0:00
대단히 반갑습니다 반가워요, 제인 애플뮤직 스튜디오에 나와주셔서 감사합니다 지금 엄청 들뜨고 바쁜 시기일 텐데요 친구들도 그렇고요 태양과 태양의 복귀를 얘기하는 자리인데요 또 중요한 게 있죠 지금 코첼라 첫 주 공연중이잖아요 빅뱅 친구들과 함께요 팬들이 이번 복귀를 엄청 기대하고 있을 텐데요 이번 컴백과 공연을 결정할 때 이 열기가 얼마나 그리울지 생각했나요?
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0:38
I did have some expectations, to be honest but not to that extent I honestly didn’t expect so many people to welcome me so warmly.
0:49
We really thought a lot about what setlist would be the best way to meet you all When I came on stage for the opening and heard the cheers from the fans, I felt a strong excitement.
1:06
I wanted to show them a lot on today’s stage.
1:09
그동안 무대를 떠나 시간을 가지고 삶의 다른 면을 경험했잖아요 떠나서 여러 가지를 했죠 군복무도 있었고 가정을 꾸리고 일반적인 삶을 겪었죠 그런 일들이 얼마나… 빅뱅 공연 재개에 대한 감상에 영향을 미쳤나요?
1:33
이번에 처음으로 하는데 엄청 크게 가잖아요 It was only natural.
1:41
When I put out an album two years ago and made my comeback, I personally felt… How was I even able to make a comeback?
1:56
Due to things like my military service, COVID, and the hiatus, there were times when performing and making music again in front of the fans began to feel difficult But as we made a comeback, things became possible again and as they kept going meeting you all at Coachella
2:23
in what is, in a sense, a historic 20th anniversary year feels deeply meaningful and almost like a miracle to me 좋네요, 팬으로서 정말 좋아요 밴드가 복귀하는 게 늘 당연하지는 않죠 밴드가 복귀하는 게 늘 당연하지는 않죠 개인사와 관심사가 변하니까요 원하는 삶을 살 권리가 있고요 하지만 돌아볼 기회가 주어졌을 때 한 발 뒤로 물러나서 지금까지의 삶을 돌아봤나요? ‘이걸 시작했을 때 내가 정말 어렸구나’
3:01
‘이걸 시작했을 때 내가 정말 어렸구나’ ‘음악으로 생계를 꾸리려 했지’ 그런데 이제 코첼라에도 서고 새 프로젝트도 있잖아요 요즘 들어 과거를 많이 돌아봤나요?
3:18
물론이죠 Without a doubt it was the time I truly needed.
3:23
Since I debuted at a young age, I wasn’t really in a position to take a long break.
3:32
But due to various circumstances I had a hiatus, and now that I think about it it was exactly the time I needed.
3:40
In a way, as an artist, I had plenty of time to keep creating and growing without stopping, but at the same time, there were moments when I felt I wasn’t growing enough as a person.
3:59
As I looked back on my life the people I’ve met, and the many experiences I’ve had, I came to notice many of my own shortcomings, and I was able to take time to work and improve.
4:14
So because of all that, coming back to music and being on stage again has definitely given me new emotions and a renewed sense of motivation. I'm sure of that.
4:27
너무 좋네요 그게 성장이죠 여유고요 젊은 사람들은 당연하게 생각하죠 ‘저것도 가질 거야 저것도 가질 거야’ 네 하지만 감사함을 배우면 훨씬 의미가 있어지죠 놓는 법도 배우고요 거기서 ‘퀸테센스’ 앨범으로 이어지는데요 무척 개인적이고 품격 있는 앨범이죠 어떤 영혼과 감정으로 이 앨범을 작업하기 시작했나요?
5:07
Honestly, the time I mentioned earlier was really important for me.
5:14
When I was always making music without stopping, I was so close to what I was making, that I couldn’t really see the bigger picture.
5:27
But that break gave me a chance to step back and look at things from a distance.
5:34
That’s when I started seeing a wider view and noticing things I couldn’t see before.
5:42
And all of that really helped me a lot while making this album.
5:49
So if ‘Down to Earth’ which I released two years ago was an album that expressed the most important values and emotions for me as an individual named Dong Young-bae.
