BigBang

The size and membership of South Korean R&B combo Big Bang -- the brainchild of the YG Entertainment Group, a management and production outfit -- was determined via an 11-part documentary television series that made its debut in 2006. For the most part, the bandmembers had previous experience in the pop music world; for example, members G-Dragon and Tae Yang were signed to YG at the age of 12 and had been performing together for some time. After vying for the final five spots in Big Bang during the television show, the band roster was determined -- G-Dragon, Tae Yang, T.O.P., Dae Sung, and Seung Ri -- and the group released a series of singles in 2006, which were followed by an album, Big Bang, Vol. 1, in December of that year. The group expanded its performance schedule in 2007 and 2008 to include a national tour, and released a live album (1st Concert -- Live Album) and a series of three EPs, Always (August 2007), Hot Issue (November 2007), and For the World (January 2008). The band's full-length sophomore album, Remember, featuring the single "Strong Baby," was also released in 2008. In 2011, after an extended hiatus, Big Bang became the first K-pop act to hit the Top Ten on the U.S. iTunes chart with the release of the EP Tonight. In 2012, the band released its fifth EP, Alive, which included the singles "Bad Boy," "Blue," and "Fantastic Baby." ~ Chris True, Rovi