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Dong Young-bae (; born May 18, 1988), better known by his stage names Taeyang (meaning "sun" in Korean) and SOL (when performing in Japan), is a South Korean singer, songwriter and dancer. After appearing in
Jinusean Jinusean (Hangul: 지누션; stylized as JINUSEAN) was a South Korean hip hop duo signed to YG Entertainment. The duo, which is made up of Kim Jin-woo (also known as Jinu) and Noh Seung-hwan (also known as Sean), debuted in 1997 and rose to fame ...
's music video "A-yo", Taeyang began training under
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 ...
at the age of 12. Six years later, he made his debut in 2006 as a member of the South Korean
boy band A boy band is loosely defined as a vocal group consisting of young male singers, usually in their teenage years or in their twenties at the time of formation. Generally, boy bands perform Love song, love songs marketed towards girls and young ...
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 ...
. While the quintet's debut was met with lukewarm receptions, their follow-ups cemented their popularity, becoming one of the best-selling digital group of all-time in Asia and one of the best-selling boy bands in the world. Following the release of several albums and extended plays with his group, Taeyang pursued a solo career in 2008, releasing his first
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
, ''
Hot Hot or the acronym HOT may refer to: Food and drink *Pungency, in food, a spicy or hot quality *Hot, a wine tasting descriptor Places * Hot district, a district of Chiang Mai province, Thailand **Hot subdistrict, a sub-district of Hot Distric ...
''. The EP was acclaimed by critics and went to win the award for Best R&B & Soul Album at the 6th
Korean Music Awards The Korean Music Awards () is an annual South Korean music awards show that honors both mainstream and underground musical artists from a variety of genres. Unlike other major South Korean music awards, which largely rely on record sales to det ...
. ''Hot'' was followed by his first full-length studio album, '' Solar'' (2010), that garnered sales of over 100,000 copies. His second studio album, ''
Rise Rise or RISE may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * '' Rise: The Vieneo Province'', an internet-based virtual world * Rise FM, a fictional radio station in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto 3'' * Rise Kujikawa, a vide ...
'' (2014), peaked at number 112 on the US ''Billboard'' 200, becoming the highest ranking album by a Korean soloist in the chart, while its lead single, "
Eyes, Nose, Lips "Eyes, Nose, Lips" is a song recorded by South Korean singer Taeyang, serving as the second single for his second studio album ''Rise'' (2014). It was written by Teddy and Taeyang. The song peaked atop the Gaon Digital Chart and the K-pop Hot 1 ...
", peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' K-pop Hot 100, giving him his first solo chart-topper on that chart. "Eyes, Nose, Lips" was awarded Song of the Year at the 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards and
29th Golden Disc Awards The 29th Golden Disc Awards ceremony was held on January 14–15, 2015, at the MasterCard Center in Beijing, China. It was the third time the event had been hosted outside South Korea, following ceremonies in Japan in 2012 and Malaysia in 2013. ...
. His third studio album, '' White Night'', was released in 2017. Labeled as the Korean "Prince of R&B", Taeyang's vocal skills have been admired by music critics and he is regarded as one of the best vocalists in South Korea.


