K-Pop royalty BIGBANG have made their long-awaited return with the new single ‘Still Life’ (literally translated as “Spring Summer Fall Winter” in Korean). ‘Still Life’ is the group’s first release in over four years since the single ‘Flower Road’ – a gift to VIPs before the members’ military enlistments.
With ’Still Life’, the four members reflect on their path and where they are now, the struggles and challenges they’ve been through and endured to understand themselves, what it means to be an adult, and how to become better people. The lyrics use metaphors related to the four seasons to express BIGBANG heartfelt messages to fans, “The seasons pass hopelessly as days go by / Going through our hearts by staining red and bruising blue”. Members G-Dragon and T.O.P are credited for lyrics and composition.
‘Still Life’ is an emotional ’80s soft rock ballad that will deliver both comfort and a hint of nostalgia to listeners. A contrasting sound compared to other K-Pop songs released this year, but BIGBANG show once again that BIGBANG are not done experimenting with music genres.
The music video for the single is melancholic, with each member representing a season and only appearing individually in each set. However, the video features a few cuts with four chairs; there are no group shots. BIGBANG included references to previous releases like ‘Flower Road’, ‘Last Dance’, and G-Dragon’s solo EP Know Jiyong.
‘Still Life’ is currently taking over the Korean real-time streaming charts. At 11 pm KST on April 5, the single was No.1 on MelOn, Flo, Genie, and Bugs – with 10 roofhit on MelOn and 6 on Genie. The single has reached No.1 on Rakuten Music in Japan, and it is No.1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart in over 30 countries, including Australia, France, Hong Kong, Norway, and Brazil.
We still don’t know if BIGBANG will release a full album soon, but ‘Still Life’ is an assurance for fans that BIGBANG are not over, and there is still hope.
