Big Bang (band) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Big Bang (band) |
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BigBang (Hangul: 빅뱅) is a famous South Korean boy band formed by YG Entertainment. The group currently has three members: G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung. They were originally a five-member group. Seungri left the group in March 2019, and T.O.P left in May 2023.
BigBang is often called the "Kings of K-pop". They helped make K-pop popular around the world. They are known for trying new things with their music and for their amazing stage shows. Many people see them as one of the most important groups in K-pop.
Their first album, BigBang Vol.1 (2006), was not a huge hit at first. But they soon became very successful with songs like "Lies". This song stayed at number one on Korean music charts for six weeks. It also won "Song of the Year" at the 2007 Mnet Km Music Festival. Other popular songs include "Last Farewell", "Haru Haru", and "Sunset Glow".
BigBang won "Artist of the Year" at the 2008 Mnet Asian Music Awards. They also released four Japanese albums. These albums, like BigBang (2009) and Alive (2012), were all certified gold in Japan.
After a break in South Korea, they came back with their EP Tonight (2011). This EP helped them win the first Best Worldwide Act Award at the 2011 MTV Europe Music Awards. Their next EP, Alive (2012), was the first Korean album to appear on the US Billboard 200 chart.
Their third studio album, Made (2016), had many hit songs. It helped them win "Artist of the Year" awards again. The tour for this album, the Made World Tour, had 1.5 million fans. This was a record for a Korean group's concert tour at the time.
BigBang has had eleven songs reach number one on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart. Their songs have also been at the top of the Melon charts for a record 51 weeks. Forbes Korea named them one of the most powerful celebrities in South Korea for many years. In 2016, they were the first Korean artists to be on the Forbes Celebrity 100 list. They were also on the 30 Under 30 list of influential musicians in 2017.
Contents
History
How BigBang Started (2000–2006)
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Before BigBang officially started, some members were already in the music world. G-Dragon and Taeyang began training with YG Entertainment when they were just eleven years old. G-Dragon later asked his childhood friend, T.O.P, to audition for the new boy group. T.O.P was already an underground rapper.
Seungri also appeared on a TV show where idol groups looked for new members. The group was first planned to have six members. This included G-Dragon, Taeyang, T.O.P, Seungri, Daesung, and Hyun-seung. Their journey was shown on TV. However, Hyun-seung left the group before their official debut. The online show about their formation was watched over a million times.
BigBang officially debuted on August 19, 2006. This happened at the YG Family 10th Anniversary Concert in Seoul. Their first single, "Bigbang", came out soon after. It included songs like "We Belong Together" and "This Love". This single sold almost 40,000 copies. Their next singles, BigBang Is V.I.P and Bigbang 03, also sold tens of thousands of copies.
In October 2006, they won the "New Artist of the Month" award. In December, they held their first concert, "The Real," for 12,000 fans. Their first full album, BigBang Vol. 1 – Since 2007 (2006), sold over 110,000 copies.
Becoming Popular and Debuting in Japan (2007–2008)
On February 8, 2007, BigBang released their live concert album. It sold 30,000 copies that year. They also went on their "Want You Tour" to support their album.
Their first EP, Always (2007), brought new changes. The members started to have more control over their music. G-Dragon wrote and composed most of the songs, including the hit "Lies". This EP also introduced electronic music to BigBang's sound. "Lies" became their first number one hit. The album sold over 120,000 copies. "Lies" stayed at the top of music charts for six weeks.
Their second EP, Hot Issue, came out in November 2007. All six songs were written by G-Dragon. The main song, "Last Farewell", was a huge success. It topped the Melon chart for eight weeks. This was the longest time a boy group's song stayed at number one. Other songs from the EP also made it into the top 10. Hot Issue sold over 120,000 copies in South Korea. They also held their "BigBang is Great" concert, and tickets sold out in 10 minutes.
The group worked very hard and sometimes needed to rest, which briefly paused their activities. Despite this, their music was very popular. They won many awards, including "Best Male Group" and "Song of The Year" for "Lies" at the 2007 Mnet Asian Music Awards. They also won "Artist of the Year" at the Seoul Music Awards. By the end of 2007, BigBang had earned about $11.5 million.