Career


2006–2008: Early beginnings and debut with Big Bang

Born and raised in
Uijeongbu Uijeongbu () is a Administrative divisions of South Korea, city in Gyeonggi Province, South Korea. Overview Uijeongbu is located north of the Korean capital Seoul; it lies inside a Defile (geography), defile, with mountains on two sides, and com ...
,
Gyeonggi-do Gyeonggi-do (, ) is the most populous province in South Korea. Its name, ''Gyeonggi'', means "京 (the capital) and 畿 (the surrounding area)". Thus, ''Gyeonggi-do'' can be translated as "Seoul and the surrounding areas of Seoul". Seoul, the na ...
, South Korea, Dong Young-bae's first contact with music was playing the piano, where he enjoyed classical music composed by
Ludwig van Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven (baptised 17 December 177026 March 1827) was a German composer and pianist. Beethoven remains one of the most admired composers in the history of Western music; his works rank amongst the most performed of the classical ...
and
Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wor ...
. When his family began struggling financially, Dong felt the need to find a job to help support them at a young age. In sixth grade, he auditioned and won the part of "mini Sean" in Jinusean's music video "A-yo", where he was introduced to and became fascinated with hip hop music. On the occasion, Dong met
Yang Hyun-suk Yang Hyun-suk (born January 9, 1970) is a South Korean music executive, rapper, dancer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame as a member of Seo Taiji and Boys during the 1990s. After the group disbanded, he founded and became the Ex ...
CEO of the record label
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 ...
and begged him for a chance to become a singer. As he got no answer, he went to his office personally to achieve his intention. Yang gave him the opportunity to audition, where he was successful, and accepted by the record label as a
trainee A trainee is commonly known as an individual taking part in a trainee program within an organization after having graduated from higher and technical courses. A trainee is an official employee of the firm that is being trained to the job they wer ...
. There, he met fellow trainee and future bandmate Kwon Ji-yong. Dong spent the first few years as a trainee cleaning the studio for the other artists in the company and fetching them water bottles during dance practices, later admitting that current artists at the time weren't friendly towards him or Kwon. In 2003, Dong provided the rap verse in singer
Wheesung Choi Whee-sung (; born February 5, 1982), known professionally as Wheesung or by the stage name Realslow, is a South Korean R&B singer, record producer, and musical theatre actor. Career 1982: Early life and education Wheesung was born on ...
's single "Player" on the latter's second album. Although Dong was scheduled to debut alongside Kwon as the hip hop duo GDYB (with Kwon choosing the stage-name G-Dragon), the plan was scrapped by their record label. Instead, they were joined by four other trainees (
TOP A spinning top, or simply a top, is a toy with a squat body and a sharp point at the bottom, designed to be spun on its vertical axis, balancing on the tip due to the gyroscopic effect. Once set in motion, a top will usually wobble for a few ...
, Daesung,
Seungri Lee Seung-hyun (; born December 12, 1990), better known by his stage names Seungri (Hangul: ) and V.I (when performing in Japan), is a former South Korean singer, songwriter, actor, businessman and sex offender convicted of facilitating prost ...
, and Hyun-seung) to form the group
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 ...
. Their formation was documented on television, but before their official debut, Hyun-Seung was dropped and their final lineup consisted of five members. Dong was initially hesitant about being placed in a band but eventually warmed up to the other members. Choosing the stage-name Taeyang (meaning ''sun'') because "the sun is the brightest star from the incalculable stars in the universe," Taeyang abandoned the idea of rapping to focus on singing. Following the release of several single albums, Big Bang's first album, '' Big Bang Vol. 1 – Since 2007,'' was a moderate success, and included Taeyang's first solo song "Ma Girl". The group achieved mainstream success with the release of the song " Lies" (
Korean Korean may refer to: People and culture * Koreans, ethnic group originating in the Korean Peninsula * Korean cuisine * Korean culture * Korean language **Korean alphabet, known as Hangul or Chosŏn'gŭl **Korean dialects and the Jeju language ** ...
: 거짓말;
Revised Romanization Revised Romanization of Korean () is the official Korean language romanization system in South Korea. It was developed by the National Academy of the Korean Language from 1995 and was released to the public on 7 July 2000 by South Korea's Min ...
: ''Geojitmal'') from their first
extended play An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record.
''
Always Always may refer to: Film and television * ''Always'', a 1985 film directed by Henry Jaglom * ''Always'' (1989 film), a 1989 romantic comedy-drama directed by Steven Spielberg * ''Always'' (2011 film), a 2011 South Korean film, also known as '' ...
'' (2007). This was followed by " Last Farewell" (Korean: 마지막 인사; Revised Romanization: ''Majimak Insa'') from '' Hot Issue'' (2007) and " Day by Day" (Korean:하루하루; Revised Romanization: ''Haru Haru'') from '' Stand Up'' (2008); both were also chart-toppers.


