Taeyang/SOL (BIGBANG)

Dong Young-bae, better known by his stage names Taeyang and SOL, is a South Korean singer, songwriter and dancer. He made his debut in 2006 as a member of BIGBANG. Following the release of several albums and extended plays with his group, Taeyang pursued a solo career in 2008, releasing his first extended play, Hot. The EP was acclaimed by critics and went to win the award for Best R&B & Soul Album at the 6th Korean Music Awards. Hot was followed by his first full-length studio album Solar (2010), which was released in July 2010 and peaked atop the Gaon Album Chart. 

Taeyang’s sophomore studio album Rise (2014) peaked at number 112 on the US Billboard 200, becoming the highest ranking album by a Korean soloist in the chart, while its lead single, “Eyes, Nose, Lips“, peaked at number one on the Billboard K-pop Hot 100. “Eyes, Nose, Lips” was one of the most popular songs in South Korea during 2014 and was awarded Song of the Year at the MAMA Awards, Melon Music Awards, and Golden Disc Awards. His third studio album, White Night, released in 2017, debuted at number one on the Billboard‘s World Digital Albums and remained atop for two weeks, making Taeyang the second solo K-Pop artist to have an album do so. Taeyang’s vocal skills have been admired by music critics and he is regarded as one of the best vocalists in South Korea.