In 2007, BigBang also started performing in Japan. Their first Japanese EP, For the World (2008), reached number 10 on the Oricon chart. They also held a concert in Tokyo. After their Japanese promotions, BigBang returned to South Korea.
Their third Korean EP, Stand Up, sold over 200,000 copies. The main song, "Haru Haru", was number one for seven weeks. It became one of the most successful digital songs in South Korea, with over five million downloads.
BigBang released their first Japanese studio album, Number 1, in 2008. It reached number three on Japan's Oricon daily album chart. Their second Korean studio album, Remember (2008), had the number one song "Sunset Glow". This album sold over 200,000 copies. BigBang won their second "Artist of the Year" award at the 2008 Mnet Asian Music Awards. By the end of 2008, BigBang had earned about $34.5 million.
Solo Projects and More Success (2009–2011)
In early 2009, the members worked on their own projects. They later teamed up with 2NE1, a new girl group from their company, for the song "Lollipop". This song was used to promote a cell phone.
Their second Japanese album, Big Bang, came out in August 2009. It had two singles: "My Heaven" and "Gara Gara Go!! (ガラガラ Go!!)". Both songs did well on the Oricon Music Chart.
BigBang started 2010 with their "2010 Big Show concert" in Seoul. Then they went to Japan for their "Electric Love Tour". Their third Japanese album, Big Bang 2 (2011), reached number four on the Oricon Chart. That year, BigBang won several awards in Japan, including "Best 5 New Artists". They also won "Best Pop Video" at the MTV Video Music Awards Japan 2010.
After almost two years, BigBang returned to South Korea. They held their "2011 Big Show concert" to show songs from their new EP Tonight. The album had 10,000 pre-orders and sold 100,000 copies in one week. Critics liked the album, saying the group's music had "deepened." Seven days after its release, BigBang had already earned about $6.6 million from the album. The main song, "Tonight", became a number one hit. Other songs like "Café" and "What is Right?" also made it to the top 10.
After promoting Tonight, BigBang released a special album. It had two new songs: "Love Song", which was a chart-topper, and "Stupid Liar". Their third Japanese tour, "Love and Hope", started in May. All shows were sold out, and 100,000 fans attended.
At the 2011 MTV EMAs, BigBang won the "Best Worldwide Act" award. They received over 58 million votes. "Love Song" also won "Best Music Video" at the 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards. By the end of 2011, BigBang had earned about $69.4 million. This included money from their concerts and tours.
Global Success and First World Tour (2012–2014)
In January 2012, YG Entertainment started teasing BigBang's fifth Korean EP, Alive. It was released in February. Pre-orders for Alive reached 260,000 copies in two weeks. Three songs were released to promote the album. "Blue" was number one on all major Korean charts. "Bad Boy" reached number two. "Fantastic Baby" reached number three. The music video for "Fantastic Baby" became the band's most popular. It received over 310 million views on YouTube.
Internationally, BigBang had five songs in the top ten on Billboard K-pop's Hot 100 chart. They also charted at number 150 on the Billboard 200. This made them the first Korean artists with a Korean album to do so. Their popularity also put them on the Billboard Social 50 chart. They were recognized by magazines like Time, and a photo of the group was on the Grammy Awards homepage.
The album release happened at their annual concert, "Big Show 2012". It was held in Seoul from March 2–4 to a sold-out crowd of 40,000 fans. This concert started their first world tour, the Alive Galaxy Tour. This tour was directed by famous choreographer Laurieann Gibson. BigBang performed in 21 cities in over 13 countries. A total of 800,000 people attended. Parts of the "Big Show" concert were shown in 160 countries through MTV World Stage. The "Alive Galaxy Tour" was the group's first time performing in the United States, Hong Kong, and Europe. They even added more shows in Los Angeles, New Jersey, and London because of high demand. The group also performed at three Japanese dome venues for the first time. BigBang finished the tour with concerts in Osaka and Seoul.
The Japanese version of Alive was released on March 28. It sold over 23,000 copies on its first day. It reached number two on the Oricon charts. It eventually sold over 200,000 copies and was certified gold in Japan. BigBang also performed at the 2012 Springroove Festival with top American and Japanese hip hop artists. BigBang was the first Korean group invited.