6:05
Then the upcoming album QUINTESSENCE is more about me as an artist, TAEYANG.
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It reflects the perspective I currently have and what feels more important to me now.
6:21
Through this album, I wanted to share a wider range of perspectives and different sides of myself with more fans and listeners.
6:37
외부에서 얻는 영감과 더 넓은 시각 얘기를 했는데 네 예컨대 눈에 띄거나 관심 가는 것들이 있나요?
6:50
태양의 예술가적 관점을 넓혀준 것들요 It’s hard to point to just one thing because there are so many.
7:00
But looking back, I think I used to put a lot of effort into actively searching for inspiration.
7:10
I was always trying to experience more outside of myself, looking for new stimuli and making an effort, to approach different things without stopping.
7:20
Of course, I still have that curiosity now but I’ve come to realize that the inspiration that’s actually closer to me comes from my everyday life and my inner world.
7:34
After that realization, I started focusing more on the perspectives.
7:40
I feel more through myself and through people these days.
7:45
As a result I began to pay more attention to the different directions I can take from there and the kind of attitude I need to have in order to find those directions.
8:01
And that’s when I started planning this album It really contains a lot of those thoughts and that whole process. 어떤 작업 방식을 선호하세요?
8:13
공동 작업이라거나 작업 속도는 빠른 게 좋다거나 느긋한 게 좋다거나 공동 작업자를 정하기 전에 어떤 동기를 가졌는지 아는 게 중요한가요? 작업 과정에서 어떤 걸 중시하세요?
8:30
When I make an album I usually start by clearly defining the direction I want to go in meaning the concept and the title.
8:47
Then I focus on finding the right sound and bringing together the teams who can realize that vision.
8:54
And this time I really felt even more strongly how important it is starting the process with those who share the same mindset and vision.
9:05
대중음악 산업에서 흔히 보는 경우로는 케이팝이든 제이팝이든 웨스턴 팝이든 처음에는 팀 작업이 있죠 주어진 곡을 부르고요 그러다 변화하죠 오래가고 성공하면 내 비전과 관점에 집중하겠다고 할 수 있죠 ‘내가 직접 할래’ ‘직접 음악을 고르고 음악을 만들고’ ‘프로듀스와 컬래버도 내가 직접 할래’ 당신에겐 그 순간이 언제 왔나요?
9:44
‘회사의 작업의 한 부분이 되는 건’ ‘인제 그만두고’ ‘내가 직접 작업을 정의할 거야’ Actually, Actually, I work both as part of a team (BIGBANG) and as a solo artist.
10:03
Of course, when I’m working with the team I try to bring together different opinions and think carefully about the team’s direction.
10:13
But when I’m working solo there’s still some difference in degree of course but most of the decisions from the early stages have been things I’ve made on my own.
10:29
Sure, for the most important matters I listen to many people’s opinions and choose the best option.
10:35
But the basic direction is still something I’ve been able to think through and decide for myself.
10:45
However if I had to think in terms of percentage this new album is probably the one I’ve taken on the highest level of responsibility and leadership.
10:55
I usually work most closely with house producers but for this album from the very early planning stage I worked in a more diverse environment with a wider range of people.
11:11
Because of that, it also became a process.
11:13
where I learned how to collaborate and create music with people I was meeting for the first time While doing that, I found myself thinking much more deeply on my own setting the direction more actively and learning a lot about how to bring out my own perspective and vision in the process.
11:38
In that sense, this is an album that I really led forward in that way.
11:42
감사합니다 감사합니다 이번 앨범 작업 과정에서 배운 몇 가지를 꼽아본다면요? 누구랑 같이 작업했나요?
11:50
새로운 사람과의 컬래버라든가 누구랑 작업했고 그 과정은 어땠나요?
12:00
First of all, I worked with a really wide range of different producers this time.
12:08
Of course I worked with US producers, and other well-know global producers.
12:16
As well as producers based in Korea.
12:22
To name some of the producers I worked with: The Stereotypes. Tone Stith, j.
12:31
Que, Paul Blanco in Korea.
12:36
They are the ones that I worked with a lot.
12:39
When I first started working with them one of the challenges was that when I work with my usual in-house producers they already know my musical style and the kind of legacy I've built so I don’t really need to explain much.
