Taeyang held a showcase for his 4th full album, ‘QUINTESSENCE’, on the afternoon of the 18th at the Cube Convention Center in Sangam-dong, Mapo-gu, Seoul.
The new album consists of 10 tracks, including the title song ‘LIVE FAST DIE SLOW’. True to the album name, which means ‘essence’ or ‘quintessence’, Taeyang poured his unique musical color and sincerity into the entire project ahead of his comeback after 9 years.
Taeyang shared his recent updates, saying, “I’ve been incredibly busy this year. I was very occupied preparing for Coachella, and it was hectic finishing the album while getting the stage ready. I don’t think I’ve had a single day of rest since Coachella.”
Regarding his comeback after 9 years, he said, “It’s always similar before releasing an album. Many different emotions and thoughts go back and forth. Still, I’m happier than ever. Also, today is my birthday. I’m glad I can give a gift to my fans on my birthday, and I feel relieved that the album I’ve prepared for a year is finally coming out. I’m feeling a lot of things.”
On the meaning of releasing the album on his birthday, he revealed, “This is the first time in 20 years that I’ve released something on my birthday. It was originally scheduled for early this year, but after receiving the Coachella offer late last year, the April schedule was confirmed. The timing for the album became awkward. I thought it would be too busy and I wouldn’t be able to focus if I released it before Coachella, so we decided to push it back. That’s how it became May. I saw that many people release music on Mondays, and it happened to be my birthday. When suggested that it would be a great gift for the fans, I thought it was a wonderful idea.”
He continued, “For previous albums, I always worked with producers I’d been with for a long time, but for this album, I worked with a variety of producers, including those active internationally. While starting the album, I thought about who would be great to collaborate with and made a list with the company. Paul Blanco was very eager to work together, and we clicked really well. Tablo hyung also participated in writing lyrics for three songs. Many people helped me in various ways.”
He also added, “When I started making the new album, I focused on what would be the most ‘me’ while still being new. Having made so much music over 20 years, challenging myself with something new was a difficult part. Even so, I pondered what I could do that was truly new. Those attempts are captured in this album.”
He explained, “Until now, I usually made many B-side tracks first and then decided on the title, but for this album, I worked with the feeling of making every song a title track. That’s why it was hard to choose. I agonized until the end, but I felt the lyrics of this song describe the current Taeyang the best. While doing my solo tour two years ago, I thought that if I worked on the next album, I should make a fast and exciting song.”
Taeyang raised expectations by saying, “After filming the music video and performing the song, I felt that choosing this track as the title was definitely the right decision.”
Finally, regarding the album, he smiled and said, “Just as the album is titled ‘QUINTESSENCE’, it was a time of looking back at myself, finding myself, and asking questions throughout the process. This music will leave my hands and go to the public and fans at 6 PM today, and I hope you enjoy listening to it. I would love it if you could share the thoughts I had.”
Meanwhile, Taeyang’s fourth full album ‘QUINTESSENCE’ and the title track ‘LIVE FAST DIE SLOW’ will be released on the 18th at 6 PM.
