Tonight (Big Bang EP)
Encyclopedia
Tonight is the 4th extended play by the South Korea
n boy band Big Bang, released under YG Entertainment
. It was their first new materials released in South Korea after two-year hiatus as a group. Their comeback was met with mostly positive receptions, with the lead-single of the same name becoming a chart topper on the Gaon Chart
.
and T.O.P began to break away to collaborate on their GD & T.O.P project
. According to G-Dragon, the members were trying new "combination" with their music, in which the vocalists — Taeyang
, Daesung
, and Seungri
— were to record their own music as a trio while G-Dragon and T.O.P were to branch off as a duo since they "hadn't been with our fans for the past two years." Although the division of the group was initially for Big Bang's materials only, G-Dragon and T.O.P saw positive response to their materials from the fans and went to Yang Hyun-seok, the CEO of YG Entertainment
, to allow the duo to release an album. After promotion for GD & TOP were done, the group reunited to record materials for Tonight; songs from the album have been reportedly recorded variously over the two years span that the group were on hiatus. G-Dragon describes the music from the EP as "very cheerful" in hopes of cheering up their listeners; though the group's previous EPs contained songs that were heavily influenced by electronic music
, the group decided to concentrate more on "warm rock music".
. The performance has been hailed as "sensual and stylish" as well as "luxurious" by Lee Soo-yeon of Newsen while it was called "fresh and bold" by Yonhap news, who also went on to state that "Big Bang has come back brilliantly." Park Young-gun of the Star News also applauded the group for their use of lavish props, calling the performance "compelling" and "explosive" and declaring that "Big Bang has come back stronger than ever." The show was watched by a nation-wide audience of 5.7%, higher than the 4.9% expected. Revenues from the concert were reported to be ₩
43 billion (USD$
38 million).
Pictures of the group's music video for their lead-single "Tonight", which was written solely by G-Dragon with the rap parts written by T.O.P., were also released online. The group also acknowledged their return to the music industry by posting it as their status on their Twitter
account. Tonight later charted at the #3 spot on the Billboard
World Music Chart, #3 on the Heatseekers Chart
, and #29 on the #29 Independent Albums
. It also topped numerous Korean music chart, including Bugs, Soribada, Melon, Cyworld, Dosirak, mobile sites, and Mnet.
The album has received positive praises, with Expo Flat News complimenting it for its "impressive, sophisticated sound textures." The lead-single "Tonight" was also praised for its "sophisticated electronic sound" paired with acoustic guitar. Lee Jeon-Hyuk of Sports Chosun hailed the group's comeback as "brilliant" while Choi Jun of Asiae complimented the group's new direction in their music, acknowledging that during the two years hiatus, the group's "style and musical sensibility [had] deepened." Despite this, the group have been criticized for their over-use of electronic sound. The album has sold 100,000 copies in South Korea.
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
n boy band Big Bang, released under YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment is a record label and talent agency founded by Korean band Seo Taiji & Boys member Yang Hyun Suk and based in Seoul, South Korea. It specializes in producing R&B and hip hop music. YG stands for Yang Goon and are also the initials of the chief executive officer, Yang Hyun Suk...
. It was their first new materials released in South Korea after two-year hiatus as a group. Their comeback was met with mostly positive receptions, with the lead-single of the same name becoming a chart topper on the Gaon Chart
Gaon Chart
The Gaon Chart is a national record chart of South Korea. It is complied by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; with an aim to create a national chart for Korea similar to the Billboard charts and Oricon charts...
.
Background
While writing songs for the then-untitled EP, leader G-DragonG-Dragon
Aside from Big Bang, G-Dragon also made several solo appearances. After helping produce Taeyang's debut album, he recorded his own version of the album's lead single "Only Look At Me" , titled as the part two version to the song. The single was released digitally...
and T.O.P began to break away to collaborate on their GD & T.O.P project
GD & TOP
GD & TOP is the debut album of South Korean artists G-Dragon & T.O.P, members of Big Bang. Released on December 24th, 2010, the album marks the first collaboration between the two away from their group. The duo promoted the album extensively, including a world-wide premiere showcase and numerous...
. According to G-Dragon, the members were trying new "combination" with their music, in which the vocalists — Taeyang
Taeyang
Dong Youngbae , better known by his stage name Taeyang or Sol, is a South Korean recording artist, entertainer. After appearing in Jinusean's music video "A-yo", Taeyang began training under YG Entertainment at the age of 12 alongside fellow member and leader G-Dragon...
