Taeyang (born Dong Young-bae; May 18, 1988 in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi-do, South… Read Full Bio ↴Taeyang (born Dong Young-bae; May 18, 1988 in Uijeongbu, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea), is a South Korean recording artist and entertainer. Taeyang began training under YG Entertainment at the age of 12 alongside fellow member and leader G-Dragon. After six years of vocal and dance training he made his debut in 2006 as a member of BIGBANG. In 2008, Taeyang released his debut mini-album Hot. On July 1, 2010, he released his first full-length album titled Solar.

Taeyang's first appearance in the entertainment industry was in the hip-hop group Jinusean's music video "A-yo". the collaboration eventually lead him to successfully auditioning into the group's record label YG Entertainment, where he became one of the rappers alongside fellow trainee G-Dragon. The two were later coined as GDYB. In 2003, Dong provided the rap verse in singer Wheesung’s single "Player" on the latter's second album.

Although Taeyang was scheduled to debut alongside G-Dragon as the duo GDYB, the plan was scrapped by their record label. Instead, they were joined by four other trainees (T.O.P, Daesung, Seungri, and So-1) to form the group Big Bang. Before their official debut, however, Sol-1 was dropped and their final lineup consisted of five members. Choosing the stage-name Taeyang (Korean: 태양, meaning sun), Dong abandoned the idea of rapping to focus on singing. The group's formation was documented on television. Although their debut was fairly successful, the group reached mainstream success with the release of their mini-album Always, which yielded the number-one song "Lies" followed by "Last Farewell" from the mini-album Hot Issue and "Day by Day" from Stand Up, both chart-toppers.

After contributions to singer Lexy's album, Taeyang was scheduled to release a solo album. Initially scheduled for a September release, the project was pushed back due to conflicting schedules with his group. Taeyang released his debut mini-album Hot on May 22, 2008, backed by a production team that included Teddy, Yang Hyun Suk, Kush, and his fellow member G-Dragon. Moving beyond the hip-hop genre of Big Bang, Taeyang incorporated mainly R&B songs into his album, stating that it was his "main focus". He expressed disappointment with the album, however, admitting that he did not write any of the songs; he later stated that he would do so in the future to express his "thoughts and ideas."

Taeyang's first mini-album Hot was well received by fans and critics alike, winning two trophies from The 7th Korean Music Awards for the 2008 Best R&B/Soul Song (나만 바라봐, "Only Look At Me") and the 2008 Best R&B/Soul Album (Hot).(Korean) He is the first "Idol group" or boyband member to receive such awards. The first single released was "Only Look At Me" (Korean: 나만 바라봐), an R&B song written by Teddy and Kush. Taeyang stated that the lyrics come from the perspective of a man who is "selfish" for wanting his girlfriend to be with him only, regardless of how he treats her. G-Dragon later recorded a "Part Two" version to the song. The second single was "Prayer (Korean: 기도)" which featured Teddy of 1TYM. Promotional videos were shot for both. In support of his album, he also staged his first solo concert, Hot.

Throughout the majority of 2009, Taeyang contributed to his group's activities, recording the song "Lollipop" with his group and labelmate 2NE1. He later flew to Japan to promote the group's Japanese albums. After activities ended, he went back to the studio to record and release his first digital single "Where U At", followed by another digital single, "Wedding Dress". Taeyang took his first attempt at composing by co-writing both songs with Teddy. Promotional videos were filmed for both "Where U At" and "Wedding Dress." "Wedding Dress" was voted #3 on an online poll for a Dutch radio station.

Taeyang's first full-length album Solar was released on July 1, 2010. Two versions of this album - the “Regular Edition” and the “Deluxe Edition” - was released. The regular edition contained 11 songs, while the deluxe edition, limited to 30,000 copies worldwide, had 13 songs, including “Only Look At Me” and “Prayer" from the previous album Hot. On the first day of sales for the limited Deluxe Edition of Solar, the 30,000 copies released by YG entertainment were sold out in online and offline stores.

On July 7, 2010, Taeyang released his solo album Solar on the iTunes for the first time in his music career. On July 9, 2010, Solar hit second place on iTunes' Top R&B-Soul albums chart in the United States and first place in Canada, making him the first Asian musician in history to attain such an achievement. The lead-single was "I Need A Girl" featuring his bandmate G-Dragon. His labelmate Sandara Park of 2NE1 starred in the music video for "I Need A Girl." The second single, "I'll Be There" and its music video were premiered on August 19, 2010 through Taeyang's official Youtube channel.