2008–2012: Solo career development and ''Solar''

After contributing to singer Lexy's album, Taeyang announced that he was going to release a solo album. Initially scheduled for a September release, the project was pushed back due to conflicting schedules with his group. Instead, Taeyang released the EP ''
Hot Hot or the acronym HOT may refer to: Food and drink *Pungency, in food, a spicy or hot quality *Hot, a wine tasting descriptor Places * Hot district, a district of Chiang Mai province, Thailand **Hot subdistrict, a sub-district of Hot Distric ...
'' in May 2008, backed by a production team that included
1TYM 1TYM (Korean: 원타임, pronounced as "One Time") was a four-member South Korean group. They were Teddy Park (also known as Park Hong-jun), Oh Jinhwan, Song Baekyoung, and Danny Im (also known as Im Taebin). History In the late 1990s, YG CE ...
's
Teddy Park Teddy Park (born Park Hong-jun on September 14, 1978), is a Korean–American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Park moved to the United States with his family as a young child. When he was 17 years old, P ...
,
Yang Hyun Suk Yang Hyun-suk (born January 9, 1970) is a South Korean music executive, rapper, dancer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame as a member of Seo Taiji and Boys during the 1990s. After the group disbanded, he founded and became the Ex ...
, Kush, and his fellow member
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 ...
.According to the credits on the album's jacket. Moving beyond the hip-hop genre of Big Bang, Taeyang incorporated mainly R&B songs into his album, stating that it was his "main focus". He expressed disappointment with the album, however, admitting that he did not write any of the songs. He later stated that he would do so in the future to fully express and incorporate his thoughts and ideas into his music. The EP produced two singles: "Only Look at Me" (Korean: 나만 바라봐, Revised Romanization: ''Naman Barabwa''), an R&B song written by Teddy and Kush, and "Prayer (Korean: 기도; Revised Romanization: ''Gido'')" which featured Teddy. Promotional videos were shot for both. In support of his album, he also staged his first solo concert, the ''Hot Concert Series''. Taeyang later received two awards from the 7th
Korean Music Awards The Korean Music Awards () is an annual South Korean music awards show that honors both mainstream and underground musical artists from a variety of genres. Unlike other major South Korean music awards, which largely rely on record sales to det ...
: Best R&B/Soul Song for "Only Look at Me" and Best R&B/Soul Album for ''Hot''. Throughout the majority of 2009, Taeyang contributed to his group's activities. After promotional activities ended, he went back to the studio to record new solo materials. Two digital singles were released: "Where U At" and "
Wedding Dress A wedding dress or bridal gown is the dress worn by the bride during a wedding ceremony. The color, style and ceremonial importance of the gown can depend on the religion and culture of the wedding participants. In Western cultures and Anglo-Sa ...
" with promotional videos. The latter single ranked number three on an online music poll for a Dutch radio station. Taeyang's first full-length album '' Solar'' was released in July 2010 in two versions: a "Regular Edition" and a "Deluxe Edition". The regular edition contained eleven songs while the deluxe edition, limited to only 30,000 copies, had 13 songs, including "Only Look at Me" and "Prayer" from ''Hot''. The "Deluxe Edition" sold out on the first day of release. Two singles were released for promotions: " I Need a Girl" and " I'll Be There". In ''Solar'', Taeyang contributed to its production; composing, co-writing four songs ("Solar", "Where U At", "Wedding Dress", and "Take It Slow") and writing lyrics for "Take It Slow". Taeyang won the "Best Male Artist" award at the 2010
Mnet Asian Music Awards The MAMA Awards (formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ E&M. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes has been won by K-pop artists, although there are other As ...
. Both the regular and the deluxe versions peaked at the number one position on the
Gaon Album Chart The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Korea based on their Record sales, pure sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, pr ...
.


