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Alive (BigBang EP)

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This article is about the Korean EP. For the Japanese album of same name, see Alive (Big Bang album).
Untitled

Alive is the fifth Korean-language extended play by South Korean group Big Bang. It was released on February 29, 2012 by YG Entertainment. Big Bang members G-Dragon and T.O.P wrote the music and lyrics, respectively, for nearly all tracks on the album.[1] The EP had three singles,"Blue", "Fantastic Baby", and "Bad Boy". A repackaged version of the EP entitled Still Alive was released on June 3, 2012, and featured the single, "Monster". Both EP versions and their singles attained success on national charts in South Korea, and the EP became the first K-Pop album to chart on the United States' Billboard 200 album chart.

Release and promotion

Beginning on January 27, 2012, the track listing and title of Big Bang's upcoming EP, Alive were released.[2] Teddy Park of YG Entertainment and Big Bang member G-Dragon produced the majority of the music for the EP with the help of other producers such as DJ Murf and Peejay. G-Dragon also wrote the majority of the songs on this album with the help of T.O.P. and Teddy Park.

"Blue" was released on February 22, 2012, as the EP's lead single, and thereafter Big Bang released previews of other tracks on YouTube every day from February 23–28.[3] They also announced the Big Bang Alive World Tour, in support of the album.[4][5]

The Alive EP and its second single, "Bad Boy" were released on February 29, 2012. Promotions began with televised performances from the album on March 11, 2012, on SBS's Inkigayo.[6] "Fantastic Baby" was the album's third single, released March 7, 2012.

The EP was repackaged as a special edition with additional songs and re-titled as Still Alive. The special edition and its single "Monster", were released June 3, 2012. "Blue", "Bad Boy", "Fantastic Baby", and "Monster" were also re-recorded with Japanese lyrics and included on Big Bang's full-length Japanese album, Alive. Other album tracks, in their original Korean language form, were also included on the album.

Commercial performance

G-Dragon in Fantastic Baby outfit in 2012

Alive became the first Korean album or EP to chart on the United States' Billboard 200 and at its time of release, held the record for being the best selling K-Pop album ever in the United States, selling over 4,100 copies in its first week of release.[7][8] It also charted at number four on the Billboard Heatseekers Albums chart,[9] at number twenty-two on the Independent Albums chart,[10] and number four on the World Albums chart.[11] Alive reached to number six on Japan's domestic Oricon weekly album chart as a Korean import.[12] The EP finished 2012 as the second best-selling album of the year in South Korea.[13]

The lead single "Blue" hited number one on the weekly Gaon Digital Chart, remaining at the top spot for three weeks,[14] and at the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100.[15] "Bad Boy" went to number two on the weekly Gaon Digital Chart[16] and number three on the Billboard K-Pop Hot 100.[15] "Fantastic Baby" went to number three on Korea's Gaon Chart[17] and number three on Billboard's K-pop Hot 100.[15] Big Bang became the first act to hit number one in the Gaon Monthly Digital Chart for two consecutive months, when "Blue" topped for the month of February and "Fantastic Baby" topped March.[18][19] "Monster" hit number one on the weekly Gaon Digital Charts[20] and Billboard's K-Pop Hot 100.[15] In the Gaon's Year End Digital chart, both "Fantastic Baby" and "Bad Boy" charted within the Top 10, occupying the fifth and tenth spot, respectively, while "Monster" charted at number fourteen.[21]

On March 9, 2012, it was revealed that Big Bang was the first act to occupy 5 out of the top 10 spots on Billboard's K-pop Hot 100 with "Blue," "Bad Boy," "Fantastic Baby," "Ain't No Fun," and "Love Dust."[22]

As of December 2016, according to the Gaon Chart, Oricon and the chinese music service KuGou, the album with the songs have sold over 24 million records.

Critical reception

Billboard called the EP and its repackage "objectively one of the group’s best eras," and noted how "each song is iconic in its own way."[23] Chicago Sun-Times noted that Alive included a more mature sound and "more interesting production techiniques," and that it displayed Big Bang's diversity.[24] The Fader praised Alive for making "the most compelling case yet" for a rising K-Pop star in the west.[25]

"Monster" was noted for presenting the group at "their most dramatic" and having a "perfect touch of eeriness."[26] "Bad Boy" was noted for being "the epitome of Big Bang’s unique brand of evocative hip-hop."[23] In their list of "The 21 Greatest K-Pop Songs of All Time," Spin magazine lists "Bad Boy" at number thirteen.[27]