After their successful comeback, BigBang released a special album called Still Alive on June 3. It had four new songs, including the main song "Monster". This album sold over 100,000 copies in its first month.
The success of their special album made the group even more famous worldwide. On November 30, 2012, BigBang won three awards at the 14th Mnet Asian Music Awards. These included "Best Male Group" and "Artist of the Year". G-Dragon also won "Best Male Solo" artist. After their promotions, the members worked on their own projects for most of 2013 and 2014.
BigBang came back together in November 2013 for their Japan Dome Tour. They held concerts in six different dome arenas in Japan. They were the first foreign group to do this. Over 770,000 fans attended, and the tour earned $94 million. In October 2014, the group performed at the closing ceremony of the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. A month later, they went on their second Japanese dome tour. This was the first time any overseas artist performed in five dome arenas in Japan for two years in a row. By the end of 2014, BigBang attracted the most concertgoers in Japan for the year among Korean artists.
Made Album and Tenth Anniversary (2015–2016)
BigBang took a break for two years. In 2015, they made a comeback by releasing special singles for their album Made. These singles were called M, A, D, and E.
The first single, M, came out in May. It had the songs "Loser" and "Bae Bae". These songs debuted at number one and two on Billboard's World Digital Songs chart. This made BigBang the first K-pop boy band to top the chart. "Loser" won "Song of the Year" at the 30th Golden Disk Awards. "Bae Bae" won "Song of the Year" at the 13th Korean Music Awards.
The next month, A was released. It included "Bang Bang Bang" and "We Like 2 Party". These songs also reached number one and two on Billboard's World Digital Chart. "Bang Bang Bang" won "Song of the Year" at the 17th Mnet Asian Music Awards. It was the best-selling single of 2015 in South Korea.
D was released in July with "Sober" and "If You". "If You" reached number two on Billboard's World Digital Chart and topped the Gaon Digital Chart. The monthly releases ended with E in August. It had the songs "Zutter" by the sub-unit GD & TOP, and "Let's Not Fall in Love". "Let's Not Fall in Love" reached number one on both the Gaon Digital Chart and Billboard's World Digital Songs chart.
To promote their singles, BigBang went on their second world tour. It was very successful. The tour started with two shows in Seoul in April. It brought together 1.5 million fans around the world. This made it the largest tour by any Korean group. By the end of 2015, BigBang had earned over $120 million.
BigBang continued touring into 2016 with their Made V.I.P Tour. They visited China, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, and the United States. They were the highest-earning artists in Mainland China in 2016 from concerts. In April and May, they toured Japan for their "Fantastic Babys Tour," meeting 280,000 fans.
Many projects celebrated the group's 10th anniversary. The first was a documentary film called Big Bang Made. It followed the group during their Made Tour in 2015. The film was released on June 30, 2016. The band also held a 10th anniversary concert tour, 0.TO.10. This tour ran from July 2016 to January 2017. It included sold-out stadium shows in Japan and South Korea. The tour had 1.1 million attendees in total. The band also held an art exhibition called A TO Z. It showed the group's history and celebrated their decade with fans.
After a year of waiting, the full Made album was released in December 2016. Two new songs were released: "Fxxk It" and "Last Dance". These two songs, along with "Girlfriend", took the top three spots on the Gaon Digital Chart. They sold over one million digital copies in five days. The digital version of Made sold over 1 million digital copies on China's major music platforms in one day. The album also debuted at number 172 on the United States Billboard 200 chart. In South Korea, the physical album topped the Gaon Albums chart. Two final concerts were held in January 2017 to finish their 10th anniversary tour.
Military Service and Changes (2017–2021)
In South Korea, men must complete mandatory military service. T.O.P started his two-year service on February 9, 2017. The other members continued performing without him. They held their fifth annual Japanese dome tour, the Last Dance Tour, in November. It had 14 concerts and 696,000 fans. The last two shows were in Seoul in December.