2013–2016: ''Rise'', first world tour and collaborations

Taeyang took two years to record new materials and participate in promotional activities with Big Bang for their Korean EPs ''Tonight'' (2011) and ''Alive'' (2012) as well as the Japanese studio album ''Alive'' (2012). When activities wrapped up, he turned his focus back to preparing for his second studio album. The single "
Ringa Linga "Ringa Linga" (Korean: 링가 링가) is a song recorded by South Korean singer Taeyang. It was released as a digital single on November 8, 2013, through YG Entertainment. Later, it became the first single to be released from his second studio alb ...
" was released in November 2013, preceding his second album ''Rise'' (2014). While he utilized the help of
Teddy Park Teddy Park (born Park Hong-jun on September 14, 1978), is a Korean–American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. Born in Seoul, South Korea, Park moved to the United States with his family as a young child. When he was 17 years old, P ...
, G-Dragon, and Choice37, Taeyang also involved himself with its production, producing six tracks. ''Rise'' became the third highest charting K-pop album, and also the highest charting K-pop album by a solo artist on the ''Billboard''
charts A chart (sometimes known as a graph) is a graphical representation for data visualization, in which "the data is represented by symbols, such as bars in a bar chart, lines in a line chart, or slices in a pie chart". A chart can represent tabul ...
, reaching 112 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 200 while topping the ''Billboard'' World Albums Chart and ''Heatseekers'' Albums Chart, selling 3,000 copies. In Japan, the album ranked at number two, with 48,000 units sold. Taeyang released another two singles to promote the album: "
Eyes, Nose, Lips "Eyes, Nose, Lips" is a song recorded by South Korean singer Taeyang, serving as the second single for his second studio album ''Rise'' (2014). It was written by Teddy and Taeyang. The song peaked atop the Gaon Digital Chart and the K-pop Hot 1 ...
" and " 1AM." The former became his first chart topper on the
Gaon Digital Chart The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based o ...
while the latter peaked at number seven. The choreography for "Ringa Linga" spawned numerous covers on the video-sharing website YouTube, while "Eyes Nose Lips" was covered by various celebrities, including label-mates
Akdong Musician AKMU ( ko, 악뮤), also known as Akdong Musician ( ko, 악동뮤지션), is a South Korean sibling duo consisting of Lee Chan-hyuk and Lee Su-hyun who debuted under YG Entertainment in April 2014 with studio album ''Play'' after winning SBS' ...
,
Tablo Daniel Armand Lee (Korean: Lee Seon-woong; Hangul: 이선웅; born July 22, 1980), better known by his stage name Tablo (Hangul: 타블로), is a Korean-Canadian hip hop recording artist, lyricist, composer and record producer. Tablo is best k ...
, Lydia Paek as well as Korean singer
Eric Nam Eric Nam (; born November 17, 1988) is an American singer, songwriter, and television personality based in South Korea. Since his debut in 2013, he was named ''GQ Koreas Man of the Year in 2016'','' included on ''Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia ...
and Canadian pop star
Michael Bublé Michael Steven Bublé ( ; born September 9, 1975) is a Canadian singer. A four-time Grammy Award winner, he is often credited for helping to renew public interest and appreciation for traditional pop standards and the Great American Songboo ...
