Taeyang embraces authenticity, reinvention on 'Quintessence'

Taeyang is entering one of the most significant years of his career as Big Bang celebrates its 20th anniversary and he returns with his first solo album in nearly a decade.

After kicking off 2026 with Big Bang's appearance at Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio in April, Taeyang released his fourth studio album "Quintessence" on May 18, the same day as his birthday.

As both a Big Bang member and solo artist returning to music after a hiatus, Taeyang said he spent nearly a year working on the album while trying to balance familiarity with new artistic challenges.

"Since this year marks Big Bang's 20th anniversary, the most important thing for me when I started working on this album was figuring out what felt the most like myself while also being something new," Taeyang said during a listening party in Seoul on Monday.

"Over the past 20 years, I've already tried so many different things, so it was difficult. I kept asking myself what kind of new challenge I could take on at this point."

Taeyang said the words that guided him at the beginning of the project were "essence" and "quintessence," which naturally led the album to explore the process of searching for one's true core identity.

Signs of experimentation appear throughout the 10-track album. While Taeyang previously worked mostly with in-house producers at his agency The Black Label, he collaborated with a wider range of outside producers for this project.

Opening track "Bad" was created with American production team The Stereotypes. Taeyang described the song as a darker, performance-driven track reminiscent of earlier solo releases such as "Where U At."

"The title is ‘Bad,' but throughout the song it says ‘still bad,' meaning I'm still the same," he said. "Usually that phrase sounds like bragging, but for me the lyrics are about the path I've walked, the things I've fought against and the life I've lived."

The album's main track, "Live Fast Die Slow," is the fastest-tempo song Taeyang has released in his career. The track reflects his determination to continue moving at his own pace despite living in a rapidly changing era.

"While writing the lyrics, I thought this was the song that explains Taeyang the best," he said. "And during my solo tour two years ago, I realized my next album needed a faster song."

The third track, "Would You," has drawn attention from K-pop fans for featuring AllDay Project members Tarzzan and Woochan.

"Watching AllDay Project debut reminded me a lot of Big Bang's own debut days," Taeyang said. "I thought it would be great to work together, and I felt their rap verses could bring the youthful texture and freshness that Big Bang once had."

Former The Black Label labelmate Tablo of Epik High also participated as a lyricist on three songs: "Movie," "Open Up" and "G.O.A.T."

Taeyang revealed that "Movie" was the only track on the album for which he did not participate in writing lyrics.

"Usually I have a specific direction in mind and make many revisions, but Tablo's lyrics for ‘Movie' were already perfect," he said. "I recorded it almost immediately without making changes."

Toward the end of the album process, Taeyang said he came to realize that essence cannot be defined with a single word.

"When we talk about things like freedom or love, so many different elements come together to create those meanings," he said. "I realized what matters is the attitude with which I pursue those values. Even if I feel like I've found the answer, it's not something I can simply define."

Closing the listening party, Taeyang said he plans to continue greeting fans first through his solo activities before reuniting with the other Big Bang members later this year for the group's 20th anniversary projects.