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.
RIDE
태양 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
오늘 날씨가 좋아서도 아니야
그저 떠나고 싶어 너와 단둘이
아무도 모르게
Big city, bright lights
그 속에 너와 나
내 머릿속 Head lights
멀리 가지 않아 걱정 안 해도 돼
천천히 가볼게
Girl, do you wanna ride with me
'Cause I just wanna take you there
Girl, do you wanna ride with me
Oh baby, I just wanna take you there
가고 싶은 곳이 있다면 말해
굳이 없다면 그것도 괜찮아
내 옆자리에 너만 있으면 돼
그게 어디든
Big city, bright lights
그 속에 너와 나
내 머릿속 Head lights
너만을 밝혀 난
멀리 가지 않아 걱정 안해도 돼
천천히 가볼게
Girl, do you wanna ride with me
'Cause I just wanna take you there
Girl, do you wanna ride with me
Oh baby, I just wanna take you there
Let's ride
오늘 밤이
지나 해가 뜰 때까지
Let's ride 저 끝까지
가는거야 baby don't you worry about a thing
Girl
Come and take a ride with me tonight
Do you wanna ride
I just wanna take you, take you there
Come and take a ride with me tonight
Do you wanna ride
I just wanna take you, oh baby
I just wanna take you there
Do you wanna ride
In the song "RIDE" by 태양, the lyrics convey a sense of spontaneity and a desire to escape with a loved one. The opening lines suggest that there is no specific destination that must be reached, emphasizing the importance of being together and the simple desire to leave everything behind. The mood is set with the mention of good weather, but it is clear that the motivation to go on this journey is not dependent on external factors. It's about the inner urge to set off on an adventure with that special someone without anyone else knowing.
The lyrics then transition into a description of the city lights and the connection between the singer and the person they are inviting to join them. The imagery of the bright lights symbolizes a sense of excitement and possibility, while the mention of head lights in the singer's mind suggests a focus solely on the other person. The reassurance that they don't have to go far and can take it slow signifies a laid-back approach to the journey, highlighting the importance of the company over the destination itself.
The chorus of the song, with its repeated invitation to "ride" and the declaration of wanting to take the other person somewhere, emphasizes the singer's eagerness to share this experience with their companion. The verses express a willingness to go wherever the other person wants to go, or even if they don't have a specific place in mind, as long as they are together. It's about cherishing the presence of the other person and the intimacy of sharing a journey, regardless of where it leads.
As the song continues, the bridge builds up a sense of adventure and excitement for the night ahead. The encouragement to take a ride until the sun comes up and to explore until the very end reinforces the carefree and spontaneous nature of the journey. The overall message is one of wanting to create special memories with someone special, to go on this adventure together without any worries or constraints. The song culminates in a repeated question, "Do you wanna ride?" which serves as a playful and inviting invitation to embark on this journey of love and togetherness.
Line by Line Meaning
꼭 가야 할 곳이 있는 게 아니야
There's no place we must go
오늘 날씨가 좋아서도 아니야
Even though the weather is nice today
그저 떠나고 싶어 너와 단둘이
I just want to leave with you alone
아무도 모르게
Without anyone knowing
가고 싶은 곳이 있다면 말해
If you have a place you want to go, tell me
굳이 없다면 그것도 괜찮아
If not, that's okay too
내 옆자리에 너만 있으면 돼
As long as you're by my side
그게 어디든
It doesn't matter where
Let's ride 오늘 밤이
Let's ride until tonight
지나 해가 뜰 때까지
Passing until the sun rises
가는거야 baby don't you worry about a thing
We're going all the way, baby don't worry about a thing
Girl
Girl
Come and take a ride with me tonight
Come and take a ride with me tonight
Do you wanna ride
Do you wanna ride
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Hong Jun Park, Jeong Hun Seo, Jun Seok Lee, Young Bae Dong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind