Taeyang released QUINTESSENCE on May 18, 2026, his first solo album in nine years, with "LIVE FAST DIE SLOW" as the title track. The song steps away from his usual R&B for a progressive pop sound with a punk-leaning edge, framed as a statement about perseverance. The ten-track album also moves through cinematic pop and atmospheric R&B. Taeyang, a member of BIGBANG, has released solo music since 2008.
Each point is a rolling 30-day score ending on that date, sampled weekly. May differ from the window composite above.
Taeyang, whose given name is Dong Young-bae, is a South Korean singer and songwriter who debuted in 2006 as a member of BIGBANG, one of the most influential boy groups in K-pop history. He began releasing solo music in 2008 with the EP "Hot," and went on to become one of the genre's most acclaimed R&B-leaning vocalists. His 2010 album "Solar" and 2014 album "Rise" were both critical and commercial successes, with "Rise" charting on the US Billboard 200, then a high mark for a Korean soloist. The 2014 single "Eyes, Nose, Lips" swept Song of the Year honors across the major Korean year-end ceremonies and has since been widely covered. Later releases including the 2017 album "White Night" and the 2023 EP "Down to Earth" extended his catalog. As both a BIGBANG member and a soloist, Taeyang is regarded as one of the defining R&B artists of K-pop's second generation.