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BIGBANG proves 20 years of K-pop chemistry at Goyang homecoming
K-pop boy band BIGBANG members, from left, Daesung, G-Dragon and Taeyang, perform during the group's "XX : COSMOS" world tour concert at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. The three-night run marked 20th anniversary of the group's debut as well as its first concert in Korea since 2017. Courtesy of YG Entertainment
By Pyo Kyung-min
GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province — Eight years and eight months away, and two missing founding members, counted for little at Goyang Stadium on Sunday.
One of K-pop's most long-standing, iconic boy bands, BIGBANG packed more than 30 songs into two and a half hours. Roughly 40,000 fans answered with a roar loud enough to leave ears ringing.
The three-night run, titled "XX : COSMOS," was the group's first concert in Korea since "LAST DANCE" at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome in December 2017. It marked BIGBANG's 20th debut anniversary and the opening leg of its first full world tour as the trio of G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung.
K-pop boy band BIGBANG appears onstage during the group's "XX : COSMOS" world tour concert at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Courtesy of YG Entertainment
Fans of all ages from around the globe filled the complex well before Sunday's 7 p.m. start. Daehwa Station on Seoul Metro Line 3, the nearest station to the venue, was already crowded, the late-summer heat matching the mood outside the gates.
Just minutes after 7 p.m., the three appeared to the sounds of their 2012 song "Fantastic Baby." Following an intro video built around the latest album's cosmic motif, a screen washed in red split slowly down the middle and the members appeared in glistening white suits.
The greeting from the crowd was the kind of mass singalong rarely heard at any K-pop show in recent memory. Tens of thousands of BIGBANG's official lightsticks moved in unison beneath slogans reading, "We are still BIGBANG's V.I.P.," refering to the band's fandom.
K-pop boy band BIGBANG performs during the group's "XX : COSMOS" world tour concert at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Courtesy of YG Entertainment
After an electrifying intro sequence comprising "Hands Up," "Tonight," "LOSER," "Blue" and "Bae Bae," G-Dragon paused to take in the room.
"I stopped because I wanted to soak in our last day here," he said. "This is our 20th anniversary world tour. We started in 2006 and we've made it to 2026. I sincerely welcome all of you who came."
"It's so good to meet you with a new look and a new stage for our 20th anniversary," Taeyang added, sporting spiky pink hair.
Daesung referenced the tour's title. "Tonight I'm here to serve you 'course-MOS' as in a full course meal," he said, drawing laughter from the crowd.
What came next made sitting still difficult.
K-pop anthems "Lies," "We Like 2 Party" and "BANG BANG BANG" and "HOME SWEET HOME" arrived alongside solo material, like Daesung's ambitious trot song "Look at Me, Gwisun," Taeyang's recent release under The Black Label, "Live Fast Die Slow," and G-Dragon's "Crayon" and "Crooked." Anyone with a passing familiarity with K-pop would have recognized most of the setlist.
The anniversary single "BiiiG," the group's first new music in four years and four months, was also performed.
K-pop boy band BIGBANG members, from left, Daesung, Taeyang and G-Dragon, perform during the group's "XX : COSMOS" world tour concert at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Courtesy of YG Entertainment
The encore pushed the room to its peak. By the time "Sunset Glow" and "Last Farewell" came around, everyone in the audience was on their feet singing along. Some were even on the cusp of tears.
Reconfigured as a trio, the group's timing was intact. The three covered the wide, protruding stage without relying on tight synchronized choreography, and the cameras repeatedly caught them locking eyes and sharing smiles.
The live vocals held up. Powerhouse vocalists Daesung and Taeyang delivered immediately, while G-Dragon, whose live singing has recently drawn some criticism, was also in good condition. He previously opened his solo tour at the same venue in March last year, when complaints about his live skills followed him through the year.
Fans cheer during BIGBANG's "XX : COSMOS" world tour concert at Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, Sunday. Some 40,000 people attended the final night of the three-day run, which marked the group's 20th debut anniversary. Courtesy of YG Entertainment
The band and the production also carried much of the night. A five-piece live group under music director Wow Jones, whose credits include work with popstars Usher, Post Malone and Rihanna, filled every gap in the sound across the full setlist.
Staging shifted with each song through video and lighting cues developed with Mike Carson, creative director on last year's Super Bowl halftime show, and Es Devlin, the stage designer behind the 2012 London Olympics closing ceremony.
The closer was "Still Life," released four years and four months ago. Ex-member T.O.P's rap verse was left in.
From Goyang, the tour moves on to 33 shows in 19 cities across North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia through next year, all at stadium-scale venues, according to YG Entertainment. Additional cities are to be announced.