In 2017, YG Entertainment released a reality show about the group called Run, Big Bang Scout! on YouTube Red. The first episode was free and got over 12.7 million views on YouTube. The remaining members also began their military service: G-Dragon on February 27, Taeyang on March 12, and Daesung on March 13, 2018.
The song "Flower Road" was released on March 13, 2018, as a goodbye to their fans. "Flower Road" set a record in China. It reached over a million sales in just over three days. The song also topped Billboard's World Digital Songs Chart and the Gaon Digital Chart.
On March 11, 2019, Seungri announced he was leaving the entertainment industry. This led to his departure from BigBang. On July 6, 2019, T.O.P finished his military service. G-Dragon finished on October 25, 2019. Taeyang and Daesung finished on November 10.
In January 2020, it was announced that BigBang would perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. This would have been their first group performance in three years. In March, all four members renewed their contracts with YG Entertainment. They were planning a comeback, but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Return and New Paths (2022–Present)
On February 7, 2022, YG Entertainment announced that BigBang would release a new song in the spring. They also said that T.O.P had ended his contract with YG Entertainment. However, he would still take part in group activities. The group released a new song called "Still Life" on April 5. This was their first new music in four years, and their first as a quartet.
"Still Life" debuted at number one on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart. This made it BigBang's 11th number-one song, a record for any group on that chart. The song also reached the top 10 on Billboard's Global 200 and Global Excluding US charts. It became the third Korean group to do so. The song debuted at number one in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam. It also charted in the top 100 in many other countries.
On December 27, 2022, YG confirmed that Daesung had ended his contract. He was looking for a new start. On May 31, 2023, T.O.P shared that he had "already withdrawn" from the group.
Music and Style
Musical Sound
BigBang is known for their unique music. They mix pop sounds with hip hop, R&B, and dance music. They are famous for trying new things and for a "dominating style of music that goes beyond genre boundaries."
On their album Made (2016), the group mixed different types of electronic music with soft rock. "Loser" showed a more mature style for BigBang. "Bang Bang Bang" was noted for its modern EDM sound. The song "Bae Bae" helped make the trap genre popular in K-pop. "Let's Not Fall in Love" showed the group's softer side. "Girlfriend" was a hip-hop song that reminded fans of their early days.
The members have also explored other music styles in their solo projects. Taeyang's EP Hot was mostly R&B songs. Daesung's first digital song was a trot song. G-Dragon's album Heartbreaker included dance music, hip-hop, and R&B.
A writer from The Guardian said that each member has their own look. Their music also covers many styles like R&B, hip-hop, house, electro, and pop. BigBang is called "artistic superheroes" because they are good at many things. Their constant experiments with music and their different personalities are big reasons for their long-lasting popularity.
The Chosun Ilbo newspaper said that BigBang's strong position among idol groups comes from their music quality. They noted that BigBang always tries to introduce something new. However, BigBang does not like being called just a "K-pop" group. G-Dragon said, "We are Korean, so they call our music K-pop. But we never thought of our music as K-pop. Our music is just our music." T.O.P also agreed, saying, "You don't divide pop music by who's doing it. We don't say, for instance, 'white pop' when white people make music."
Songwriting and Themes
BigBang is known for being very involved in making their own music. They write and produce their songs, which is different from many Korean idol groups. As the leader, G-Dragon has played a big part in producing almost all of their music. He was the main songwriter for early hits like "Lies" and "Haru Haru". The song "Last Dance" was written by G-Dragon, T.O.P, and Taeyang.
BigBang's songs often talk about love and relationships. Their lyrics also cover other topics, from mature themes to personal stories.
Stage Shows and Style
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BigBang is praised for their live performances, stage presence, and dances. Early in their career, Seungri and Shaun Evaristo helped with their choreography. They used to focus a lot on street dancing. Now, they use many different dance styles. One dance move from their first song "La La La" became very popular. It involved the group lifting their shirts. The dance for "Last Farewell" also got a lot of attention. The choreography for "Bang Bang Bang" by Parris Goebel was one of the most popular dances in 2015.
The group uses many props during their shows. These include fireworks, streamers, confetti, LED lights, and fog. They also use digital effects like fire-breathing dragons. Critics have enjoyed these exciting stage elements.
