Big Bang member Taeyang made a comeback on his birthday for the first time in 20 years since his debut.
On May 18 at 4 p.m., Taeyang held a listening session to mark the release of his fourth full-length album "Quintessence" at the Cube Convention Center in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, Seoul, and took time to introduce the new record.
Regarding releasing new music on his birthday, May 18, Taeyang said, "Actually, this is the first time in 20 years that I have released something on my birthday. Originally, the release was planned for earlier this year, but at the end of last year an offer from Coachella came in and was confirmed, which made the album release timing ambiguous. I also had to prepare for the performance, and if I had released it before that I would have been too busy and unable to concentrate, so I postponed it."
He continued, "Then May came, and usually people release singles on Mondays. My birthday was on a Monday, and the company suggested releasing it as a gift to fans on my birthday, so it was decided," revealing the behind-the-scenes of the release date.
Taeyang's fourth full-length album "Quintessence" means "essence" or "quintessence." Taeyang said, "When I first started working on the album, I think I had the mindset that I would present my essence and quintessence in this album. But while working on it I wondered whether essence can be defined by a single word."
He added, "What I realized through this process is that even if you think you have found the essence, if you define it as one thing and finish there, you can't really say you have found it. When we talk about freedom and love, there are many elements that make up those words. I thought the direction and attitude of exploring those more deeply would be important," and said, "When I finished the album, even if I thought I had found it, I felt I couldn't say I had found it. I felt you need to live with the attitude and direction of seeking and with awareness."
Taeyang's fourth full-length album "Quintessence" includes 10 tracks, including the title track "Live Fast Die Slow." It was released at 6 p.m. that day.
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