rapper before joining the record label YG Entertainment and ...
, and was produced by the first two with
Choice37.
Background
The first poster of "Sober" was released on June 27, 2015, revealing the name of the song and the production credits. The single was released on July 1.
The release was supported by a live countdown on
Naver
Naver (Hangul: 네이버) is a South Korean online platform operated by the Naver Corporation. It was launched in 1999 as the first web portal in South Korea to develop and use its own search engine. It was also the world's first operator to in ...
Starcast on June 30, 11 pm. An exact verse that
G-Dragon
Kwon Ji-yong (; born August 18, 1988), also known by his stage name G-Dragon (지드래곤), is a South Korean rapper, singer-songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur and fashion designer, known as the " King of K-pop". G-Dragon is the recipi ...
sings towards the end of "Sober" was actually first performed during the
2013 Mnet Asian Music Awards as a prelude to his song "
Crooked". The music video was directed by Han Sa Min, who worked before with Bigbang on "Loser", "Bad Boy" and "Blue".
Composition and reception
"Sober" has a "more rock-driven sound", an unusual genre for Big Bang, who usually go for electronic and hip hop-based sounds. The track shows off lush guitars mixed with banging percussion, and incorporates a "very high energy rock vibe" with a spunk delivery.
Fuse
Fuse or FUSE may refer to:
Devices
* Fuse (electrical), a device used in electrical systems to protect against excessive current
** Fuse (automotive), a class of fuses for vehicles
* Fuse (hydraulic), a device used in hydraulic systems to protect ...
said that the song fits on alternative radio and it's something you can hear on the
Warped Tour
The Warped Tour was a traveling rock tour that toured the United States plus three or four stops in Canada annually each summer from 1995 until 2019. It was the largest traveling music festival in the United States and the longest-running touring ...
, that is famous of alternative and punk rock music. The Korean website ''Osen'' called it "an exciting summer song that perfectly fits the
eason Eason is a surname.
The name comes from Aythe where the first recorded spelling of the family name is that of Aythe Filius Thome which was dated circa 1630, in the "Baillie of Stratherne". Aythe ''filius'' Thome received a charter of the lands of F ...
"
The music video was described by ''Billboard'' as "going mad in a colorful world."
''China Topix'' noted that "Sober" was filmed in a unique style, keeping the summer mood in mind.
Chart performance
"Sober" sold 276,180 downloads in its first week on the
Gaon Chart
Gaon may refer to
* Gaon (Hebrew), a non-formal title given to certain Jewish Rabbis
** Geonim, presidents of the two great Talmudic Academies of Sura and Pumbedita
** Vilna Gaon, known as ''the'' Gaon of Vilnius.
* Gaon Music Chart, record chart ...
, and debuted at number two in the
Digital and Download charts, seven on both the BGM and Streaming charts with over 3.9 million streams.
The song charted at number three on
''Billboard'' World Digital Songs, The song ranked at eleven on the most popular Korean singles of 2015 in Taiwan by music streaming service
KKBOX
KKBox, stylized as KKBOX is a music streaming service developed in 2005 by KKBox Inc., a software company in Taipei, Taiwan. It is a part of Japanese Telecom Group, KDDI. The service mainly targets the music markets of East and Southeast Asia, fo ...
.
Chart performance
Weekly charts
Monthly charts
Year-end charts
Sales
Accolades
Release history
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
Big Bang (South Korean band) songs
2015 singles
2015 songs
Korean-language songs
Songs written by Teddy Park
Songs written by G-Dragon
Songs written by T.O.P