K-Pop comebacks are always something to look forward to especially when a group has been on a hiatus for a long time as in the case of Big Bang- one of K-pop’s and perhaps the greatest pioneers of the K-Pop genre. However, their latest music release, their comeback song Still Life, comes at an underwhelming feeling for a non-VIP like me.
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Don’t get me wrong though, I love ballad songs. In fact, I listen more to ballads than dance pops. It is not entirely about the song itself because the song is nice for a ballad. It really is. I love how the song inspires a feeling of nostalgia, separation, memories, and moving forward. For the most part, it felt like a goodbye which makes the song bittersweet. However, for a group as huge as Big Bang and with 4 years in hiatus, I felt that choosing ballad as a comeback song felt underwhelming. Maybe because I was truly expecting something big from them. I have so much high expectations for one of the OGs in K-Pop.
Taeyang and Daesung’s vocals carried the song really well and I appreciate it. Yet, I can’t feel G.D. with his part or that of T.O.P. It felt like G.D. did not really shine in this one. It was Taeyang and Daesung. While watching the MV I was thinking, “How is this a better ballad compared to the songs of 2 A.M. or BTOB?” or “How is their comeback better that 2 P.M.’s comeback?” because when 2 P.M. made their comeback months ago, I felt them. I was not a fan of 2 P.M. before but now I am; that was how memorable their comeback is. But with Big Bang, I felt like it was like any other comebacks.
The MV production felt underpriced compared to BLACKPINK’S music videos since both groups are from the same company though T.O.P. has finally ended his contracts with YG. There was no ‘wow factor’ or something that could tell me, “Ah! this is why they are Big Bang. This is what they do.” Music videos are supposed to paint a picture of what the song tries to convey- in images, colors, and scenes. Still Life MV did not do it for me. The storytelling was not special. It felt like all the other MV’s I have watched from other groups doing ballads. It did not feel Big Bang. It wasn’t Big and there was no Bang!
What are your thoughts about the comeback? Did you like it or did you expect more like I did? Let me know in the comments…
