Taeyang Vibe: Taeyang is making his comeback after a six-year hiatus with the release of the uplifting love song “Vibe,” which features BTS’s Jimin. And this is just the beginning – he has a lot more musical planned for his fans!

When Big Bang’s Alive was released in 2012, it became the first Korean-language album to debut on the Billboard 200, making Taeyang a household celebrity in South Korea. Taeyang, whose given name is Dong Youngbae, released his debut solo album Solar in 2010.

His 2014 follow-up, Rise, became the highest-charting K-pop album by a soloist on the Billboard 200, and its songs like the carefree “Eyes, Nose, Lips” are still played often. Taeyang released his previous album, White Night, in 2017, before leaving for South Korea’s mandatory military service in 2018. Since then, his fans have been impatiently awaiting new music.

The time has finally come, and Taeyang is prepared to deliver for his supporters. On January 13, he will release the infectiously bouncy single “Vibe,” which will make even the most sedentary listener want to get up and dance.

It’s a refreshing change of pace from his typical R&B songs, and yet it manages to sound both retro and current at the same time. In addition, the song features Jimin of BTS, who, like Taeyang, is well-known for his ability to sing and dance. Bringing together Big Bang and BTS for a joint project once seemed improbable, but here we are.

Taeyang met with Rolling Stone in the Hapjeong neighborhood of Seoul the day before “Vibe” was released. Taeyang recently completed his necessary military service and sat down in the offices of THEBLACKLABEL, an affiliate of his longtime home YG Entertainment, to discuss how his collaboration with Jimin came about and what he’s been up to since 2019.

The conversation ends with him pointing to a Rolling Stones bracelet made by Chrome Hearts. He claims this was one of the earliest presents he received from the group.