Their unique fashion and hairstyles are also famous. Fuse TV said their outfits are "almost as entertaining as their performances." At first, they had a "hip-hop" look. But with Always in 2007, they changed to a more preppy-punk style. Their skinny jeans and Converse shoes became very popular in South Korea. Taeyang also changed his cornrows to a faux hawk hairstyle. BigBang often wore custom-printed hoodies and clothes from brands like Bape and Louis Vuitton. They also helped bring back "old school" fashion, like high-top sneakers from Nike and Reebok. G-Dragon was known for wearing triangular scarves, which were called "BigBang scarves." T.O.P became famous for wearing sunglasses during performances.
Cultural Impact
"The name Big Bang alone carries significant weight in K-pop. It took about a decade for Big Bang to evolve from a young idol group into a quintet of cultural icons. [...] The fashion-conscious, song-and-dance-loving artists became trendsetters, producing a variety of hip-hop tracks. Everything from their outfits to their hairstyles immediately became the standard. It was not just in Korea either. Big Bang reached beyond Asia, and the members have grown to be truly global stars. [...] Big Bang's first 10 years have been overwhelming and left an indelible mark on Korean pop music history." — Beyond Magazine
BigBang was responsible for more than half of all albums sold by their company in Korea from 2014 to 2017. They were the first mainstream hip hop idols in Korea. They helped make hip hop popular across Asia and were a big part of the Hallyu Wave (Korean Wave).
The Korea Times called BigBang "the icons of Korean pop music." They said that G-Dragon becoming a great songwriter inspired many young people to become singer-songwriters. Yonhap News Agency noted that the group helped "spread K-pop as a cultural brand" around the world. In 2011, the BBC said that "K-pop bands, including Big Bang, are making their mark around the world."
After BigBang won the 2011 MTV Europe Music Award for Best Worldwide Act, Google launched a special YouTube channel for K-pop music. This showed how popular K-pop had become. The Guardian newspaper also wrote about how BigBang's win showed the rise of Korean music in Europe.
The Michigan Daily described BigBang as a rare group that "both innovates and defines the direction a genre takes." They said the group has "affected the global music market." Entertainment journalist Mark James Russell praised the group for not fitting into one category. He said they "push boundaries of what is considered K-pop." Anna Fifield from The Washington Post said BigBang "defined and redefined South Korean pop music." She noted they showed that K-pop is not always "sugarcoated and factory-produced."
Los Angeles Times praised BigBang for always changing their sound and image. They called the group "one of the most inventive, aesthetically visionary acts in its genre." In 2016, Billboard said that "no act has enthralled the Korean music world in the past decade quite like BigBang." They added that BigBang "shaped the Korean music industry" and went beyond K-pop's usual limits.
BigBang is a major face for South Korean tourism. Their "Big Show" concerts were promoted by the South Korean government. This was because of the group's "big economic impact on the country." In 2014, Korea Post honored BigBang by releasing official postage stamps with images of the group. In 2016, they were chosen as ambassadors for the "Creative Korea" tourism campaign. They also ranked second in Time magazine's poll for "Most Influential People in the World."
The same year, Forbes listed the group at number 54 on their annual Celebrity 100 list. They earned $44 million from June 2015 to June 2016. This made them the first Korean group to appear on the list. They had the third highest annual earnings ever for a boy band. BigBang was named one of the most influential artists of the Hallyu Wave by The Korea Herald. They were also called the "Top Male Idol Group in the Past 20 Years" in a survey. In 2017, they were the first Korean artists on Forbes 30 Under 30 list of musicians.
Songs like "Lies" and "Fantastic Baby" are considered some of K-pop's biggest and most famous hits. "Bad Boy" and "High High" (by GD & TOP) were listed among the greatest K-Pop songs by Spin magazine. "Fantastic Baby" was ranked among the "50 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time" by Rolling Stone. It was also included in "The 100 Greatest Music Videos of the 2010s" by Billboard. "Lies" was chosen as the "Song of the Decade" by Mnet's M! Countdown in 2014.
