A Letter of a Korean VIP

Are you worried about their sales, reputation, public image, endorsement contracts and commercial deals? If you answered yes to any of these, you are underestimating Big Bang. I understand why you would. After all, you are in another country. You did not see them at their peak. You did not experience the “Big Bang explosion.” You were not a part of us. You are neither a Korean VIP nor a citizen of our country.

But I am not belittling you. As a matter of fact, I thank you because you know Big Bang. You talk about them on Twitter, Facebook, and Allkpop, and for that, they were able to perform and visit Bangkok, Singapore City, Kuala Lumpur, Tokyo, New York, Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and Belfast. If not for you and your support, our dear boys would not have travelled the world with their music. Thank you with all my heart. I really thank you.

I thank you, yes. But I would also like to explain something to you. What you read online, what you think you know, they maybe true but not accurate at all. If some people are scaring you that our people are murdering YG Entertainment and Big Bang with their words, don’t let that fool you. Words are just words. Words, most of the time, is not money. Internet is just a silly place of whatever. Hater-infested Nate, Dispatch, or Enews articles aren’t going to put an end to the career of our five national idols.

We have known Jiyong and Youngbae when they were just preteens who had no money, no food, and only had cute smiles and pride. We grew up together. We rode the Seoul Subway with them after practice. We watched them perform in the parks of 마로니에 공원 and 남산. We’ve known them since we were all just fifteen, thinking life was so easy. But I’m not saying we are friends, because we are not. We are just loyal fans and all I’m saying is, we’ve known them even before they built their houses in Chungdamdong or bought their Audis and Bentleys. We didn’t like them with their golden packages. We became fans because we saw their passion, pursuit, and patience to become artists. And they did become succesful on a national level, that’s why we are very proud.

I was seventeen when I met Seunghyun oppa, Daesung, Hyunseung, and Seunghyun. They were very different. I didn’t see among the four of them the raw talent and passion I admired in Jiyong and Youngbae. I felt like they had it easy. It took a while for our movement to realize that like our idols, these four young men were just searching for their dreams. As the months passed by, we saw that both Jiyong and Youngbae grew attached to the four, and like brothers, they had a very admirable and powerful bond. They exuded the energy of determined dreamers, of fighters, of a family. Jiyong and Seunghyun oppa always joked around, Youngbae and Hyunseung always rode the bus together, but Daesung and Seunghyun took a while to be closer. However, it was only a matter of time for our movement to see that just like the other two, Jiyong and Youngbae also treasured them dearly. I loved all of them even more, and each and everyday, my admiration for them increases.

I am writing these long and plentiful paragraphs to relay to you what we, Korean VIPs, are feeling. I am not speaking for all of us, but I can tell you for sure that what I will say is in the mind of most of us. We want you to see what we’re seeing, to listen to what we’re hearing, to read what we are knowing, to understand what is happening, and to regain your faith and strong pride in the name of Big Bang.
Throughout the years, there have been hundreds of idols that debuted in this small business. At the peak of album sales, almost 30 million albums would be sold in a year, and only about 2 million of that would be from an idol group, and just one group at that time — Seo Taiji and Boys. At the end of the last millenium, tons of groups came to light, and SM Entertainment managed to monopolize the teenagers. I don’t know how to explain it in a global scale. Let’s just say that in the past, no one gave a damn about 13-year old singers, but Disney and RBMG hit gold with Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber. Well, SM Entertainment hit the jackpot with H.O.T, Shinhwa, and S.E.S. Then they hit it further with BoA and DBSK. Other companies further stroke the iron. DSP Media with Fin.K.L, Sechs Kies, and Lee Hyori; JYP Entertainment with g.o.d and Rain; and YG Entertainment with 1tym and Se7en. It was like a wide-scale machinery — every year we would produce idols after idols after idols.