Taeyang's first international album, Solar International, breaks new ground as it will be the first ever K-Pop music release to be sold worldwide on iTunes as both an audio and video album. The audio version (complete with a digital booklet) hit iTunes stores on August 25, 2010 while the video version (bundled with bonus, behind the scenes documentaries) will arrive by September 10, 2010. The audio album combines both English and Korean hits from his past and present albums including "I'll Be There", "Connection (feat. BIG TONE), "Wedding Dress" and "I Need A Girl (feat. G-Dragon)." On August 26, 2010, Solar's International album made it to fifth place on iTunes' Top R&B-Soul albums chart in the United States, China and Japan, and third place in Canada.

이게 아닌데
태양 Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

난 아직도 사랑한다고
말하고 싶었지만
더 이상은 안될거라고
끝내 포기해 버렸던 니가

미워졌다기보단 더 보고싶다
아쉽다기보단 너무 그립다
이게 아닌가 이게 아닌가

혹시 우연히 만나면 어떻게 할까
널 모른척 사람들 속에 숨을까
이젠 의미 없는 감정의 낭비겠지만

하루에도 몇십번은 고민해
약이라던 시간도 꽤 지났는데
이게 아닌데 이게 아닌데 이게 아닌데

넌 이제야 행복하다고
미소를 짓겠지만
아름다웠던 기억보단
깊은 상처를 남겼던 니가
미워졌다기보단 더 보고싶다
아쉽다기보단 너무 그립다
이게 아닌가 이게 아닌가

처음부터 너무나도 익숙했잖아
오랜 시간 만나온 연인들보다
이젠 의미 없는 추억속의 일이지만

하루에도 몇십번은 고민해
약이라던 시간도 꽤 지났는데
이게 아닌데 이게 아닌데 이게 아닌데

너로 채워진 (ah) 내 맘을 비우려 해 봤지만
혹시 영화 같은 일이 내게 벌어질 것만 같아서

하루에도 몇십번은 고민해
약이라던 시간도 꽤 지났는데
이게 아닌데 이게 아닌데 이게 아닌데

나 조차도 내가 날 보기 미안해
끝나버린 사랑은 묻고 싶은데
이게 아닌데 이게 아닌데 이게 아닌데 woo, woo, woo
Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo

Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo
Woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo, woo

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to 태양's song 이게 아닌데 (It's not like this) express the sentiment of a person who still loves their former partner but has given up on reconciliation. The song explores the internal struggle of the singer, who cannot escape their love for their former lover despite knowing that they must let go. The chorus repeats the phrase "Is this not it?" as the singer questions their decision to end the relationship and reflects on the pain they still carry.

The first verse sets the tone of the song with the singer admitting that they still want to say "I love you," but they have come to accept that it is no longer possible. They have given up on their former partner, who has left them with deep emotional scars. The second verse delves deeper into the singer's feelings, highlighting their internal conflict. They have come to believe that their attachment to their former partner is a waste of their time and emotion. Still, they cannot help the fact that they miss them and long to be with them again.

Throughout the song, the singer speaks to their former partner, expressing their emotions and telling them how they feel. Despite the pain and hurt, they continue to think about their former lover every day and imagine what it would be like if they were to meet again. The haunting melody and the melancholic lyrics perfectly capture the sense of longing and sorrow that accompany the aftermath of a broken relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

난 아직도 사랑한다고
I wanted to say that I still love you

말하고 싶었지만
but I couldn't say it

더 이상은 안될거라고
I thought it wouldn't work anymore

끝내 포기해 버렸던 니가
You, who eventually gave up

미워졌다기보단 더 보고싶다
It's not that I hate you, I just miss you more

아쉽다기보단 너무 그립다
It's not that I'm disappointed, I just miss you too much

이게 아닌가 이게 아닌가
Is this really how it's supposed to be?

혹시 우연히 만나면 어떻게 할까
If we accidentally run into each other, what should we do?

널 모른척 사람들 속에 숨을까
Should I pretend to not know you and hide among people?

이젠 의미 없는 감정의 낭비겠지만
Now it's just a waste of meaningless emotions

하루에도 몇십번은 고민해
I think about it dozens of times a day