Bang Bang Bang (BigBang song)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

"Bang Bang Bang"
Promotional picture
Single by BigBang
from the album Made and Made Series
Language
  • Korean
  • Japanese
A-side"We Like 2 Party"
ReleasedJune 1, 2015 (2015-6-1)
StudioYG (Seoul)
Genre
Length3:40
LabelYG
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)
  • G-Dragon
  • Teddy
  • T.O.P
Producer(s)
  • G-Dragon
  • Teddy
BigBang singles chronology
"Bae Bae"
(2015)
"Bang Bang Bang"
(2015)
"We Like 2 Party"
(2015)
Music video
"Bang Bang Bang" on
YouTube

"Bang Bang Bang" (

T.O.P
.

"Bang Bang Bang" received generally positive reviews from music critics, who complimented the track's energetic sound and the group's performance. The song was a commercial success, ranking as the best-performing single in South Korea during 2015. It also peaked atop the

Japan Hot 100, and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan
(RIAJ) in digital downloads and streaming.

The success of "Bang Bang Bang" led it to win various awards in South Korea and abroad, including

RTHK International Pop Poll Awards
.

Background and promotion

The first poster titled "Bang Bang Bang" was released on May 27. YG Entertainment's then-CEO Yang Hyun-suk commented that the song was "the most powerful music you have ever heard before."[1] Before its release on June 1 at midnight, the members hosted a live streaming on the app V from the news portal Naver, where they talked about the new songs and answered fans questions. The first televised live performance was held in the Mnet music show M Countdown along with "We Like 2 Party".[2] The group also appeared on the talk show You Hee-yeol's Sketchbook to perform the single.

"Bang Bang Bang" was translated for Japanese to be included in their album Made Series (2016). The Japanese version gained a new music video, that is essentially the same as the Korean original, but edited to be shorter in length. This version was performed in the Japanese TV shows Music Station, Momm!!, Space Shower TV, among others.

Composition

"Bang Bang Bang"'s verses feature a dance beat that were described as "'90s inspired", reminiscent of Diplo and Disclosure, with a "quasi-Migos flow over a hi-NRG" sound. The song then shifts into a "trap-heavy breakdown" in the chorus, and culminating into another breakdown, with chants of "Let the bass drum go".[3][4] Additionally, "reverberating synths filt" throughout the track, "playing off the pounding rhythm and powerful horns", giving "Bang Bang Bang" a "chaotic environment".[5] The chorus features the hook "Like you've been shot, bang bang bang",[6] which was noted for being "less onomatopoeic and more a homage to the band."[5]

Critical reception

Billboard placed the track at the tenth spot in their best BigBang songs list, calling the single "impossible to ignore," stating that, even though "the sudden shift in pacing throughout the single come off as jarring upon first listen," the track's "stuttering rhythm," "chaotic environment" and "frenzied energy" makes the song "all that more compelling."

Thump choose it as one of best songs of summer, feeling that the "multi-genre banger" is "fire in any language, in any country."[9]

Commercial performance

"Bang Bang Bang" had the highest first-week sales in 2015 by a group on the Gaon Chart, with 339,856 downloads sold.

Gaon Digital Chart.[11] By the end of June, "Bang Bang Bang" was number one on the monthly digital chart, with a total of 681,111 digital sales and 26.472 million streams.[12][13][14] On Gaon's year-end chart issue for 2015, "Bang Bang Bang" was ranked as the best performing song of the year, having been downloaded 1,581,284 times.[15] In September 2018, Gaon revealed that the song surpassed 2,500,000 downloads in South Korea.[16] In the United States, the single held the two top spots on the Billboard US World Digital Songs chart along with "We Like 2 Party", the second time for the group after the previous release M,[17] which led them tying with Psy's record for being the only K-pop act to hold the top two slots on the chart twice.[18] Billboard named "Bang Bang Bang" the biggest K-pop song on the World Digital Chart during the summer of 2015.[19] On the chart's year-end issue, it ranked at number five and was the third best-selling K-pop song in the US, behind only Psy's "Gangnam Style" and 2NE1's "I Am the Best".[20]