, Daesung
Daesung
Kang Daesung is a member of K-Pop group Big Bang. Daesung was born in Itaewon, South Korea and attended high school but he dropped out and focused more on Big Bang. Then in late 2008, he focused on college entrance exams. He attended Kyunghee University in Seoul...
, and Seungri
Seungri
- External links :* *...
— were to record their own music as a trio while G-Dragon and T.O.P were to branch off as a duo since they "hadn't been with our fans for the past two years." Although the division of the group was initially for Big Bang's materials only, G-Dragon and T.O.P saw positive response to their materials from the fans and went to Yang Hyun-seok, the CEO of YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment is a record label and talent agency founded by Korean band Seo Taiji & Boys member Yang Hyun Suk and based in Seoul, South Korea. It specializes in producing R&B and hip hop music. YG stands for Yang Goon and are also the initials of the chief executive officer, Yang Hyun Suk...
, to allow the duo to release an album. After promotion for GD & TOP were done, the group reunited to record materials for Tonight; songs from the album have been reportedly recorded variously over the two years span that the group were on hiatus. G-Dragon describes the music from the EP as "very cheerful" in hopes of cheering up their listeners; though the group's previous EPs contained songs that were heavily influenced by electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
, the group decided to concentrate more on "warm rock music".
"Big Bang’s music has been very cheerful and lyrical so far, but this time we added rock. These days, people seem to find something interesting that can make them laugh and it might come from many accidents and incidents that happened last year, so we are going to present warm and cheerful music for those people rather than heavy and electronic music.” — G-Dragon
Promotion and release
After nearly two-year hiatus, Big Bang made their comeback in South Korea in February 2011 with their 2011 Big Show concert. There, they also showcased songs from Tonight, performing before an audience of 40,000 fans. The show was aired online by SBS and MnetMnet (TV channel)
Mnet is a music television channel in South Korea owned by CJ Group.-Television programs:* Superstar K* M! Countdown* 2NE1 TV* MUST* Kara Bakery* Wonder Bakery* Girls' Generation Goes to School...
. The performance has been hailed as "sensual and stylish" as well as "luxurious" by Lee Soo-yeon of Newsen while it was called "fresh and bold" by Yonhap news, who also went on to state that "Big Bang has come back brilliantly." Park Young-gun of the Star News also applauded the group for their use of lavish props, calling the performance "compelling" and "explosive" and declaring that "Big Bang has come back stronger than ever." The show was watched by a nation-wide audience of 5.7%, higher than the 4.9% expected. Revenues from the concert were reported to be ₩
South Korean won
The won is the currency of South Korea. A single won is divided into 100 jeon, the monetary subunit. The jeon is no longer used for everyday transactions, and appears only in foreign exchange rates...
43 billion (USD$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
38 million).
Pictures of the group's music video for their lead-single "Tonight", which was written solely by G-Dragon with the rap parts written by T.O.P., were also released online. The group also acknowledged their return to the music industry by posting it as their status on their Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
account. Tonight later charted at the #3 spot on the Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
World Music Chart, #3 on the Heatseekers Chart
Top Heatseekers
Top Heatseekers refers to either of two separate "Breaking and Entering" music charts issued weekly by Billboard Magazine: the Heatseekers Albums chart or the Heatseekers Songs chart. They were introduced by Billboard in 1993 with the purpose of highlighting the sales by new and developing musical...
, and #29 on the #29 Independent Albums
Independent Albums
The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...
. It also topped numerous Korean music chart, including Bugs, Soribada, Melon, Cyworld, Dosirak, mobile sites, and Mnet.
The album has received positive praises, with Expo Flat News complimenting it for its "impressive, sophisticated sound textures." The lead-single "Tonight" was also praised for its "sophisticated electronic sound" paired with acoustic guitar. Lee Jeon-Hyuk of Sports Chosun hailed the group's comeback as "brilliant" while Choi Jun of Asiae complimented the group's new direction in their music, acknowledging that during the two years hiatus, the group's "style and musical sensibility [had] deepened." Despite this, the group have been criticized for their over-use of electronic sound. The album has sold 100,000 copies in South Korea.
Tracklist
Charts
| Chart (2011) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| South Korea (Gaon Chart Gaon Chart The Gaon Chart is a national record chart of South Korea. It is complied by the Korea Music Content Industry Association and sponsored by South Korea's Ministry of Culture, Sports, and Tourism; with an aim to create a national chart for Korea similar to the Billboard charts and Oricon charts... ) |
1 |
| U.S. Billboard Heatseekers Chart | 3 |
| U.S. Billboard Independent Chart | 29 |
| U.S. Billboard World Music Chart | 3 |