Still Life (song)

"Still Life" (Korean: 봄여름가을겨울; RR: Bom Yeoreum Gaeul Gyeoul; lit. "Spring Summer Fall Winter") is a song by South Korean boy band BigBang. It was released via YG Entertainment on April 5, 2022, serving as the group's first release in four years since "Flower Road" in 2018, as well as their only release as a quartet, due to T.O.P's departure the following year.

This article is about the BigBang song. For other songs titled "Still Life", see Still Life (disambiguation).

"Still Life"
Single by BigBang
ReleasedApril 5, 2022
Recorded2022
GenreSoft rock[1]
Length3:07
LabelYG
Composer(s)
Lyricist(s)
  • G-Dragon
  • T.O.P
  • Kush
Producer(s)
  • Kush
  • Seo Won-jin
  • 24
BigBang singles chronology
"Flower Road"
(2018)		 "Still Life"
(2022)
Music video
"Still Life" on YouTube

"Still Life" experienced commercial success, topping the charts in several territories upon its release including in South Korea, Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia. It debuted within the top ten on the Billboard Global 200 at number nine, making BigBang only the third K-pop group to do so since the chart's inception in 2020.

Background and release

T.O.P was the first BigBang member to enlist for his two-year service per South Korea's mandatory military service requirement in February 2017.[2] The remaining four members continued group promotions without him, holding several concerts in various countries until December.[3][4] In 2018, members G-Dragon, Taeyang and Daesung similarly began their military enlistment, thus putting group activities on a hiatus.[5] The digital single "Flower Road" was released in March 2018 as a gift and a farewell from the group to its fans ahead of a lengthy hiatus, as the band members complete their mandatory military service.[6]

The group's fifth member, Seungri, was initially set to enlist on March 25, 2019. On March 11, however, Seungri announced his departure from the group as well as his retirement from the entertainment industry due to the controversy of his involvement in the Burning Sun scandal.[7] The rest of the band members were discharged from the military during the remainder of the year.[8][9] In March 2020, despite reports suggesting otherwise,[10] all four members renewed their contracts with YG Entertainment and were preparing for a comeback,[11] which was eventually delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. On March 21, 2022, local time, YG confirmed that the group would make their comeback with a new single on April 5, 2022;[12][13] the title of the track "Still Life" was unveiled three days later.[14]

Critical reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
NME[15]

"Still Life" received positive reviews from critics. Angela Patricia Suacillo from NME gave the song 5 stars out of 5, saying that the track "honors the distance between where the group were four years ago and where they are now", adding that the song "reminiscent of soft rock from the ’70s and ’ 80s, ’Still Life’ excels at bringing out the unique vocal tones of each member". Suacillo felt that the song "close a chapter of their lives that's been left hanging for the past four years – whether or not this signifies a final bow from the group is something we'll have to wait and see".[15] Rolling Stone's Kristine Kwak felt the song shows BigBang's "vulnerability and growth", and how the members have become "more introspective and seem to be content with where they are at".[1]

2022 Year-end rankings of "Still Life"
Publication List Rank Ref.
Rolling Stone The 100 Best Songs of 2022
73
 [16]
Slant Magazine The 50 Best Songs of 2022
27
 [17]
Billboard The 25 Best K-Pop Songs of 2022
3
 [18]
Time Out The 22 Best songs of 2022
12
 [19]
Nylon The 20 Best K-Pop releases of 2022
No order
 [20]

Commercial performance

Upon its release, "Still Life" topped all South Korean's domestic music charts and also topped realtime charts on major music streaming sites in China and Japan.[21] The song debuted at number one on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart in the chart issue dated April 3–9, 2022;[22] on its component charts, the song also debuted at number one on the Gaon Download Chart, Gaon Streaming Chart, and Gaon BGM Chart.[23][24][25] "Still Life" remained atop the Digital Chart for three non-consecutive weeks.[26][27] In addition, it also remained at number one on the Streaming Chart for five consecutive weeks.[28][29] On the Billboard K-pop Hot 100, the song debuted at number two in the chart issue dated April 16, 2022,[30] ascending to number one in the following week.[31]

In Hong Kong, "Still Life" debuted at number one on the Billboard Hong Kong Songs in the chart issue dated April 16, 2022.[32] In Indonesia, the song debuted at number eight on the Billboard Indonesia Songs in the chart issue dated April 16, 2022.[33] "Still Life" debuted atop the charts in other Asian territories such on the Billboard Malaysia Songs for two consecutive weeks,[34][35] in Singapore on the RIAS Top Streaming Chart in the chart issue dated April 1–7, 2022[36] and Billboard Vietnam Hot 100, which in the latter remained at number one for three consecutive weeks.[37][38][39] In Taiwan, "Still Life" debuted at number three on the Billboard Taiwan Songs in the chart issue dated April 16, 2022.[40] In Japan, the song debuted at number seven on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 in the chart issue dated April 13, 2022;[41] on its component charts, it debuted at number two on the Download Songs,[42] number seventeen on the Streaming Songs,[43] and number nine on the Top User Generated Songs.[44] On the Oricon Combined Singles, "Still Life" debuted at number eleven in the chart issue dated April 18, 2022.[45]

In New Zealand, the song debuted at number eight on the RMNZ Hot Singles in the chart issue dated April 11, 2022,[46] In Australia, "Still Life" debuted at number three on the ARIA Top 20 Hitseekers Singles Chart in the chart issue dated April 11, 2022.[47]

In United States, "Still Life" debuted at number one on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales[48] making it BigBang's fifth single to do so. In addition, it peaked at number 24 on the Billboard Digital Song Sales in the chart issue dated April 16, 2022.[49] In Canada, the song debuted at number 87 on the Billboard Canadian Hot 100 in the chart issue dated April 16, 2022.[50] Globally, the song topped iTunes Top Songs charts in 33 regions[21] and debuted at number nine on the Billboard Global 200, with 34 million streams and 29,700 sold worldwide,[51][52] making BigBang the third Korean group to enter the top 10 on the chart, and debuted at number three on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. in the chart issue dated April 16, 2022.[53][51]

Accolades
Awards and nominations
Organization Year Category Result Ref.
Asian Pop Music Awards 2022 Record of the Year – Overseas Nominated [54]
Best Music Video – Overseas Nominated
Best Lyricist – Overseas[lower-alpha 1] Nominated
Top 20 Songs – Overseas Won [55]
Genie Music Awards 2022 Song of the Year Nominated [56]
Golden Disc Awards 2023 Digital Daesang Nominated [57]
Digital Bonsang Won [58]
MAMA Awards 2022 Best Vocal Performance – Group Won [59]
Melon Music Awards 2022 Song of the Year Nominated [60]
Music program awards
Program Date (9 total) Ref.
M Countdown April 14, 2022 [61]
April 21, 2022 [62]
April 28, 2022 [63]
Inkigayo April 17, 2022 [64]
April 24, 2022 [65]
May 1, 2022 [66]
Show! Music Core April 23, 2022 [67]
April 30, 2022 [68]
May 7, 2022 [69]

Credits and personnel
  • Big Bang – lead vocals
  • Kush – lyrics, composition, arrangement, piano
  • VVN – composition
  • Vince – composition
  • Seo Won-jin – arrangement, guitar
  • 24 – arrangement, keyboard

Charts

Certifications
Certifications for "Still Life"
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Streaming
South Korea (KMCA)[78] Platinum 100,000,000†

† Streaming-only figures based on certification alone.

Release history
Release dates and formats for "Still Life"
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various April 5, 2022
YG [79]

See also

Notes
  1. Nominated for G-Dragon, T.O.P and Kush

References
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