13:01
We can usually just get straight into working without long discussions or meetings about what I need or what kind of new direction I’m looking for.
13:14
But when working with new producers I had to explain those things more and it made me think a lot more about what kind of freshness or new elements I should bring it into the direction I was heading.
13:26
At first, that part was a bit difficult but luckily after a few tries things started to flow more naturally and in the end we were able to come up with great results.
13:41
돌이켜보면 도움이 됐을 것 같아요 설명을 통해 태양의 비전을 정제하는 거죠 설명하면서 스스로 더 잘 이해하게 되잖아요 네 거기서 ‘퀸테센스’와 그 단어의 중요성으로 이어지죠 태양에게 중요한 단어 같아요 어떤 의미이고 왜 그걸 제목으로 정했나요?
14:10
Honestly, to really talk about this I’d have to go back to when I first started this album about a year ago Back then, the A&R team at my company had a meeting with me and said it was time to properly start working on the album.
14:34
I was actually still making music whenever I had time, even while doing a lot of other things including touring, but I didn’t have a clear concept or title in mind yet.
14:46
So after the meeting the A&R team gave me homework to come back the next week with the album title and concept.
15:00
I spent that week thinking about it a lot.
15:03
After Down to Earth, I did have a concept and title in mind.
15:11
But when I actually tried to build something around it, it just felt like it was missing something.
15:18
So I thought about it again.
15:20
I asked myself what words had really stuck with me.
15:24
Over the past few years, from books I’d read or videos I’d watched and what came to mind were things like essence the core of something and the fundamental root.
15:42
So I looked into those words and ‘essence’ kept coming up the most.
15:50
But that word is used so often and it didn’t feel 100% right as an album title so I kept thinking about it.
16:01
So I ended up finding the word ‘quintessence’.
16:04
It felt like a word with a bit more depth than ‘essence’.
16:09
And as I studied it more, even though it’s not a word people use that often I felt like its meaning really fit this album well.
16:22
So I just used it as a working title and started working on the album.
16:27
I thought I might change it later if I found a better title.
16:35
But by the time I reached the final stage of the album, it just felt like the word fit the project so well that I decided to keep it and that’s how I ended up with it.
16:46
앨범의 곡들 중에서… 앨범이 성찰적이고 모든 곡에서 자신에 대한 이해를 깊이 파고들잖아요 그런 점에서 진정한 아티스트죠 태양이 느끼기에 앨범의 어떤 곡이 가장 깊이 들어간 것 같나요?
17:05
자신의 감정을 이해하려고 진짜 밀어붙인 곡요 그 곡을 쓰는 순간에요 But I also realized while making this album that the way quintessence is defined really varies from track to track. So, I find it hard...
17:25
to attach the meaning of this title to any single specific song.
17:33
So, I really tried to capture the quintessence I had in mind for each track so each song feels pretty different in terms of what it’s about.
17:45
But when you look at the album as a whole it touches on a lot of different themes.
17:52
Overall, when you look at it well… I think the direction I’m aiming for along with my attitude towards things naturally came through in the album.
18:14
But while making it I realized that it’s really hard to capture all of that in just one song.
18:23
저도 아들을 둘 둔 아빠거든요 - 와 - 그래서 유명인의 바운더리와 사생활의 중요성을 잘 아는데 가정의 사생활을 유지하는 건 정말 중요하죠 하지만 다른 한편으로는 모든 이의 삶에서 진화적 발전이 있는데 부모가 됐을 때는 기존 삶의 접근 방식을 바꾸지 않는 게 불가능하죠 갑자기 유일한 존재가 아니라 진화의 일부가 돼요 어렸을 때는 자기밖에 모르잖아요 그러다 인제는 그럴 수 없게 되죠 디테일을 캐물을 생각은 없지만 아이를 키우는 게 어떤 영감을 주나요?
19:13
크리에이터로서, 아티스트로서요 저는 들렸거든요 그런 성장과 성숙함을 태양의 음악에서 들었어요 Well, as you said 100퍼센트 동의해요 When I was younger whatever I did, I always put myself first.
19:33
What I wanted came first and I couldn’t help but think in a more selfish way.
19:42
But now, I see the world from a much broader perspective.
19:46
As the head of my family, as someone who has to lead my loved ones with my attitude and direction towards life have changed a lot.
20:00
At first, those changes didn’t really fit with the things I was stubborn about.
20:06
So there were definitely challenges and a lot of areas where I felt lacking.
20:10
I’m trying to stay on that path.
20:12
I’ve had those realizations and with that I’ve gained a lot of inspiration.
20:18
Even though I’m still far from perfect I can see myself growing and improving.
20:23
I’ve realized that those things might actually be helping me grow as an artist, too.
20:29
I’m starting to see that more clearly while working on this album.
20:35
I'm not sure, but what I can say is it's not that I'm changing for my family.
20:42
It’s the stability and support from my family and surroundings that are helping me grow in a better direction.
20:56
I see how that naturally comes through in my music and performances.
21:03
Lately, I’ve felt that my role in it all is smaller than I expected.
21:10
I realize my role is very small and the rest comes from the help of so many people around me.
21:22
My family, staff, fans and those who take care of me.
21:27
I’ve been thinking lately that it’s because of them that I’m able to change and do what I do.
21:37
마치 당신은 언제나 그곳에 있었던 것만 같아요. 그리고...
21:40
당신의 이야기를 깊이 파고들 필요조차없다는 느낌이 듭니다.
21:43
정말 어린 나이였잖아요 사랑하는 사람들을 돌보는 일을 떠맡았죠 사랑도 그렇고요 그게 태양이 어떤 사람인지 말해주는 것 같아요 그 아이는 누구였나요? 단호한 결정을 내린 그 아이는 누구였나요?
22:10
본인과 주변 사람들의 삶을 바꿔야만 했잖아요 그 아이는 누구였나요? 동기가 뭐였나요?
22:19
그 아이와 지금 얘기할 수 있다면 뭐라고 할 건가요?
22:22
정말 한 인간으로서 엄청난 결정을 내린 건데요 그때 태양은 분명 그냥 아이였잖아요 Yes, but looking back now I’ve thought about what part of me gave me that much strength and energy and I think it was probably the sense of responsibility I had.
22:50
In the past, the responsibility I felt as an artist along with the responsibility of being part of a team and a company really helped me stay grounded.
23:06
It became the driving force that kept me on the right path.
23:10
But sometimes it just felt difficult and burdensome.
23:18
But in the end, all of this helped me grow in a positive way.
23:24
And now, after 20 years of being active, I also have the responsibility that comes with that long journey.
23:34
So, I’ve been thinking a lot about how I want to give back the love in the best way I can.
23:43
Looking back at my younger self, I can see that I was always struggling a bit dealing with a lot of challenges, worries, and doubt.
24:05
If I could go back to that time I’d want to comfort my younger self.
24:10
What you're worrying about now will eventually lead to good results I’d tell myself to hang in there even if it’s tough and that I can do it.
24:21
I’d want to reassure myself that even though things seem uncertain now I’ll eventually see it was the right path.
24:29
멋진 얘기네요 참 좋을 것 같아요 어렸을 때 그런 관대함을 가질 수 있다면요 근데 우리는 그게 안 되죠 우린 그냥 생각만 많고 늘 불안하기만 해요 맞아요 이 정도로 살다 보면 이해하게 되죠 모든 것에는 이유가 있다는 걸요 모든 것에는 이유가 있죠 네, 이유가 있죠 그래서 한 인간으로서 스스로 여유와 관대함을 어떻게 찾으세요?
25:05
그 짜릿함과 성공과 일 한복판에서요 자신을 위한 시간을 어디서 찾나요?
25:13
자신을 재충전할 시간을요 Well, of course, as I keep working, I definitely feel the need for time and space.
25:26
I try to make time for those moments even if it means going somewhere but sometimes they just come to me naturally.
25:39
Actually making this album wasn't just easy and there were many moments when I really wanted to heal, reflect on myself, and give myself some forgiveness.
26:01
When you're caught up in busy times it's hard to force those moments to come.
26:09
But still, I'm focusing on that. Like you just said.
26:18
‘모든 것에는 이유가 있다’ When you stay conscious of those things those moments seem to come naturally.
26:23
You suddenly realize it even if you don’t know exactly why.
