A melody that makes the heart race from the intro, a sea of voices singing along from every seat. Big Bang's enormous imprint on K-pop over the past 20 years was once again proven by the cheers that filled Goyang.
From the 21st to the 23rd, the main stadium at Goyang Sports Complex hosted Big Bang's world tour 'BIGBANG 2026-2027 WORLD TOUR 'XX : COSMOS' IN GOYANG'. About 9 years after returning to fans, this stage by Big Bang showed the destructive power of timeless hits that cut across eras.
Starting with 'FANTASTIC BABY', Big Bang heated up the venue with countless mega-hit performances including 'Gojitmal', 'Haru Haru', 'BANG BANG BANG', 'Red Sunset', "BLUE", and "BAD BOY". G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung each showcased a wide musical spectrum and capabilities through their solo stages, and the first live performance of the newly released song 'BiiiG' for their 20th anniversary instantly brought the concert hall to a peak of excitement.
The set list of about 30 songs that swept through without a break for about three hours was itself a vast chronicle of K-pop. The fact that most of the roughly 30-track playlist could be sung in unison by tens of thousands of people demonstrates how enormous an influence they have exerted on the popular music scene over the past 20 years.
Every time the intro played, gasps erupted throughout the seats, and the audience sang along to the melodies as if turning the page on a brilliant youth and a page of memories from when they each listened to those songs. The weighty power of timeless hits was the most perfect proof of the question 'why Big Bang.'
Staging on a scale never before seen also maximized the completeness of the performance. A top live band from the Wow Jones troupe, who have worked with pop stars, was responsible for the rich sound, and world-renowned directors Mike Carson and S. Devlin collaborated to visually realize the vast 'COSMOS' universe using a 23-ton mobile LED. With members participating directly in everything from the set list to overall direction, their sincere gratitude toward the fandom V.I.P. that has stood by them for 20 years shone throughout the stage.
At the end of the show, looking back on the time they had passed, the members said in unison, "The 20 years went by so quickly," and "the culmination of our 20 years of history," and did not hide their thirst for the new journey ahead.
Taeyang joked, "We are performing again after 8 years and 8 months. At this rate, I wonder if we can perform vigorously until we are 88. Please show us lots of love." When Daesung expressed regret, saying, "While promoting this time, I feel a little sorry to finish our 20th anniversary activities with this song," Taeyang chimed in, "It's too much to end with one song called 'BiiiG.' This is actually not big. If we end with this, it's X-small." G-Dragon then added, "As you know, if we do it, we do it right away. It's all in my head," raising expectations for their next activities.
In their final farewell, deep gratitude to the fans who had waited a long time was evident. Daesung promised, "I'm grateful to be able to stand before you in good health and mind after singing for 20 years. I will sing for a long time in good health," and Taeyang vowed, "I'm grateful to be able to share the same time and see how we grow together. I will do my best to show you great music and performances." G-Dragon also expressed overwhelming emotion, saying, "Last year I made a solo comeback as a later act, and preparing for that comeback, today was actually the goal. So even when I finished the solo tour I was happy, but today I'm really happy. Right now."
The concert's deep resonance reached its climax with the finale performance of 'Still Life.' Big Bang, having passed through a cold winter and greeted spring again, has now truly entered a new orbit as the time of their 20th anniversary turns the corner and begins anew.
[Photo] YG Entertainment
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