. Comedian
Yoo Jae-suk Yoo Jae-suk (; or ; born on 14 August 1972) is a South Korean comedian, host and television personality. He has hosted several variety television shows in South Korea, including ''Infinite Challenge'', '' Running Man'', '' Happy Together, and ...
also parodied it on the popular variety program ''
Infinite Challenge ''Infinite Challenge'' (; abbreviated as ''Mudo'') is a South Korean television entertainment program, distributed and syndicated by MBC, that ran from 2005 to 2018. As of January 2013, it had the largest market share for its timeslot; with ...
''. "Eyes, Nose, Lips" was the second best-performing single of 2014 in South Korea. Taeyang then embarked on the Rise World Tour in support of the album, visiting 9 countries and 16 cities in Asia beginning in August 2014. The tour concluded in early 2015 with an attendance of over 100,000 fans. At the 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards, Taeyang won Best Male Artist, Best Vocal Performance and Song of the Year for "Eyes, Nose, Lips". Taeyang
collaborated Collaboration (from Latin ''com-'' "with" + ''laborare'' "to labor", "to work") is the process of two or more people, entities or organizations working together to complete a task or achieve a goal. Collaboration is similar to cooperation. Most ...
with G-Dragon in November 2014 to release the song " Good Boy" for YG Entertainment's new hip hop
project A project is any undertaking, carried out individually or collaboratively and possibly involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular goal. An alternative view sees a project managerially as a sequence of even ...
. The song received positive reviews, with ''Fuse'' naming it one of best songs of the year, and debuted at the number one position on ''Billboard'''s World Digital Songs chart, the third time a Korean act topped the list and the first for a male group. The music video on YouTube currently boasts over 300 million views. For two years from 2015 to 2016, Taeyang toured extensively with his band for their third Korean album, performing for over 3.6 million fans in two years. In 2015, Taeyang participated in the biennial ''Infinite Challenge'' music festival, with bandmate G-Dragon. The duo teamed up with ZE:A's
Hwang Kwanghee Hwang Kwang-hee (Hangul: 황광희; Hanja: 黃光熙; born August 25, 1988), also known mononymously as Kwanghee, is South Korean singer, actor, and TV personality. He debuted in 2010 as a member of the boy band ZE:A. He is also known for his a ...
and released the single "Mapsosa", which peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart. The same year, he appeared on
Mnet M-Net (an abbreviation of Electronic Media Network) is a South African pay television channel established by Naspers in 1986. The channel broadcasts both local and international programming, including general entertainment, children's series, ...
's '' Show Me The Money'' as a featured singer on labelmate
Song Min-ho Song Min-ho (; born March 30, 1993), better known by the stage name Mino, is a South Korean rapper, actor and producer. After a stint in the two-year ballad group BoM from 2011 to 2013, he joined YG Entertainment, leading to his debut in 2014 wi ...
's single "Fear", composed by Zico during the semi-finals which became one of the best-selling singles of the year.


