[MUST READ!!] A LETTER FROM KVIPS TO IVIPS (3/3)

But Big Bang came back with Lasyt Goobye and Hot Issue, an album ENTIRELY produced and co-written by Ji Yong! If the reviews for Lies were fantastic, Hot Issue was triple that! The album’s quality further put Big Bang at the fingertips of the critics. It also received thrice the critical acclaim, and thrice the sales. The song immediately shot to number 1, and the music and fashion just further propelled Big Bang to superstar

status. Big Bang started appearing in broadcast shows to the clamor of the three media giants. Towards the end of 2007 Big Bang stole back from the girl groups the spotlight, and had not just 1 but 2 national songs. Big Bang, along with theWonder Girls, headlined all year-end festivals. Gallup, Nielsen, Forbes, Mnet, and all three major search engines, revealed that big bang was recognized by Koreans of all ages, along with the Wonder Girls. In less than a year, Big bang set the trend for mini albums, digital songs, and electronica music. Electronica was popularized to its extreme. Big Bang was played all over Seoul night clubs and public places! 2007 ended with an explosion. Last Goodbye reigned supreme for 8 weeks and proved to be another national syndrome. And the dance and fashion… they were a blast! Little kids, elementary and high school students, COLLEGE STUDENTS, young working adults, parents, grandmas, they all KNEW BIG BANG. If you asked the poor in Seoul, Jeolla, Daegu, Busan, M*o about their favorite singers, it’s Big Bang. If you ask the business men in Seoul city lights and skyscraper, their rich lawyers, architects, engineers, and family, they knew and listened to Big Bang. This group bridged the gap between the choices of the rich and the poor.

In 2008, Big Bang did the same, even better and even bigger. The next year, the following legendary milestones happened:

1. Seoul Gayo Daesang, an award that locked Big Bang to the highest pedestal of idolatry.
2. Lies in MelOn top 10 for a record 22 weeks. Last Good Bye #1 for eight weeks, in the top 10 for 19 weeks. Haru Haru broke all digital and airplay records. It was #1 for eight weeks, and was downloaded 4 million times, streamed 200 million times, and was the ringtone of 43% of SKT and Nate subsribers at one point which is a record only broken by Gee (47%).
3. Big Bang topped yearend polls and surveys.
4. Big Bang accepted 5 endorsement contracts, a record for a male idol group. Baskin Robbins paid an idol group 800 billion won, a price only a-list movie stars commanded! Big Bang and Baskin Robbins made waves among advertising society.
5. Big Bang became the blue chip of the industry. FILA topped the asking price with 1 billion won. LG went all the miles with 1.1 billion won.
6. Big Bang toured the entire nation with their 6-city concert. Global Warning tour enhanced Big Bang’s public image and increased anticipation.
7. Big Bang’s face was plastered around Seoul, Big bang’s music was heard everywhere, Big Bang was embraced by the whole country. THAT WITHOUT APPEARING IN TELEVISION SHOWS.
8. Daesung appeared in Family Outing, up to this day the highest rated variety show with an idol. No other idol (besides Yoona and Nichkhun) have ever been endeared in the hearts of the old citizens.

THEY DID THE IMPOSSIBLE. By end of 2008, the media coined them “the national male idols,” “the national hope,” “the national brothers,” everything was on a national scale. No one didn’t know Big Bang. EVERYONE KNEW Big Bang and the five boys . G-dragon was conducted in the a-list, and remained to be the only idol at the time with a song book submitted in the copyright association. Big Bang was coined “the most expensive idols.” The year wrapped up with Big Bang in the hearts of the citizens, while TVXQ came back to steal the hearts of their fan club. BUT THAT WAS NOT FOOLING ANYONE. Anyone in Seoul would choose Big Bang over TVXQ, unless they are a cassiopeia. TVXQ maybe legendary in Japan, but in South Korea, they were never as publicly recognized, loved, and honored as Big Bang.

2009 was no joke for Big Bang. They accepted 10 endorsement contracts, earned $20 million dollars, with G-Dragon earning his own $12 million, and still made headlines with their hiatus. Big Bang was still unbeatable.

They did so many things, and what makes it all the more impresive was the fact that they got popular because of their music and fashion, not their looks, dance moves, or personalities. BIG BANG rarely attended broadcast shows outside music shows. YG just gave in to broadcast clamors by end of 2008. But overall, Big Bang propelled to the top by word of mouth, critical praise to their music, fashion and music that was loved by the public. THEY DID NOT RUB THEIRSELVES IN, THEY WERE NATURALLY APPRECIATED. And so is the main reason why when they are on a hiatus, it’s as if they get drowned with quietness. They are not television stars, they are idol musicians who only make news when they have something to give, and not for other reasons to further their popularity. Never before have the public, the teenage fans, and the critics been so on terms about an idol group, and a male one at that.