There are hundreds of idols in this industry. Namjagreup, yojeagreup, namjagasu, yeojagasu, ahyidol, hundreds of them. But few of them really mattered to the wide variety of people. But of the millions of them all, I can only provide you with few names of idols who really mattered, who really shone the brightest, who really had impact and influence to our culture, who really turned around the people and the game, who really set new trends, who people actually know and care about.

• S.E.S became our national role models. They were a role model to our youth with their clean music and inspirational messages, and the old wanted them to be their daughters.
• Fin.K.L became our national rebels. They projected strong females who fought for their dreams, and their messages was well-received by our youth and our parents.
• BoA became our national idol. She was the ultimate inspiration to our young dreamers, and every parent wanted a daughter like her.
• Lee Hyori became our national fairy. Her music and dance inspired our youth, while her charisma and attitude endeared her to our old. Like a fairy, she brought light in our darkest days.
• Ivy became our national syndrome. Her sex appeal was something unseen of, and her forward image had actually caused a national syndrome.
• Wonder Girls became our national sisters. Their freshness and innocence influenced our youth, and entertained all our old men or women.
• Girls’ Generation became our national idol girl group. They set all kinds of legendary records, and their music and beauty is widely admired among every kind of our people.
• IU became our national little sister. Her innocence and soft voice is a quality that everyone likes, and all her songs are very popular among every one.

H.O.T, Sechs Kies, Shinhwa, 1TYM, g.o.d, DBSK, SG Wannabe, SS501, Super Junior, SHINee, and 2PM. For years, we have seen uniformed men with robotic movements debut and create ruckus among female teenagers. I admit I am one of them. They have made a small niche among the minority of preteens, teens, and young adults — all female. They have perfected the art of seduction, obsessions, fanaticism, devotion, and loyalty. Their good looks, costumes, hair styles, dance moves, bodies, heights, and their either effeminate or beastly nature have locked up the support of a sure niche. There’s nothing wrong with male idol groups, because just as sure as the United States will support Twilight and Europe will support Harry Potter. Female youth will support male idol groups.

But none of them created an impact. None of them were catapulted to national ranks. None of them set any kind of new trends. None of them veered away from the formulaic ratio of good looks, dance moves, and pop music. Well, g.o.d did it for a while, but after two hit songs, they just couldn’t go further than a one-hit-wonder. It’s JYP’s fault because Rain stole their thunder.

None of our male idols created anything to even matter to the South Korean people who are not 18 and are not female. For years, female idols stole everything, from no. 1 song, to fashion, to television ratings, to radio airplay, to news headlines, to syndromes, to popularity surveys, to national status. All male idols locked in their hands were album sales and female fan bases. Up until now, male idols have dominated the album sales and fandom, but female idols have always reigned on public image, popularity, and other avenues of sales.

South Korea has an unfair stigma for male idols – robotic, manufactured, cheesy, shallow, unrealistic, no substance. I guess that stigma stems from such high honors and pedestal we put on our male musical artists. We have a set of higher standards for male singers because of legends such as Jo Yongpil, Lee Seungchul, the Yoon Doohyun Band, and Seo Taiji and Boys. These are strings of musical acts, not manufactured idols, who have become such important cultural figures in our society, that such male idols who debuted seemed like little stars compared to the sun like our legendary male singers. This is why Rain, amidst being an idol, shone among our public. Not since Seo Taiji and Boys have we even cared for an idol. But ten years after, there came a male singer who became our national pride. Rain appeared in television and movies and spearheaded the maintenance of Hallyu. He was such a catalyst to the spread of our culture, that even if he wasn’t as musically talented as Lee Seungchul or Kim Gunmo, the Korean society viewed him as a world star. Not since the strings of male singers I mentioned above have we cared for male performer, and an idol at that, on a national scale.

Rain became our national star. He is our world star, and he became such an integral star among the nation, not because of his music, but because of his international achievements.