BigBang's music has influenced many artists. These include BTS, Got7, Blackpink, and iKon. Chinese boy band OkBang was even created to be similar to BigBang. Filipino singer-actress Glaiza de Castro also gets inspiration from BigBang. Rapper BewhY said he started rapping after listening to BigBang. IU became popular after covering BigBang songs.
BigBang's influence goes beyond music. They have also shaped major fashion trends around the world. Their style, called "Big Bang fashion," was widely followed in Asia. The clothes they wore on stage were often copied and sold in markets. In 2011, BigBang worked with Japanese clothing store Uniqlo to create T-shirts that sold out quickly. The Chicago Sun-Times called the members "the most daring, dapper dressers in the world." They praised their style as "bold, innovative and trend-setting." Their impact on the Korean fashion industry was shown in Vogue Korea's exhibition in Seoul.
Awards and Achievements
BigBang has released many hit songs. The Gaon Chart reported that music fans trust the group's quality. They called BigBang a "phenomenon" because their music is enjoyed by people of all ages. BigBang won several "Song of the Year" awards. These include awards for "Bae Bae" and "Loser". They were named "Artist of the Year" at the Seoul Music Awards in 2008 and the Melon Music Awards in 2015. They were the first group to win more than one Artist of the Year Award from the Mnet Asian Music Awards (in 2008, 2012, and 2015). The group also won many "Best New Artist" awards in Japan. They were the first and only Korean group to win at the MTV Italian Music Awards. They won "Best Artist from the World" in 2016. They were also honored as the "Most Influential Group in Asia" and received a "Special Achievement" award in Japan.
The group's albums Hot Issue (2007), Stand Up (2008), Remember (2008), Tonight (2011), and Alive (2012) were very successful digital albums. In 2014, BigBang was the group with the second-most digital number one songs in history. With their Made singles in 2015, they became the first. Their hit song "Lies" (2007) was the first song to spend over 50 weeks on the Melon Chart. Their next song "Last Farewell" tied the record for the most weeks at number one on Melon, staying there for eight weeks. In 2011, BigBang reached the top of Cyworld's Hall of Fame. This made them the best-selling artist of all time on that chart. Tonight was the first K-pop album to reach the Top 10 on the US iTunes chart.
In 2015, they were the first group to have three songs in the top five of the Gaon Digital Year End Chart. They were also the first to hold the first and second spots at the same time. They were also the first group to top the Gaon Digital Chart for four months in a row. Their album Made (2016) was certified Diamond by the Chinese music service QQ Music. It became one of the best-selling albums of all time in China. In 2016, "Lies" and "Haru Haru" were among the most downloaded songs in South Korea since 2006. They were also the first Korean group to have nine music videos with over 100 million YouTube views. The music video for "Fantastic Baby" was the first by a K-pop group to get over 300 million views on YouTube.
Their first world tour set a record for ticket sales in Taiwan. Their London shows had the largest crowd for a K-pop concert in the UK. Their Japan Dome Tour in 2013 was the highest-earning tour by a foreign group in Japan. Their Made World Tour was the most attended tour by a Korean group in history. It broke several records. These include being the most viewed online K-pop concert. They were the first foreign group to hold a Japanese dome tour for three years in a row. They were also the only foreign group to hold three concerts in a row at the Shanghai Arena.
The film Big Bang Made, which showed behind-the-scenes footage from the tour, became the most viewed music documentary in Korea. Their tenth anniversary concert in Seoul had 65,000 people. This was the biggest audience for a single headlining act in the country. With their Last Dance Tour in 2017, BigBang became the first foreign group to hold a Japanese dome tour for five years in a row.
Members
- Current
- Taeyang (태양) – singer
- G-Dragon (지드래곤) – leader, rapper
- Daesung (대성) – singer
- Former
- T.O.P (탑) – rapper (2006–2023)
- Seungri (승리) – singer (2006–2019)
Timeline
Discography
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Korean albums
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Japanese albums
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Filmography
- Big Bang Made (2016)
Tours
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Concert tours
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Fan meeting tours
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YG Family tours
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Images for kids
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BigBang performing in March 2012
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BigBang performing on their Alive Tour in September 2012
See also
In Spanish: Big Bang (grupo musical) para niños