In Europe, "Bang Bang Bang" peaked at number 194 on the France

Official Finnish Download Chart.[23] In Japan, the Japanese version of the song peaked at number two on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 in the week of February 20, 2016.[24] It appeared on the chart's year-end issue for two consecutive years, ranking at number 28 in 2016 and number 95 in 2017. "Bang Bang Bang" was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) twice for surpassing 100,000 downloads and 50,000,000 streams in May 2016 and October 2022, respectively.[25][26] The single also ranked second as the most popular Korean singles in 2015 in Taiwan by music streaming service KKBox.[27] In 2017, the song ranked first place on the top 10 tracks of the year in the Japanese version of KKBox.[8]

Accolades

"Bang Bang Bang" received numerous accolades, including Song of the Year at the annual Mnet Asian Music Awards and Melon Music Awards. It was named one of the top ten international gold songs at the 2016 RTHK International Pop Poll Awards and won two Song of the Year by Download accolades from the Japan Gold Disc Awards in 2016 and 2017. Additionally, "Bang Bang Bang" received four consecutive Melon Weekly Popularity Awards.[28]

Awards and nominations for "Bang Bang Bang"
Organization Year Award Result Ref.
Gaon Chart Music Awards
2016 Song of the Month (June) Won [29]
Japan Gold Disc Awards Song of the Year by Download (Asia) Won [30]
2017 Won [31]
Melon Music Awards 2015 Song of the Year Won [32]
Netizen Popularity Award Won
Mnet Asian Music Awards 2015
Song of the Year
Won [33]
Best Dance Performance
Nominated
MTV Iggy 2015 International Song of Summer Won [34]
QQ Music Awards 2016 Best Music Video of the Year Won [35]
RTHK International Pop Poll Awards
2016 Top Ten International Gold Songs Won [36]
Seoul Music Awards Best Song Award Won [37]
Music program awards
Program Date Ref.
M Countdown June 11, 2015 [38]
June 25, 2015 [39]
Inkigayo June 14, 2015 [40]
June 28, 2015 [41]

Music video

"Bang Bang Bang" music video was directed by Seo Hyun-seung

Billboard highlighted the members' "boundary pushing" high-fashion.[44] Stereogum hailed it an "insanely epic video," and admired the video's "beautiful, absurd riot of glitter and pink hair and hydraulic low-riders and flamethrowers and tricked-out motorcycles and grenade launchers and studded leather and androgynous models on leashes and anti-aircraft guns and cowboy hats and Buckingham Palace guard hats and assault vehicles being driven like chariots."[45]

Stereogum ranked the music video at number 14 in their list of the 50 Best Music Videos of 2015, the only non-English work mentioned.

Hallyu is all about", featuring "insane costumes, dynamic dancing, and production values that match, even surpass, those of their Western competitors."[47] The video became most viewed K-pop group video of 2015 and second most viewed video by a K-pop group overall at the time, only behind their own "Fantastic Baby." On January 19, 2016, it reached 100 million views on YouTube, the second music video by a K-pop boy group to do so.[48]
It became the second K-pop group music video to surpass 200 million views on January 11, 2017.

Controversy

The group was criticized for appropriating Native American culture because of the war bonnet, worn only by those who have earned the highest honors in their tribes, Seungri wears in the video.[44] The Muse described the incident as "another example of K-pop appropriation" stating that "Western culture's various racial stereotypes" are "consumed and blown-out" by the genre "that it almost seems like an avenue in which to decentralize and possibly even defang some of those."[4]

Covers and usage in media

In January 2016,

Huening Kai from TXT and Ni-ki and Heeseung from Enhypen covered the song as part of a "Legend of K-pop" medley performance.[53] In April 2022, Treasure performed the song along with several others at their Trace Concert at the Olympic Hall.[54]

Legacy

"Bang Bang Bang" topped the 2015

2016 South Korean protests for the resignation of president Park Geun-hye.[56] In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked "Bang Bang Bang" number 66 in their list of the 100 Greatest Songs in the History of Korean Pop Music, writing that it "had immediate impact upon arrival, with newer groups still covering it seven years later. It's an instant mood-booster".[57]

Charts

Sales and certifications

Sales and certifications for "Bang Bang Bang"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[25]
Japanese ver.
Gold 100,000*
South Korea (
Gaon
)
2,500,000[16]
United States (Billboard) 11,000[60]
Streaming
Japan (RIAJ)[26]
Japanese ver.
Gold 50,000,000

* Sales figures based on certification alone.
Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history

Release dates and formats for "Bang Bang Bang"
Region Date Language Format Label Ref.
South Korea June 1, 2015 Korean Digital download YG Entertainment
Various [68]
Japan June 17, 2015 YGEX [69]
February 3, 2016 Japanese

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