But still, with the list of all the national idols I have mentioned, there seems to be one type of singer missing — a male group. The high and double standards continued, because up until the peak of boy groups such as DBSK and SS501, people from different walks of life did not give even a tiny rat’s ass for these male groups much like how my grandma knew Fin.K.L’s songs, my friend’s parents sang to the Wonder Girls, my uncles admired Lee Hyori, the ahjussi who drove the bus danced to Girls’ Generation, and the ahjummas selling ddeokbokki wanted their sons to marry IU.

No care at all.

Not until 2007, when the universe exploded with what would be known as the “Big Bang.”

 

In 2007, our country was still recovering from the Lee Hyori and Bi syndrome. We had high regards for solo singers as they ruled our society’s entertainment. As DBSK’s fanbase among female youth strenghtened, Lee Hyori and Bi were embraced by other demographics outside the female gender and the teenage. Epik High was making waves among music lovers as they offered hip-hop to mainstream light. Ivy was creating a national syndrome with “Sonata of Temptation.” Super Junior and SS501 were trying really, really, really, and I mean really hard. There’s just no room for a male idol group for the public. No room at all.

But as we waited outside YG Entertainment for almost every night of April to July, we still gave our utmost support and loyalty to Big Bang. We cheered them on, even if the odds were against them. There’s very little of us female teenagers, because most female teens were already at the mercy of DBSK. Our fan cafe was only in the 50,000 number, and as they ended “Dirty Cash” promotions, that number decreased by the day. Daesung would always joke around saying, “Don’t leave us girls! So many of you have left and went to FT Island, stay with us. Please.” And Seungri would often tease us, “Is it because Jun Suhyung and DBSK are in Japan that’s why you’re here?” They played with jokes, but we knew that in the heart of these boys, they were really worried because there’s very few of us taking them seriously.

We stayed through the fall, the rain, the heat. Our movement stayed by their side as they prepared for their album. We were expecting another single from them, and there were press released about how Jiyong and Seunghyun oppa helped in the album production. If you looked at the internet responses to these news, people were very cruel. No one believed when it was reported that Jiyong and Seunghyun oppa wrote their own songs. Everyone was crucifying the group. Hormonal girls call them “DBSK wannabes,” “ugly dogs,” “short and wannabe idols,” “lying try-hards,” “almost idols,” and that’s almost because according to many, they were “too ugly to be an idol.” Most of the Daum articles were flooded with such negative comments. It made our heart ache, and there’s nothing we could do but camp outside their doors and show them that even if the internet is infested with evil haters, we were always by their side. For every single press release for the “Always” album, there were 800 harsh taunts, and 200 positive remarks. We didn’t even have the guts to defend and protect them from those cruel netizens.

And as the D-Day neared, YG Entertainment began spreading words that this next album from Big Bang would be a mini-album, the first of its kind. It was sold in a unique price that was unheard of (10,000 won compared to an 8,000 won single and a 13,000 won album). It also contained just six songs, a first of its kind (compared to a single’s three tracks and a studio album’s ten tracks). They gave us big words such as, “This will be a trendsetter,” “We will create a new beginning to the Korean music,” “Big Bang will revolutionize the idol music.” We, the fans, were so hyped up, and at the same time, worried. YG Entertainment was bringing promises again — promises that baited the haters. “You told us before you would bring us Seo Taiji, but instead this is a lifeless dragon,” and “Yang Hyunseok with his try-hard promises again.” Only a very tiny little portion of this society, and a tiny little portion of that tiny little portion being the teenage female fans, believed in Big Bang. What was their future? We, along with Big Bang and YG Entertainment, just hoped for the best.

Then the D-Day came. August 17th, 10:00 AM, the entire mini-album was released digitally in all major music sites, and the albums dropped in the retail stores. What would have been history wasn’t felt during the first few days of release. “Lies” entered the Top 15 on its first three days, and that was already a huge achievement for a male idol group. DBSK and SS501 couldn’t even manage to be on the Top 20, and for Big Bang to penetrate the Top 15, we celebrated like crazy! Top 15 within just three days! VIPs rejoiced because that meant that the general public really liked the song.

