Big Bang's 20th Anniversary, YG's 30th... The Music DNA of YG Embedded in K-pop History

[Financial News] Like a universe that has kept expanding ever since it was born as BIGBANG, Big Bang, now celebrating its 20th debut anniversary, is reaching out to the world once again. It is a symbolic return that condenses the history of YG Entertainment, which marks its 30th anniversary this year.
According to YG Entertainment on the 24th, Big Bang launched its 20th-anniversary world tour with "Big Bang 2026-2027 World Tour in Goyang" at the main stadium of Goyang Sports Complex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, from the 21st to the 23rd. Starting with "Fantastic Baby," the show moved nonstop through era-defining hits such as "Lies," "Bang Bang Bang," "Haru Haru," "Haru Haru," "Lies," "Red Sunset," and "Last Farewell." The new song "BIG" heated up the venue with fast-paced beats and explosive performance energy.

The stage captured not only the strength Big Bang has built over 20 years, but also YG's expertise in concert production. Led by Wow Jones, who has worked with Usher and Rihanna, a top-tier band session performed every song live. Mike Carson, who directed the 2025 Super Bowl Halftime Show, and Es Devlin, who handled the stage design for the 2012 Summer Olympics closing ceremony, also contributed. A 23-ton mobile light-emitting diode (LED) structure created a spectacular scene by recreating a vast universe.

The 23-ton mobile LED system used multi-motor torque synchronization technology, turning the entire concert into one massive experience.

Opening the door for K-pop hip-hop idols

YG's 30-year history is also the story of how hip-hop and R&B took root in Korean popular music and expanded into the K-pop enjoyed around the world. Founded in 1996 as Hyun Planning, YG built its own musical identity on hip-hop, R&B, and new jack swing.

Big Bang, which debuted in 2006, was the group that brought that identity into the K-pop mainstream. It set the model for a self-directed idol group, with members actively steering both the music and the style, while staying rooted in hip-hop without losing mass appeal.

The turning point came with "Lies," released in 2007. The song topped Melon’s daily chart for 38 consecutive days, and was followed by hits such as "Last Farewell," "Haru Haru," "Fantastic Baby," and "Bang Bang Bang." The group expanded the scope of idol activity by succeeding not only as a group, but also through solo and unit projects. In particular, G-Dragon's first solo studio album, "Heartbreaker," placed multiple tracks near the top of the charts, cementing the so-called "chart stacking" phenomenon.

YG broke the mold again in 2009 with 2NE1. Their hip-hop-based music, self-driven female narrative, and bold styling clearly set them apart from existing girl groups. After back-to-back hits with "Fire" and "I Don't Care," they won both Rookie of the Year and the grand prize at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in their debut year.

From Asia to the world... paving the way for K-pop tours

YG's history is also the process of expanding the reach of K-pop performances from Asia to the world. The starting point was Seven's activities in Japan in the 2000s. Before overseas entry by K-pop male solo artists became common, he toured major cities and met fans directly. He also held solo concerts at large venues, including the National Yoyogi Stadium First Gymnasium in Tokyo, proving the potential for overseas tours.

The path Seven paved expanded into world tours through Big Bang and 2NE1. Big Bang's first world tour, "Alive Galaxy," featured 48 shows and traveled not only across Asia but also North America and Europe. 2NE1's "New Evolution" went down in history as the first world tour by a K-pop girl group.

Along the way, Big Bang set unprecedented records for the time, drawing 1.5 million fans on a single tour, becoming the first foreign act to complete a six-dome tour in Japan, and attracting 250,000 fans across 13 cities in China. It also changed concert production methods. Its first world tour was co-produced with Live Nation Entertainment, marking the first time the company invested in an Asian artist's concert and took part in the full production process.

BLACKPINK, which followed, expanded the path YG had opened onto stadium stages. The group drew about 1.8 million fans on its second world tour, then became the first girl group in the world to sell out SoFi Stadium in the United States for two consecutive nights. It was also the first K-pop girl group to perform at Wembley Stadium in the United Kingdom. In 2023, it took the stage as a headliner at Coachella and Hyde Park, raising the status of K-pop girl groups to a new level.

That experience is now being passed on to younger groups. TREASURE drew 300,000 fans on its first Japan tour, while Babymonster set the record for the shortest time between debut and a K-pop girl group's world tour launch.

"The same level of quality in every city"... the principle of a concert powerhouse

The standard that runs through YG's concerts is the equalization of quality at a higher level. The principle is to deliver a show that starts in Seoul at the same standard in any city around the world. Large-scale tours spend more than six months on pre-production alone to prepare for variables across indoor and outdoor venues of different sizes. Big Bang's current world tour also entered the planning stage early this year.

There is no compromise on sound either. Long before live band performances became common in K-pop concerts, YG introduced them and carefully blended digital tracks with live band arrangements.

In the end, technology and direction are all for the audience. At the Goyang concert, Big Bang said, "There is nothing more beautiful than this journey of growing together while sharing 20 years of time," and added, "You are Big Bang, and you yourselves are a great source of emotion for us." Fans filling the seats responded with a wave of yellow light sticks, known as Bangbong.

Big Bang will continue its 33-show world tour across 19 cities in North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia, starting in Goyang. It is a long journey that celebrates one group's 20th debut anniversary while once again presenting to the world the history of K-pop performances that YG has built over the past 30 years.

[email protected] Shin Jin-a Reporter