2017–present: ''White Night'' and second world tour and mandatory military service

In January 2017, YG Entertainment announced that Taeyang is working on his new album, alongside solo concerts. Taeyang commenced his second world tour, White Night, with stadium concerts in Japan. The first two shows were held at Chiba Marine Stadium and were attended by 50,000 people, which was followed by two shows at
Kobe Sports Park Baseball Stadium or officially Hotto Motto Field Kobe is a baseball park in Kobe Sports Park, Kobe, Japan. It is primarily used for baseball, and is one of two home fields for the Orix Buffaloes, the other being the Kyocera Dome Osaka. The stadium also occas ...
. The tour is set to visit 19 cities around the world, including stops in North America, with concerts in eight cities across
Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
and the
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Taeyang's third studio album, '' White Night'', was released on August 16, 2017, with dual lead singles " Darling" and " Wake Me Up". "Darling" became a Top 10 hit on the
Gaon Digital Chart The Circle Digital Chart, previously known as the Gaon Digital Chart, is the music industry standard record chart ranking the 200 most popular singles in South Korea. It provides rankings on a weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, which is based o ...
while "Wake Me Up" managed to chart at number five on ''
Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''s
World Digital Songs The World Digital Song Sales chart (formerly World Digital Songs) is a weekly record chart compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by '' Billboard'' magazine. Established in 2010—with the issue dated January 23—as one of 21 genre-specific ...
. Additionally, the album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard''s World Digital Albums, and remained the following week atop this chart, making Taeyang the second solo K-Pop artist to have an album do so. In South Korea's
Gaon Album Chart The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Korea based on their Record sales, pure sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, pr ...
, the album peaked at number three, with over 57,000 copies sold in August. On September, it was announced that Taeyang will appear on the upcoming
JTBC JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTBC ...
survival audition program ''Mix Nine'' as a judge. Taeyang was revealed as one of the cast members of
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's new variety program, ''Livin' the'' ''Double Life'', along with CL and
Oh Hyuk Oh Hyuk (Hangul: 오혁, stylised OHHYUK, born October 5, 1993) is a South Korean singer and musician best known as the lead vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter of indie rock band Hyukoh. Background Born in South Korea, Oh moved to ...
. Taeyang began his 21 months of
mandatory military service Conscription (also called the draft in the United States) is the state-mandated enlistment of people in a national service, mainly a military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it continues in some countries to the present day un ...
on March 12, 2018, by entering the 6th Infantry Division's boot camp in
Cheorwon Cheorwon County (''Cheorwon-gun'' ), also spelled Chorwon, is a county in Gangwon Province, South Korea. It is located right next to the border with North Korea. History *Goguryeo - First named ''Moeuldongbi''. *Silla Dynasty - name changed to ...
, Gangwon Province as an active duty soldier. He was discharged on November 10, 2019, along with fellow Big Bang member, Daesung.


Artistry

Just like the rest of Big Bang, Taeyang stands out for "how serious he is about his craft and artistry," in opposition to the rest of the "manufactured confines of K-pop." Through his older brother, Taeyang met pop music at the age of six, with the music of American singer
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
, since then he has developed his musical interest mainly influenced by genres
soul In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being". Etymology The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
and R&B. However, he became mainly an R&B singer and dancer, but is also known for fusing hip-hop, soul, and EDM with R&B in his solo albums. ''
Dazed ''Dazed'' (''Dazed & Confused'' until February 2014) is a bi-monthly British style magazine founded in 1991. It covers music, fashion, film, art, and literature. Dazed is published by Dazed Media, an independent media group known for producing ...
'' claimed that his sound absorbs "style influences from punk to rap and twinning current underground R&B to his native, hyper-sonic pop music", while
Allmusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
described his material as "smart, hip-hop-flavored pop." Additionally, ''Billboard'' called him one of South Korea's "rare R&B stars." For his second album ''Rise'' (2014), Taeyang stated that while "R&B and hip-hop are a given," "there is also electronic, ballad, and rock," hoping to blend genres like
Kanye West Ye ( ; born Kanye Omari West ; June 8, 1977) is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, and fashion designer. Born in Atlanta and raised in Chicago, West gained recognition as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records in the ea ...
. Taeyang lists Miguel,
Frank Ocean Christopher Francis "Frank" Ocean (born Christopher Edwin Breaux; October 28, 1987), is an American singer, songwriter, and rapper. His works are noted by music critics for featuring avant-garde styles and introspective, elliptical lyrics. Ocean ...
,
The Weeknd Abel Makkonen Tesfaye (born February 16, 1990), known professionally as the Weeknd, is a Canadian singer, songwriter, record producer, and actor. Known for his sonic versatility and dark lyricism, his music explores escapism, Romance (love), ...
and
Michael Jackson Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
as his biggest influences, in particular the latter's album ''Xscape''. Lyrically, he is known as a "specialist in love songs". His debut single, "Only Look at Me", narrates a selfish relationship, while in "I Need A Girl" he describes his ideal type. Taeyang's voice is highly praised for its tone. Korean critic Kim Young-dae called his timbre "luxurious and one you couldn't find before him," noting that "instead of giving off a mechanically trained and cold aura that other idols usually exhibit, he has a warm and full emotional range." In 2015, Taeyang was voted the third best K-Pop male vocalist by music industry officials. He was described as a "feline" and ferocious live performer by ''
The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...
''. Once described to have "moves like
Chris Brown Christopher Maurice Brown (born May 5, 1989) is an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and actor. According to '' Billboard'', Brown is one of the most successful R&B singers of his generation, having often been referred to by many contempo ...
ndsmooth vocals like Miguel," ''
The Straits Times ''The Straits Times'' is an English-language daily broadsheet newspaper based in Singapore and currently owned by SPH Media Trust (previously Singapore Press Holdings). ''The Sunday Times'' is its Sunday edition. The newspaper was established ...
'' highlighted "his vocal prowess and sex appeal" as the best traits of his performances, and claimed that his free-styled moves show off "why he is often crowned the dancing king of K-pop." A review of his first solo tour stated that:


Personal life


Beliefs and relationships

Taeyang is a devout Christian with multiple faith-inspired tattoos, including a large Christian Cross on his right rib cage and a mural-style tattoo across his shoulder blades depicting Jesus Christ on the cross, a centrally placed Christian Cross, and Jesus risen from the dead. He has been in a relationship with actress
Min Hyo-rin Min Hyo-rin (; born Jung Eun-ran on 5 February 1986) is a South Korean actress, model and singer. Career Born in Daegu as Jung Eun-ran, she adopted the stage name Min Hyo-rin when she began modeling for the clothing brand Flapper in 2006. Sh ...
since 2013. In December 2017, it was confirmed by their respective agencies that they planned to marry in February 2018. On February 3, 2018, Taeyang and Min married in a private ceremony with family and friends, officiated by actor
Ki Tae-young Ki Tae-young (born Kim Yong-woo on December 9, 1978) is a South Korean actor. Ki made his acting debut in 1997, and went on to play leading roles in the television dramas ''Creating Destiny ''Creating Destiny'' (; lit: ''Creating Relations'') ...
. On September 27, 2021, it was reported that his wife, Min Hyo-rin was pregnant and expecting the couple's first child. Later that same day, her agency confirmed that she is indeed pregnant and is happily waiting to give birth soon. On December 6, 2021, media outlets revealed that Min recently gave birth to their first child. Later that same day, YG has confirmed that Min has delivered a baby safely and healthy.


Endorsements and philanthropy

In 2017, Taeyang started endorsing auto maker
Lexus is the luxury vehicle division of the Japanese automaker Toyota. The Lexus brand is marketed in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide and is Japan's largest-selling make of premium cars. It has ranked among the 10 largest Japanese ...
, becoming the brand's Korean ambassador for their newest model LC500h, composing and writing the lyrics for the promotional song "So Good", which was released in May. Taeyang partnered with Italian fashion house
Fendi Fendi () is an Italian high-end luxury fashion house producing fur, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, fragrances, eyewear, timepieces and accessories. Founded in Rome in 1925, Fendi is known for its fur, fur accessories, and leather goods. ...
to design an exclusive capsule collection line "Fendi for Taeyang" which features an array of T-shirts, hoodies, jackets, accessories and sneakers - with Taeyang's signature daisy-shaped motifs and positive words like, "Faith", "Grace", "Saved", and "Passion". The collection is set to debut in Hong Kong on July 27 with the prices ranging from $447-$9,490. In 2010, a part of Taeyang's income of albums, goods, tickets and digital music sales went for donation as a part of ''With'' campaign 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 ...
. Taeyang's fans donated IS$5,180 on May 15, 2014, under Taeyang's name to ''The May 18 Memorial Foundation'' in celebration of his birthday. The following year, they donated water wells to help provide clean water to communities in need in the Southeast Asian countries of Cambodia and Myanmar, they have been donating what they named as "Taeyang's water" for three straight years through the international charity organization Worldshare.


