SONG REVIEW

“Still Life”

Single / 2022 ★★★★★

Genre: Kpop/Soft Rock Duration: 3:07 minutes

Whether it's the dawn of a new era or the birth of a new one, the seasons have always been changing, and the moment will come again for you, someday.

After a four-long year of hiatus, dubbed as the Kings of Kpop, South Korean boy group Bigbang surprises fans as they drop their newest single, “Still Life” under YG Entertainment last April 5, 2022.

The multi-awarded 16-year-old boy group consisting of Kwon Ji-yong (G-Dragon), Kang Daesung, Choi Seung Hyun (T.O.P), and Dong Young Bae (Taeyang) had been out of the spotlight ever since their last official release “Flower Road” in 2018. They have been constantly facing either disbandment rumors or hinting at possible reunions for a new era.

Their single, Still Life is a bittersweet memory lane reminiscing the group’s younger days as performers to a life filled with trees and changing leaves. The song's reference to the change of the seasons also signified that the members had matured separately and are now shining in their own light.

In the lyrics which were participated by G-Dragon and T.O.P, both of them wailed a silent cry about how they transitioned into a better one, bidding goodbye to their younger selves. Highlighted in their chorus “Goodbye now to my beloved young days. Our beautiful spring, summer, autumn, and winter”. Sang with silvery vocals and overwhelming emotions, every line of the song laments how they bury their traumas from the past and welcome life as they aspire for progress themselves.

Every line is like reminiscing the unique characteristics of each member where each verse seemingly reveals what each of them is trying to say. The lines “Passed the seasons without maturing, I can't mature (Still)” of G-Dragon hinted how he personally doesn't want to leave his youthful days as being an adult masked the fun he used to have

Although changes are inevitable, they do not always have to be negative. T.O.P wept about “burying all the trauma from past nights” and swears, “I’m going to change more than before to become a good person even more”, as he looks forward to coming back home as a better artist.

Bigbang’s image had been a blur from all the fast-changing K-pop acts in the present, their legacy will always remain as one of the legendary K-Pop groups in history.

For now, there has been no exact announcement whether the group is taking their final bow in the industry or this comeback highlights the start of a new era for them and the fans.