Group BIGBANG member Taeyang (35 years, real name Dong Young-bae) is returning to his original goals”. Taeyang will make his comeback as a solo artist with his new album ‘Down to Earth’ on April 25th. It is the first time in 6 years that Taeyang's songs are released in a solo album since his 3rd regular album 'White Night' in 2017. In the meantime, Interest is gathering in what kind of music Taeyang, who has become a hit with every solo release, will show through his new album. On April 24th, the day before the release, Taeyang held a commemorative concert at Hyundai Card Understage, in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, and revealed his feelings about the new album. On stage, Taeyang explained each song on the B-side and performed them live. "I prepared this with the concept of inviting you to my studio," Taeyang explained. ‘Down to Us’ is an album that contains Taeyang’s feelings and thoughts about the past. It contains six tracks of various genres such as ballad, hip-hop, and soul, and all songs are self-composed to add authenticity. Taeyang said, “During this time, I received a lot of comfort admiring the sunset and the Sunrise. this it's an album with various colors as the sunset, and I think this album has a lot of meaning to me because I think it's the result of the many people who helped me endure during that time." The sun that burns red will face the night, now it's time for sunset… “It is not an exaggeration to say that the concept and composition of this album started while watching the sunset, and it gave me a lot of emotions.” The word that encompasses this album is 'initiative'. Taeyang, who usually likes to look at the sunset, said that he was comforted and moved by looking at the sunset during difficult times and that he was able to look back on his original goals and intentions. Taeyang, who said that the hard times he has, are reflected in the sunset that repeatedly greets the night, said, “Seeing the sunset greeting the night so beautifully without any complaints, it is difficult, but it makes me think about what is the smallest thing I can do. That made me go back to the beginning, to my real and original intentions” he said. The album's title, 'Down to Earth', also means 'going back to the beginning' in Korean. Regarding the meaning of ´original intention´, Taeyang said, “I was worried that the meaning of my original intentions might fade, but in the end, I realized that that meaning is ‘modesty’. I prepared the album with “a mind that does not take the obvious for granted” because I want to live like that.” Taeyang's title song 'Seed' is a ballad that contains the sincere feelings and honest thoughts that Taeyang felt during his hiatus of the past six years. The poetical lyrics and melodies also contain Taeyang's unique sensibility. Taeyang said, “K-pop is receiving a lot of love globally, but in my opinion, the most beautiful time for K-pop was in the 80s and 90s. It had the most pop-like melody and beautiful Korean lyrics. I worked on this song because I thought it would be very meaningful to interpret that sensibility in a modern style,” he explained. Also said, “I have melted in the lyrics my past emotions and thoughts about what I want to face in the future. It is a song made with a plain but beautiful melody.” The lyrics that look back on the various controversies surrounding the BIGBANG members and the difficult times when they were unable to resume their activities due to COVID-19 also draw attention. Looking back on the past times, Taeyang said, “There were times when it was difficult to communicate with the world because I was in the army, and although I can’t go into detail, I spent frustrating times with bad things. Even after being discharged, it was not easy as Corona 19 hit and I couldn’t do activities and the process of making music became difficult.” However, during the hiatus, Taeyang also grew together. He said, “It was a time when I thought about what was really important to me. I thought I learned a lot from starting my social life early, but during my hiatus, I looked at my shortcomings and faced them, so it became a time for me to seek changes, to become a better person like the human Dong Young-bae as well as the singer Taeyang .” Collaborations with Jimin of BTS and Lisa of BLACKPINK “Open up the water to resume Music” Taeyang left YG Entertainment, where he had been with for 16 years since his debut in December of last year, and moved to The Black Label with producer Teddy as the head. Regarding the transfer, Taeyang said, “I have been in a constant musical exchange with the producers of The Black Label, so in a way, leaving the agency was a natural thing for me”, he said. Taeyang released the digital single “VIBE” with Jimin, flaring for his full-fledged activities. 