K-pop's big album release this month is the adored Taeyang's "Rise" – read Dazed Korea's piece on the "Light"-living star here
Top and leather jacket by Blackmeans; Pants by Ann Demeulemeester by 10 Corso Como; Beanie hat, earrings, ring stylist's own.
To celebrate the launch of our new Korean sister site which went live this weekend, today we're investigating the cultural influence and innovation of the country's most exciting creatives. Explore the world of K-pop with new interviews with B.A.P, Taeyang and 4minute, meet Snowpiercer actress Ko Ah-sung and get a furtive glimpse at North Korea's life online. Check back here for more throughout the day.
Taeyang is 26 years old, and already a K-pop veteran. Born in 1988 and training since the age of 12 with YG – one of the Korean music industry’s big three record companies – he burst onto the scene in 2006 as part of the mega boyband BIGBANG. With bandmates G-Dragon, T.O.P., Seungri and Daesung, he became one of the biggest stars Korea had ever seen. Paradoxically, for one of the biggest global K-pop brands – they have that easy “name three K-pop artists” association that connect most Westerners with the radical, hi-tech and hysterically exciting world – BIGBANG have done the most to re-imagine what a K-pop artist is, transforming the role into a musical innovator, producer and songwriter.
Absorbing style influences from punk to rap and twinning current underground R&B to his native, hyper-sonic pop music, he's emblematic of a golden generation combining the global avant garde, the rituals of South Korean society and the technology of the most networked society on earth. He's maybe the most spiritual of the band: his location on Twitter is "light" and he shows a monk-like devotion to his stagecraft, beating back nosebleeds to perform. Now, on the day Taeyang releases his second solo album, Rise, we translated his Dazed Korea interview into English to shine a light on this 21st century popstar.
to read mor interview >> http://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/20072/1/taeyang-on-nosebleeds-tattoos-and-true-art
cr. Dazed
VIA bigbangupdates
