TAEYANG

South Korean singer, songwriter, and dancer Taeyang is best known as a founding member of the K-pop act Big Bang. Influenced by Michael Jackson and American R&B/soul music, he brought a vocal depth to the group, which was at the forefront of the 2000s Korean Wave, finding international success and helping to influence a generation of artists. Kicking off a solo career in 2008, he issued his first full-length, Solar -- a nod to his stage name, which means "sun" -- in 2010. 2014's follow-up, Rise, broke records on the U.S. charts and yielded the ballad "Eyes, Nose, Lips," which won awards across East Asia. Following the release of his third album, White Night (2017), Taeyang began his mandatory military service, which lasted until 2019. He made his solo comeback in 2023 with his Down to Earth EP. He released his fourth full-length Quintessence in 2026.