That was the first sign of what would become a life-changing success for Big Bang. When they peaked at #14 in Melon, and #15 in Mnet, we thought that was the best it could go. But no, because critics and online reviews became the catalysts of this overwhelming success.

Reviews came in as early as the second day, and none of the critics had anything bad to say about it. None at all. Kim Jiho, a noted music critic from The Seoul Times said, “Surprisingly, leader-penned tracks “Lies” and “Oh, Ma Baby” are the strongest tracks of the newly rebirthed form mini-album. “Always” is a blend of pop and rock with hip-hop undertones that is uniquely Big Bang and has never been heard before.” Chosun Ilbo called G-Dragon the future of idol music, Korea Herald coined the album “a surprising twist that branches out from the predictable music for this generation of sloppy boy band songs — if you call that music at all.” The traditional and online print media was suddenly infested with critical rave and universal praise for “Always.”

During the next weeks, at least two to three newspapers and magazines would review the album and praise its title song, “Lies.” When Big Bang came back in Inkigayo and Music Core, online query for search terms related to Big Bang jumped almost 2000% according to Daum news. The hater-infested internet was suddenly filled with casual netizens who just merely commented about how wonderful and how fantastic “Lies” and the album, were. By the time Big Bang performed in Music Bank for their comeback on August 26th, “Lies” had already achieved a perfect all-kill status in all major Korean charts on its sixth day of release. Music Bank told VIPs the next week that Big Bang’s comeback stage increased the ratings by 6%, the highest or all six music shows that time for that year. Only on its second week of release, Big Bang, the song “Lies,” and the album “Always,” has already reigned supreme among the critics and the online society.

No one would have thouht that these nobodies could rise to the top with such an experimental form of album. Big Bang did what Super Junior or SS501 miserably failed to do, and not even DBSK could — bring a male idol group song at the top of the charts and make the general public actually know and sing their song. Suddenly, the nobodies became the breakout stars of the moment. Big Bang was very much celebrated the entire month of September. YG Entertainment staged guerilla concerts in many malls and universities. They reached out to the people and established the fandom of teenagers. By the middle of September, Nate, Daum, Naver, Google, Cyworld, and all search engines in South Korea were filled with Big Bang. This is all without a television program appearance outside of music shows.

On September 7th, Big Bang won their first ever mutizen award and celebrated with all of us in their headquarters. A month ago, we were crying because nobody believed YG Entertainment’s press releases, and one month forward our group had no rest with all the special fan seats in all kinds of festivals, concerts, guerilla performances, and music shows. Suddenly, Big Bang had 14 high school and university appearances in just two months. It was not just Big Bang who was busy, VIPs were also going to their events to support them left and right.

The next three months was a roller coaster ride. For seven consecutive weeks, “Lies” was the no. 1 song in the entire country. It received huge airplay in radio and television broadcast shows, dramas, variety, and talk shows used “Lies” as their background music. They were the very first rookie group to achieve such a feat since Seo Taiji and Boys. Television and the internet catapulted the song to instant fame. By the middle of September, students and professors, vendors and buyers, lawyers and crimnals, mothers and children, fishermen, bus drivers, little kids, old men, and women sang, “I’m so sorry but I love you da geojitmal, iyamorasseo ijeya arasseo naega pirhyohae!” South Korea caught the “Lies syndrome.” And above all, pop culture critics and bloggers took notice of the group’s fashion. It was early September when online posts about Jiyong’s scarves collection and the boys’ ever-hanging high-top sneakers populated all sorts of boards. Daesung’s open chest top, T.O.P’s shades, Seungri’s sleeveless top and Taeyang’s hats were featured in all sorts of magazine articles.

By October, if you walk through Seoul subway and malls, you will encounter at least two teenage boys every minute wearing a Big Bang look. Walking in the malls would tell you easily that Big Bang did not just affect teenage girls, but even the boys. What’s more interesting was, Big Bang suddenly populated the background music of Korean online role playing games, which further connected Big Bang’s music to the young men. Young girls wanted Big Bang to be their boyfriends, but young boys wanted to be like Big Bang. The music video and the music performances were repeatedly aired in public places, popularizing not just the song but the group’s fashion, too. In a span of two months, without overly appearing in broadcast shows, only doing live performances and television performances for the general public, South Korea took interest in the music and career of G-Dragon, T.O.P, Taeyang, Daesung, and Seungri.

Big Bang was only dethroned by the arrival of “Tell Me,” which took the top spot by early October and stayed there for eight weeks. Which really catapulted the group to sudden celebrity status? Upon the release of “Lies” and the album, online tonality and content about Big Bang changed, and the haters-filled sites was then ruled by new armies of VIPs. It was totally amazing. Was it because of the airplay or the mutizen awards? Was it because of the no. 1 song? No. It all started with the music’s quality. Upon release, critics review flooded within the first two weeks, which resulted to numerous print and online articles that led to people’s curiosity about critics’ rave. Good music, great reviews, people’s curiosity which was then answered by good music resulted to the song getting at the peak. A good image and forward fashion resulted to attraction from teenage fans, which then resulted to online posts and raves about Big Bang fashion, which then resulted to magazine articles and online spaces about Big Bang’s image, which then resulted to more fans and more male and female teens idolizing their music and fashion, which then resulted to multiple airplays, which then resulted to public recognition, which then resulted to parents and grandparents taking interest in the music their kids are listening to, which then resulted to Big Bang reaching out to the entire South Korea.

Their music show performances and guerilla events only furthered their relatability to the public. Everything stemmed out of Big Bang themselves, with their music and their image and fashion, and critics and fans only took notice. Big Bang was the real star of 2007, thanks to the unbeatable and long unheard of alignment of the critics, the fans, and the general public. Above all, Big Bang had the media’s backing. Even of YG Entertainment did not send them to broadcast shows, the broadcast shows made sure to include Big Bang and “Lies” in their scripts, extras, and background music.

Just as sudden as the success, so are the hurdles. By middle of October, female groups took over again with the rise of the Wonder Girls. “Tell Me” stole the spotlight from “Lies” and created another syndrome – a syndrome arguably bigger than “Lies” and the biggest craze that K-Pop had ever seen. “Tell Me” became a national anthem, and suddenly allegations about Big Bang’s plagiarism of “Lies” took over. Just when they wrapped up their promotion for “Always,” controversies about plagiarism occured, and “Tell Me” further rose to the chart. Would Big Bang be just a one-hit wonder? And again, our hearts were filled with agony and worry. Our fifty thousand group rose to one hundred fifty, then more than how much Super Junior had, and more of us got worried.

But Big Bang came back with “Last Goobye” and “Hot Issue,” an album entirely produced and co-written by leader Jiyong. If the reviews for “Lies” and “Always” were fantastic, “Hot Issue” was triple of that! The album’s quality further put Big Bang at the fingertips of the professionals and critics. It also received thrice the critical acclaim and thrice the sales. The song immediately shot to no. 1, and the music and fashion just further propelled Big Bang to superstar status. Big Bang started appearing in broadcast shows to the clamor of the three media giants.

Towards the end of 2007, Big Bang stole back the limelight from the girl groups and had not just one, but two national songs. Big Bang and the Wonder Girls headlined all year-end festivals. Gallup, Leespiar, Nielsen, Forbes, Mnet, and all major search engines, revealed that Big Bang was recognized by Koreans of all ages, along with the Wonder Girls.

In less than a year, Big Bang set the trend for mini-albums, digital songs, and electronic music. Electronic music was popularized to its extreme. Big Bang was played all over Seoul night clubs and public places. 2007 ended with an explosion. “Last Goodbye” reigned supreme for eight weeks and proved to be another national syndrome, and the dance, and fashion.