Achievements

Throughout his career, Taeyang has sold an estimated 10 million records, making him one of the best-selling male South Korean R&B artists. On November 23, 2010, Taeyang was presented with an award for his contribution to pop culture at the 2010 Korea Popular Culture and Arts Award Ceremony held by the South Korean
Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism (MCST) is a central government agency responsible for the areas of tourism, culture, art, religion, and sports. It has two vice ministers, three assistant ministers, one commission, and ...
. In 2017, he was appointed as an honorary ambassador for the
2018 Winter Olympics , nations = 93 , athletes = 2,922 (1,680 men and 1,242 women) , events = 102 in 7 sports (15 disciplines) , opening = , closing = , opened_by = President Moon Jae-in , cauldron = Kim Yun-a , stadium = Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium , winte ...
in
Pyeongchang Pyeongchang (; in full, ''Pyeongchang-gun'' ; ) is a county in the province of Gangwon-do, South Korea, located in the Taebaek Mountains region. It is home to several Buddhist temples, including Woljeongsa. It is about east southeast of Seou ...
, being one of the Hallyu stars tasked with extolling the virtues of South Korea for the world. Taeyang has earned two
Golden Disc Awards The Golden Disc Awards (, formerly spelled the Golden Disk Awards before 2015) is an annual South Korean major music awards ceremony that honors achievements in the local music industry. The awards ceremony was founded with the purpose to promo ...
, three
Korean Music Awards The Korean Music Awards () is an annual South Korean music awards show that honors both mainstream and underground musical artists from a variety of genres. Unlike other major South Korean music awards, which largely rely on record sales to det ...
, including Male Musician of the Year by Netizen Vote in 2011, three Melon Music Awards and four
Mnet Asian Music Awards The MAMA Awards (formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ E&M. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes has been won by K-pop artists, although there are other As ...
. His song "Eyes, Nose, Lips", released in 2014, won Song of the Year in all major Korean awards, including
Gaon Chart Music Awards The Circle Chart Music Awards (), formerly known as the Gaon Chart Music Awards, are a major music awards ceremony that is presented annually in South Korea by the Korea Music Content Association primarily based on the commercial performance of t ...
, Golden Disc Awards, Melon Music Awards, and
Mnet Asian Music Awards The MAMA Awards (formerly Mnet Asian Music Awards) is a major music awards ceremony presented annually by entertainment company CJ E&M. First held in South Korea, the majority of prizes has been won by K-pop artists, although there are other As ...
, making him the first R&B solo artist to do so. The release of his first full-length album, '' Solar'', was the first K-Pop music release to be sold worldwide on
iTunes iTunes () is a software program that acts as a media player, media library, mobile device management utility, and the client app for the iTunes Store. Developed by Apple Inc., it is used to purchase, play, download, and organize digital mul ...
as both an audio and video album. The audio version hit iTunes stores on August 19, 2010, while the video version arrived by September 10, 2010. His second album ''
Rise Rise or RISE may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * '' Rise: The Vieneo Province'', an internet-based virtual world * Rise FM, a fictional radio station in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto 3'' * Rise Kujikawa, a vide ...
'' is debuting at number 112 on Billboard 200 chart.


Discography

* '' Solar'' (2010) * ''
Rise Rise or RISE may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Fictional entities * '' Rise: The Vieneo Province'', an internet-based virtual world * Rise FM, a fictional radio station in the video game ''Grand Theft Auto 3'' * Rise Kujikawa, a vide ...
'' (2014) * '' White Night'' (2017)


Tours

* Rise World Tour (2014–15) * White Night World Tour (2017)


Filmography


Television


Notes


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Taeyang 1988 births Living people Big Bang (South Korean band) members Daejin University alumni South Korean male dancers South Korean hip hop singers South Korean male idols South Korean male singers South Korean pop singers South Korean male television actors YG Entertainment artists South Korean Christians MAMA Award winners Korean Music Award winners Grand Prize Golden Disc Award recipients 21st-century South Korean singers Gwangcheon Dong clan Melon Music Award winners