Taeyang shared that as you become more popular, it is important to be wary of the “yes-men” around you.
BIGBANG’s Taeyang appeared on the 139th episode of TEO’s web variety show ‘Salon Drip’, which was released on May 12.
Taeyang announced news about a new song for his birthday on May 18, explaining, “The dates just worked out. I originally planned to release it in time for Coachella, but since Coachella is in April, it felt a bit awkward. I’m releasing it in May, and I heard most people release on Mondays. It turned out my birthday was a Monday, so the company suggested releasing it on my birthday.”
In the past, Taeyang even held a birthday party featuring his favorite Pyongyang Naengmyeon. Showing his sincerity, he shared, “When fans ask for dinner recommendations, I always suggest Pyongyang Naengmyeon. At some point, I wanted them to taste it. I asked the owner of a place I visit every week if I could rent the whole venue for a birthday party,” explaining how he even taught fans the best way to enjoy the noodles.
Regarding the BIGBANG members’ reactions to his new song, he said, “They said it’s really great. The members, and I’m the same, tend to be very cold and honest when it comes to work. We give each other a lot of direction. Jiyong said ‘Great,’ and Daesung said, ‘Hyung, this is so good!'”
When Jang Do-yeon remarked, “It seems like that would be a great source of support. Getting feedback probably feels like a proper check-up,” Taeyang replied, “Even though it’s a solo project, in a broader sense, it’s done within the big umbrella of BIGBANG. If I do something and they don’t like it, that’s a problem. They are like a huge mountain to climb before I do anything. It only becomes meaningful when they hear it and give a positive reaction.”
Reflecting on his 20th anniversary since debut, Taeyang confessed, “I feel that the fans are the ones who made me who I am. I promoted the album in the US during Coachella and invited fans to hear the new album, and I wondered, ‘Is this even possible?’ Twenty years is a long time that could pass without doing anything, but so much has happened. The fact that we share all these moments feels like a miracle.”
When Jang Do-yeon asked which single day from the last 20 years he would return to, Taeyang chose his trainee days. “I want to go back to when I was a trainee. There’s a kind of pure power that comes from not knowing anything. I think I was happy with very small things. Like, ‘I have 5,000 won, let’s go eat pork rinds.’ That day was pure happiness. I think it would be great to go back to a time when I could feel those small joys.”
Jang Do-yeon also brought up a previous comment Taeyang made about needing to be wary of “endless praise” as one becomes more popular. Taeyang shared the wisdom he gained from his long career, saying, “I felt this while promoting for a long time. No matter what you do, the number of people saying ‘You’re right’ or ‘You’re the best’—the yes-men—inevitably increases. You have to be wary of that. I think I need people to look at me coldly and tell me when something isn’t right, and I must be ready to hear that. I tell my staff that if they just say everything is cool, they shouldn’t do that; they should tell me if it’s not good.”