Little kids, elementary and high school students, university students and graduates, young working adults, parents, grandmothers, they all knew who Big Bang is. If you asked the poor in Seoul, Jeolla, Daegu, Busan about their favorite singers, it’s Big Bang. If you ask the business men in Seoul city lights and skyscraper, their rich lawyers, architects, engineers, and family, they knew and listened to Big Bang. This group bridged the gap between the choices of the rich and the poor.

In 2008, Big Bang did the same, even bigger and better. The next year, the following legendary milestones happened:

• Seoul Gayo Daesang, an award that locked Big Bang to the highest pedestal of idolatry.
• “Lies” in Top 10 of Melon for a record-breaking 22 weeks. “Last Goodbye” at no. 1 for eight consecutive weeks and in the Top 10 for 19 weeks. “Haru Haru” broke all digital and airplay records. It was also no. 1 for eight weeks, and was downloaded for more than four million times, streamed 200 million times, and was the ringtone of 43% of SKT and Nate subcribers, a record to be broken for an idol group.
• Big Bang topped all year-end polls and surveys.
• Big Bang accepted five endorsement contracts, a record for a male idol group. Baskin Robbins paid an idol group 8 billion won, a price only a-list movie stars commanded. Big Bang and Baskin Robbins made waves among advertising society.
• Big Bang became the blue chip of the industry. FILA topped the asking price with 1 billion won. And LG went all the miles with 1.1 billion won, proving the high demand over the group.
• Big Bang toured the entire nation with their 6-city concert. “Global Warning” tour further enhanced Big Bang’s public image and increased anticipation.
• Big Bang’s face was plastered everywhere around Seoul and other cities, Big Bang’s music was heard everywhere, Big Bang was embraced by the whole country with any television show apperance.
• Daesung appeared in Family Outing, and up to this day, the highest-rated variety show with an idol. No other idol, aside from Yoona and Nichkhun, have ever been endeared in the hearts of the old citizens.

They did the impossible. By the end of 2008, the media coined them “the National Male Idols,” “the National Hope,” “the National Brothers.” Everything was on a national scale. No one didn’t know Big Bang. Everyone knew Big Bang. G-Dragon was conducted in the a-list, and remained to be the only idol at the time with a song book submitted in the copyright association. Big Bang was then coined as the “Most Expensive Idols.”

The year wrapped up with Big Bang in the hearts of every citizen, while DBSK came back to steal the hearts of their fan club. But that did not fool anyone. Everyone in the country would choose Big Bang over DBSK, unless they are a Cassiopeia. DBSK maybe legendary in Japan, but in South Korea, they were never as publicly recognized, loved, and honored as Big Bang. 

2009 was no joke for Big Bang. They accepted 10 endorsement contracts, earned $20 million dollars, with G-Dragon earning $12 million on his own, and still made headlines even during their hiatus. Big Bang was still unbeatable.

They did so many things, and what makes it all the more impressive was the fact that they got popular because of their self-written, self-composed, and self-produced music and trend-setting fashion, not because of their looks, dance moves, bodies or personalities. Big Bang rarely attended broadcast shows outside music shows but still maintain their status. Not even Girls’ Generation could risk not to appear on television shows. YG Entertainment just gave in to broadcast clamors by end of 2008. But overall, Big Bang propelled to the top by word of mouth, critical acclaims to their music, fashion and music that was loved by the public. They did not rub theirselves in. They were just naturally appreciated by everyone. 

And so is the main reason why when they are on a hiatus, it’s as if they get drowned with quietness. They are not the television stars, they are the idol musicians who only make news when they have something to give, and not for other reasons to expand their popularity. Never before have the public, the teenage fans, and the critics been so on terms about an idol group, and a male one at that.

Big Bang is a game changer. No one before has done such, and no one could soon do. What they have done the way they did it and the way YG Entertainment promoted them. While other idols are frequently on the television, Big Bang chose the music and popular culture route. No one else could have been on a national star with such route. Just Big Bang. Only Big Bang.