26:33
I start to see the clues and I become more aware of them.
26:38
I’m grateful for being in an environment where I can keep working and making music even though I’m not perfect.
26:50
And sometimes, I’m filled with gratitude knowing there’s a clear reason why I’m doing this even if I can’t fully explain it.
26:57
those moments just come naturally without the effort to find time or space.
27:06
Now that I think about it it happened sometimes on a plane, or just before falling asleep in bed. Sometimes...
27:18
In the middle of working those feelings just hit me out of nowhere.
27:23
In the middle of everyday life like when I was making music in the studio, those thoughts would suddenly come to me.
27:35
Sometimes, even while jogging at night, I’d find my thoughts clearing up.
27:41
Or at a traffic light on my way home.
27:43
So, those moments of time and space came to me in various occasions.
27:46
너무 멋져요 정말 멋지네요 - 최고예요 - 그렇죠?
27:51
최고예요 그냥 앉아서 노래를 듣다가 팍 떠오르는 거죠 그냥 일어나게 하는 거예요 그게 제일 중요한 거죠 일어나게 하는 거요 일어나게 하는 거요 밀어내거나 딴 데 정신 팔지 않고요 네, 그러니까 그게 비행기에서 2, 3주 전이었을 거예요 앨범 작업이 거의 끝났고 전곡을 들었는데 갑자기 I was overwhelmed with gratitude.
28:28
I thought about everyone who worked hard on this album and though I couldn’t write to everyone.
28:37
I started writing thank-you letters to those who came to mind When those moments come all the struggles and pain feel healed in an instant.
28:49
This album had a reason to be made.
28:54
And through it, I’ve felt myself grow a little.
29:00
정말 심오하네요, 너무 심오해요 너무 흥미로워요 정말 자신을 잘 관찰하고 삶을 따라 움직인 것 같아요 저항한 게 아니고요 이렇게 얘기하니까 알 수 있어요 알겠어요 태양은 케이팝의 왕족이라고 불리죠 아주 특별한 시대의 시작부터 함께했잖아요 그게 지금 세상을 바꿨죠 기분이 어때요?
29:33
It's really… Many people have mentioned this and I’ve thought about it myself as well.
29:45
I'm not sure how it sounds but what I've defined for myself is… It feels like I’m a beneficiary of this huge change.
29:52
When I first debuted, it was a time...
29:58
when people were moving from listening to albums on CDs to MP3s and online streaming.
30:06
I was active during that time.
30:08
Even through the shift and Apple Music, I kept working.
30:19
As a result, the work and music we created during that time are relatively well archived.
30:31
In today’s era, various algorithms are introducing our songs and videos to people and it feels like we're benefiting from that in many ways.
30:45
팔로우하는 사람들이 중요하죠 더 낫게 만드는 법을 이해하는 사람들요 사람들이 자신을 찾도록 영감을 주는 사람들요 지민이랑 컬래버한 거 너무 좋았어요 태양이 전체를 지지하고 싶어 하는 게 참 좋아요 거시적인 관점에서요 태양과 빅뱅 레거시만이 아니라 모두가 승리하면 더 좋다는 거죠 그런 생각이 정말 좋아요 그 점에 관해 듣고 싶어요 음악은 경쟁이 되기도 하잖아요 회사 간 경쟁도 있고요 근데 태양은 그걸 넘어선 것 같아요 모두의 성공을 바라고요 When I'm working on an album or making music, my biggest motivation is to always share good music with people.
31:48
That's why I end up thinking a lot about what people want.
31:52
So, the collaboration with Jimin, as you said, would be hard to do if we saw each other as competitors from different companies or groups.
32:05
But, I thought it would be something people would really love and luckily, a perfect song came out that fit the moment.
32:13
So, we just casually talked about it and decided to go for it.
32:16
Jimin also reacted very positively so we ended up collaborating together.
32:23
Although there are real business relationships and company dynamics, I think if we focus more on what people will like and really think about that then the things you mentioned become possible.
32:46
친구들과 함께 코첼라 무대에 섰을 때 빅뱅 20주년이었죠 마침내 한데 뭉쳤어요 수많은 사람들 한가운데서 리사를 보았죠 로제도 봤고요 어땠어요? 아름답지 않나요?