BIG BANG is a game changer. NO ONE BEFORE HAS DONE, AND REALLY NO ONE CAN SOON DO, WHAT THEY HAVE DONE THE WAY THEY DID IT AND THE WAY YG PROMOTED IT. While other idols frequented television appearances, Big Bang chose the music and popular culture route. No one else could have been a national star with such route. Just Big Bang.

What is the point of letting you all know how Big Bang got to their national idol group status? THE POINT IS TO MAKE YOU SEE HOW THIS GROUP HAVE BECOME SO RESPECTED, SO WELL KNOWN, AND SO PUBLICLY EMBRACED THE WAY NOT EVEN HOT, SHINHWA, god, TVXQ and Super Junior ever was or ever will be. Big Bang is a league of their own. NO, THEY ARE NOT INVINCIBLE. But don;t lose faith so easily. Don’t worry or don;t think of the worst, because someone as iron clad and as wall-sturdy as Big Bang can’t be toppled by a Nate article that has 1349 negative comments. The Iternet is a free place, a place where fans and non fans alike can just post. Big Bang fans are not teenagers alone, they never were just the VIPS. Big Bang is a group patronized all throughout the country by all types of people, of all ages. NOT EVERYONE HAS THEIR TIME TO GO ONLINE TO EITHER COMMENT NEGATIVELY OR POSITIVELY. What you think you see, what you think you read, does not represent the entire public, and does not dictate Big Bang’s future. The main reason YG’s stock debut more than doubled on its debut was Big Bang’s win in MTV Europe, and Big Bang’s financial standing all throughout this year. Big Bang is still as sturdy as ever, and you will see that in 2012.

Whenever Big Bang gets involved in any kind of controversy, they always get infested, eaten alive, asked to kill themselves or leave the country online. That’s a normal cycle of netizen behavior. Big Bang was never the peefect angels like the female idols such as SNSD and IU are. Big Bang never went to the role model route. They became national idols on top of being famed alcohol drinkers and cigarette smokers. They became idol group amidst G-Dragon’s endless controversies with his cursing, tattoos, clubbing, girlfriends and drugs. There was no good image to ruin with all these issues because they had no “good” image to protect in the first place. G-dragon is the most polarizing idol in Korea. Teens and young adults are impressed by him, but parents and old people always frown at what he does. BUT THEY STILL LISTEN TO HIM AND HIS MUSIC. Why? BECAUSE THEY ARE BIG BANG, the musician idol. Big Bang is nationally loved because of their music, and all the trends they set. They are composed of members who brought in their own demographics. Dae Sung is so much endeared by the old people, Seung Ri is a hot issue for kids and teens, G-Dragon impresses the young working adults, T.O.P is respected by middle-aged adults, while Taeyang brings in the most cynical music lovers of all ages.

Big Bang is the only national male idols, along with Seungki and Rain. And among the lines of all national stars, they are probably the most dirty imaged and most controversy-laden. To still maintain that status for four years and counting, what does that tell you?

It means the name is strong, very sturdy. That’s not a reason to worry. Only worry when they get into an accident, or is at a health risk, or is at an emotional downfall, or is in a civil or criminal case. But to worry over netizen omments about their shamelessness and inability to own up to their mistakes? That is too shallow of a reason to doubt their name, their status, and their future. BIG BANG AS A GROUP HAVE MAGNETIZED ALL POSSIBLE CRUEL AND HATEFUL ONLINE COMMENTS. They existed out of running jokes and criticisms. They were welcomed with negative remarks. Online search engines were filled and infested with anti-Big Bang comments. BEFORE 2PM, THEY HAD THE BIGGEST AMOUNT OF ANTI-FANS! What makes you think they are not gonna survive this?

Big Bang remains to be the only star who bridged music, critics, teenage fans, and the Korean public altogether into agreeing with their choice of songs and artist. Juat remember that all the time, and that might give you the push you need to regain faith in these five bad boys. Remember that.

VIPS are not worrying nor fighting the enemy. We’re not fighting because there is no use. We’ve always been a quiet bunch, and never will you see us fighting WORDS WITH WORDS. We fight the enemies with loyalty and patience and love, and it has always worked. Hatred will pass, but fierce loyalty and support? Never.

Big Bang will come back, wounded and scarred, bu all the more stronger. Just hang on.


Kindly spread these words to your community, because I feel like we all need a PUSH, A RUSH OF PRIDE, and A REMINDER OF FAITH.


ABOUT ME: I am Cristina Kang, a member of VIP2, a 23-year old fan who was a part of the movement — a movement of fans who visited, supported, allied and protected Big Bang. I am part of the group who brought food to the five boys at 3 am just to make sure they ate something during recording. I am one of the fans who provided shade and protection to the boys when they were just starting out, too unfamous for SBS or KBS to provide a good dressing room for them. I am one of the VIPS who bullied MBC radio because they once banned Big Bang songs for 5 months. Yes, I am a partial VIP, and in my eyes there is no one better. But I am also aware of the reality. This is what’s happening to BIG BANG, and we are best be knowing, best be aware.