'Vibe' not only topped the national music charts but also proved the world's interest by surpassing 100 million streams on Spotify, the world's largest music streaming platform. Taeyang also commented on “Vibe”, “I took a break from activities for a long time, but thanks to this song, I can come back to the world. In particular, collaborating with Jimin made it a very special song,” he said. “I am just grateful that many people like it.” However, the fact that 'Vibe' was released as a digital single made it impossible to enjoy Taeyang's music more diversely, and he did not actively promote it, which made fans regretful. After the release of this album, he will actively promote it. Appearing on music broadcasts presenting new song stages, and appearing in entertainment programs such as tvN's 'You Quiz'. In addition, Taeyang will perform for the first time in EBS's 'Space Empathy', which will be aired on May 2nd. Taeyang also hinted at plans for various performances. Taeyang said, “As a singer, the greatest honor is to release an album and meet fans at concerts. For the time being, we plan to hold stages through festivals and events, and plan to meet fans through concerts and tours in a short time.” The B-side song ‘Shung!’, featuring Lisa, is also garnering a lot of attention. ‘Shung!’ is an R&B trap song with an addictive melody and a trendy hip-hop beat. Lisa participated in the performance video as well as the features. In particular, Lisa appeared as a dancer in Taeyang's 'Ringa Ringa' music video in 2013, before Blackpink's debut, and showed extraordinary chemistry. Regarding this song, Taeyang said, “After being discharged from the military, I had a lot of worries about working on music, but it was a song I made while enjoying and playing around with a light heart. It was a song that opened the way for other songs to come out,” he said. This is a song that was made in the shortest possible time. After that, the music work went smoothly, and the current album came out.” Previously, with the collaboration song “Vibe” with BTS Jimin, Taeyang ranked 76th on the US Billboard’s main single chart “Hot 100.” Taeyang is the first BIGBANG member to enter the ‘Hot 100’. Following Jimin, Taeyang, who has been supported by strong juniors, is also raising expectations for his global performance. “The perspective of the world changes with a child” Another musical inspiration for Taeyang is his family Taeyang, the main vocalist and main dancer of BIGBANG, is an all-rounder who can handle all genres. Taeyang, who debuted as a member of the group BIGBANG in 2006, opened his solo career with 'Look at Me' in 2008, reborn as a trustful vocalist who makes hits one after another. BIGBANG's comeback is also a point that draws attention. BIGBANG made a comeback after 4 years with the digital single ‘Spring Summer Fall Winter’ in April of last year and swept the charts. Since then, all members of BIGBANG have left YG Entertainment except for G-Dragon and scattered, and recently, following Taeyang, G-Dragon announced a solo comeback. Regarding the resumption of BIGBANG's activities in the future, Taeyang said, "It's also my biggest dream. It's hard to say right now, but in the near future, if I work hard and the other members work hard, wouldn't it be possible to stand in front of the fans at a good opportunity and a good time?" He showed unchanging love for his group. Taeyang's family is also a source of his music. Taeyang married actress Min Hyo-rin in 2018 and gave birth to a son in 2021. When asked if there was a change in musical values after having a child, he said, “The perspective of looking at the world has changed a lot. I am grateful for such a beautiful change, and my family and baby have brought positive changes to me, so I am having a happy and valuable time.” At the same time, Taeyang, who smiled brightly while talking about the lovely appearance of the 17-month-old child, repeatedly mentioned that the time spent with the child was so happy. “As an artist Taeyang, I have always talked about my aspirations as ‘sincerity’, but I thought that sincerity should be included in my actual life to have a good influence on my child.” When asked if he had any new goals set through this activity, Taeyang replied, “My biggest desire is to be loved and comfort many people, especially the fans who have been waiting for a long time.” “Through this album, I have a vision for future albums. I will do music for our fans sooner in the future,” foreshadowing active music activities. Meanwhile, Taeyang's new album will be released on April 25th at 6 pm.