33:03
그 옛날 우리가 시작한 걸 아직도 축하하고 성공할 수 있다는 게요 굉장한 아티스트들이 성장해 전성기를 맞았잖아요 기분이 어떤가요?
33:19
어떤 감정이 들지 상상이 가요 I think the most thankful and touching part is that there are artists who grew up watching us, and now they’re receiving so much love in the global market.
33:41
When I saw them come to watch our Coachella performance, and enjoy it from start to finish, the joy I felt was hard to put into words.
33:56
Looking back, we really made music because we loved it and we stood on many stages because we wanted to create great moments and amazing performances with our fans.
34:06
On top of that, I also hoped that our activities and everything we’ve done would have a positive impact on future generations of artists and even further, on various cultures.
34:20
I always had that thought when making music and performing.
34:25
But honestly, I thought it would be hard to achieve no matter how much effort we put in.
34:35
But after all these years, whenever I think that the things we've left behind, might have helped or had an impact, it makes me really happy.
34:49
최고네요 정말 최고예요 정말 최고였어요 바로 그거죠, 제 생각에는 이 점을 꼭 짚었으면 해요 태양이 뭘 달성했는지요 앞으로 얼마나 더 많은 걸 달성할지를 축하하려면요 어쩌면 인제 시작인지도 몰라요 어쩌면 이게 첫 앨범일 수도 있어요 남은 여정의 시작이라는 의미에서요 Right, actually, What I realized while making this album is that with every album, especially one as important as this, the many activities and traces we've left behind have, of course, been great experiences for us.
35:43
They've definitely provided a foundation for us to do more.
35:49
But when preparing for a new album and a new stage it's clear that it's a brand-new start.
35:53
Just because we've done a lot in the past it doesn’t mean we can just gain something extra without effort.
36:02
It really feels like there's always a need for that mindset and attitude of starting over, of doing things anew.
36:13
So, the idea of ‘starting over’ that you just mentioned really resonates with me.
36:22
The album I’m releasing this time is definitely a new beginning both for me as an artist, TAEYANG and within the context of BIGBANG's 20th anniversary project.
36:30
It’s clear that this marks a fresh start.
36:33
So, I hope that everything we do is seen as a new beginning, and that through this start more future artists will look at our traces and footsteps and be inspired to move forward in a positive direction.
36:48
계속 가는 거죠 그러니까 지난주 반응을 보세요 이번 주에 받을 반응도요 태양의 앨범 ‘퀸테센스’의 음악을 들어보세요 아름답고 품격 있고 모던한 음악이죠 간단한 질문 두 가지만 더 할게요 빅뱅 20주년 축하드리고요 앞으로의 생각이 궁금해요 팀으로서 계속 같이 음악을 만들 계획이 있는지 아니면 단순히 20주년 기념으로 봐야 하나요?
37:19
We’re planning our 20th anniversary tour and as always, no matter the tour or the stage, I believe the biggest show of our sincerity is bringing great music and quality content.
37:39
If everything goes according to plan, our hope and goal is to meet our fans with new music before the tour starts.
37:47
감사합니다 오늘 마지막 질문인데요 오늘 대화 정말 즐거웠어요 - 정말요?
37:54
- 아이고, 그럼요 시간을 한참 초과했어요 진작 끌려 나가지 않은 게 놀라워요 속속들이 즐거웠어요 태양의 에너지와 침착함과 깊은 생각에 감사드려요 불러주셔서 감사해요 지금은 인생이 어떻게 느껴져요?
38:16
It’s hard to put into words.
38:21
말로 표현이 안 돼요 어떤 구절로 표현이 안 돼요 그냥 축복이랄까 은총 가득하고 사랑과 삶으로 충만해요 But as I mentioned earlier every moment of this 20th anniversary, from Coachella to the new album and the upcoming tour feels like a miracle.
38:47
I think being able to make music and being able to receive love for such a long time is something...
38:56
really difficult to achieve.
38:58
But I believe it’s not something I achieved on my own.
39:00
It's thanks to the love and support of so many people.
39:04
I’m incredibly grateful and I truly think it's a miracle. So, well... 불평할 수 없죠 ... I can't complain. ... I can't complain.