What is the point of letting you all know how Big Bang got to their national idol group status? The point is to make you see how they have become so much respected, so well-known, and so publicly embraced the way not even H.O.T, Shinhwa, g.o.d, DBSK, SS501, Super Junior, and any other boy band ever was or ever will be. Big Bang is a league of their own. No, they are not invincible. But don’t lose faith so easily. Never worry or don’t think of the worst because someone as iron clad and as wall-sturdy as Big Bang can’t be toppled by a Nate article that has 1349 negative comments. The internet is a free place, a place where fans and non-fans alike can just post anything they want. Big Bang fans are not teenagers alone, they never were just the VIPs. Everyone is their fan. Big Bang is a group patronized all throughout the country by all kinds of people of all ages.

What you think you see and what you think you read do not represent the entire public of South Korea and do not dictate Big Bang’s future. The main reason why YG Entertainment’s stock debut was more than doubled was because of Big Bang’s win in MTV Europe Music Awards and Big Bang’s financial standing all throughout this year. Big Bang is still as sturdy as ever, and you will see that in 2012.

Whenever Big Bang gets involved in any kind of controversy, they always get infested, eaten alive, asked to kill themselves or leave the country online. That’s a normal cycle of wild, uneducated netizen behavior. Big Bang was never the peefect angels like the female idols such as Girls’ Generation and IU are. Big Bang never went to the role model route. They became national idols on top of being famed alcohol drinkers and cigarette smokers. They became idol group amidst G-Dragon’s endless controversies and allegations with his cursing, tattoos, clubbing, girlfriends, and drugs. There was no good image to ruin with all these issues because they had no good image to protect in the first place. G-Dragon is the most polarizing idol in South Korea, believe me. Teens and young adults are impressed by him, but parents and old people always frown at what he does. But they still listen to him and to his music.

Why? Because they are Big Bang, the musician idols. Big Bang is nationally loved because of their music, and all the legendary and record-breaking trends they set. They are composed of members who brought in their own demographics. Daesung is so much endeared by the old people, Seungri is a hot issue for kids and teens, G-Dragon impresses the young working adults, T.O.P is respected by middle-aged adults, while Taeyang brings in the most cynical music lovers of all ages.

Big Bang is the only national male idols, along with Lee Seunggi and Rain. And among the lines of all national stars, they are probably the most dirty-imaged and most controversy-laden. To still maintain that dysfunctional status for more than four years and counting, what does that tell you?

It means that the name is very strong, very sturdy, and very firm. That’s not a reason to worry. Only worry when they get into an accident, at a health risk, at an emotional downfall, or in a civil or criminal case. But to worry over netizens’ comments about their shamelessness and inability to own up to their mistakes? That’s too shallow of a reason to doubt their name, their status, and their future. Big Bang as a group have magnetized all possible cruel and hateful online comments. They existed out of running jokes and criticisms. They were welcomed with negative remarks. Online search engines were filled and infested with anti-Big Bang comments. Before 2PM, they had the biggest amount of haters. What makes you think they are not gonna survive this?

Big Bang remains to be the only star and idol group who bridged music critics, teenage fans, and the Korean public altogether into agreeing with their choice of music and artist. Just remember that all the time, and that might give you the push you need to regain faith in these five bad boys. Remember that.

About Me: I am Cristina Kang, a member of VIP2, a 23-year old fan who was a part of the movement — a movement of fans who visited, supported, allied and protected Big Bang. I am part of the group who brought food to the five boys at 3:00 AM just to make sure they ate something during recording. I am one of those fans who provided shade and protection to the boys when they were just starting out, too unfamous for SBS or KBS to provide a good dressing room for them. I am one of the VIPs who bullied MBC Radio because they once banned Big Bang songs for five months. Yes, I am a partial VIP, and in my eyes there is no one better. But I am also aware of the reality. This is what’s happening to BIG BANG, and we are best be knowing, best be aware.

 

taken from bigbangbiased@allkpopforums