The music video for "Fantastic Baby" became one of YouTube's most viewed K-pop music videos in 2012,[28] and as of March 2014, it had over 100 million views,[29] making it the first by a Korean boy band to reach that milestone.[30] It was also featured in the British newspaper The Guardian.[31] At the start on 2015, "Fantastic Baby" beat "Gee" and became the 5th most viewed K-Pop video. In January 2016, the music video became the first from a Korean group to reached 200 million views on YouTube. As of October 2016, it has over 250 million views on the site. The Vancouver Sun wrote the song "is easily one of the most colourfully twisted pop videos we’ve seen in a while, combining RPG style art, riot gear, steampunk elements and street pop swagger."[32] Billboard recognized that “'Fantastic Baby' was the first song to cross international boundaries with it’s then-groundbreaking EDM style" and praised the song for being "nothing short of fantastic".[23] Rolling Stone ranked the song at number twenty-two in their "50 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time" list.[33]

Track listing

Alive
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Intro (Alive)" (Intro)G-Dragon, Teddy, T.O.PDee.P, G-Dragon, TeddyDee.P0:48
2."Blue"G-Dragon, Teddy, T.O.PTeddy, G-DragonTeddy3:53
3."Love Dust" (사랑먼지; Sarangmeonji)G-Dragon, Teddy, T.O.PG-Dragon, TeddyTeddy3:52
4."Bad Boy"G-Dragon, T.O.PG-Dragon, Choice37Choice373:57
5."Ain't No Fun" (재미없어; Jaemieobseo)G-Dragon, T.O.PG-Dragon, D.J Murf, PeejayD.J Murf, Peejay3:42
6."Fantastic Baby"G-Dragon, T.O.P, TeddyG-Dragon, TeddyG-Dragon, Teddy3:51
7."Wings" (날개; Nalgae; Daesung solo)G-Dragon, DaesungG-Dragon, Choi Pil-kangChoi Pil-kang, Dee.P3:43
Total length:23:41
Alive iTunes Store bonus track
No.TitleMusicArrangementLength
8."Blue" (Instrumental)Teddy, G-DragonTeddy3:52
9."Bad Boy" (Instrumental)G-Dragon, Choice37Choice373:57
10."Fantastic Baby" (Instrumental)Teddy, G-DragonTeddy3:48
Total length:35:18
Still Alive – Special Edition tracklist[34]
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Still Alive"G-Dragon, Teddy, T.O.PDee.P, G-Dragon, TeddyDee.P3:18
2."Monster"G-Dragon, T.O.PG-Dragon, Choi Pil-kangChoi Pil-kang, Dee.P3:51
3."Feeling" (Korean version)G-Dragon, T.O.PBoys Noize, G-Dragon, T.O.PBoys Noize3:35
4."Fantastic Baby"G-Dragon, T.O.PG-Dragon, TeddyG-Dragon, Teddy3:52
5."Bad Boy"G-Dragon, T.O.PG-Dragon, Choice37Choice373:58
6."Blue"G-Dragon, Teddy, T.O.PTeddy, G-DragonTeddy3:55
7."Bingle Bingle" (빙글빙글; Binggeul Binggeul)G-Dragon, T.O.PTeddy, G-Dragon, Seo Won-jinTeddy, Seo Won-jin3:00
8."Ego" (Korean version)G-Dragon, T.O.PG-Dragon, Ham Seung-cheon, Kang Wook-jinHam Seung-cheon, Kang Wook-jin3:25
9."Love Dust" (사랑먼지; Sarangmeonji)G-Dragon, Teddy, T.O.PG-Dragon, TeddyTeddy3:51
Total length:32:45
Still Alive iTunes Store bonus track
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
10."Monster" (Instrumental) G-Dragon, Choi Pil-kangChoi Pil-kang, Dee.P3:50
11."Monster" (Acapella)G-Dragon, T.O.P  3:50
Total length:40:05

Charts

Sales

Release history

Country Date Label(s) Format
South Korea February 29, 2012 YG Entertainment Digital download, CD
Worldwide Digital download
Taiwan March 27, 2012 Warner Music Taiwan CD
South Korea June 3, 2012 (Still Alive) YG Entertainment Digital download
Worldwide
South Korea June 6, 2012 (Still Alive) CD
Taiwan June 29, 2012 (Still Alive) Warner Music Taiwan

References

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Preceded by
"New Breed" by Jay Park
 South Korea Albums Chart weekly number-one album
February 26, 2012 — March 3, 2012 		Succeeded by
"Alive" by Big Bang
Preceded by
"Alive" by Big Bang
 South Korea Albums Chart weekly number-one album
March 4, 2012 — March 10, 2012 		Succeeded by
"F.Scott Fitzgerald's Way Of Love" by 2AM
Preceded by
"Ignition: Special Edition" by B1A4
 South Korea Albums Chart weekly number-one album
June 3, 2012 — June 9, 2012 		Succeeded by
"Electric Shock" by f(x)
Preceded by
"100% Ver." by MBLAQ
 South Korea Albums Chart monthly number-one album
February, 2012 		Succeeded by
"Sherlock" by Shinee
Preceded by South Korea Albums Chart monthly number-one album
June, 2012 		Succeeded by
"Sexy, Free & Single" by Super Junior
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