Maps of Music

Rise (2014)

Where the lyrics of Rise take you, and where it was really made.

Rise entered the Billboard 200 at number 112, the highest position on that chart for a Korean soloist's K-pop album.

Key places

Recorded at YG in Seoul (2014)

Recording site Big Hit Studios, Seoul — Recorded at YG's studio in Seoul; the point sits at the city centre, not at the building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: Private company studio, not open to visitors.

Album story

Overview

• Rise: second studio album by Taeyang, member of the boy group Big Bang
• Digital release 3 June 2014; physical release 10 June 2014 through YG Entertainment
• Nine tracks; first full-length album in four years since Solar (2010)
• Title track: Eyes, Nose, Lips
• Japanese edition packaged in Rise + Solar & Hot, released 13 August 2014

Background

• Ringa Linga was the first single, released November 2013
• The single was a hip-hop and EDM song; the album followed six months later with a more R&B sound
• Taeyang said the concept changed during recording because YG was not satisfied with the tracks he was working on
• Choice37 and Teddy Park, who helped on the previous album, worked on it again
• Other producers include Ricky Shockbit Luna, The Fliptones, JHart, Boys Noize and Peejay
• Bandmate G-Dragon contributed
• First collaborations with Airplay, Jo Sung Hwak, Happy Perez and Britt Burton

Recording

• Recording location: YG studio, Seoul
• Most tracks are R&B
• Body is described as old-school disco with a heavy electronic and digital vibe
• This Ain' It is reminiscent of British pop
• Let Go is described as gospel music
• Intro (Rise) includes tropical elements

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Dong Young-bae, known as Taeyang, debuted in 2006 as a member of BigBang.
• He was born May 18, 1988 in Uijeongbu, South Korea.
• He joined YG Entertainment as a trainee after auditioning, and was initially planned to debut with Kwon Ji-yong as a hip hop duo.
• The plan was scrapped; the group BigBang was formed with four other trainees.
• He chose the stage name Taeyang, meaning sun.

Career

• He began a solo career in 2008 with the EP Hot, which won Best R&B & Soul Album at the 6th Korean Music Awards.
• His first full-length album Solar (2010) topped the Gaon Album Chart.
• His second album Rise (2014) reached number 112 on the US Billboard 200, the highest ranking by a Korean soloist at the time.
• Its lead single Eyes, Nose, Lips topped the Billboard K-pop Hot 100 and won Song of the Year at the MAMA Awards, Melon Music Awards and Golden Disc Awards.
• His third album White Night (2017) debuted at number one on Billboard's World Digital Albums and stayed there for two weeks.
• He served in mandatory military service from March 2018 to November 2019.
• In 2023 he signed with The Black Label and Interscope Records, and released the EP Down to Earth in April 2025.

Members

• Taeyang is a member of BigBang alongside G-Dragon, T.O.P, Daesung and Seungri.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• AllMusic (Fred Thomas): the album uses the same K-pop production and radio-friendly beats that made his solo debut and Big Bang work catchy
• Fuse (Jeff Benjamin and Tina Xu): called the album excellent and highlighted Love You to Death
• Billboard: ranked Rise the sixth best K-pop album of 2014
• Paste (Tamar Herman): included the album in a list of K-pop albums for people who do not like K-pop

Records

• Gaon Album Chart: number one
• Billboard World Albums Chart: number one
• Heatseekers Albums Chart: number one
• Billboard 200: debut at number 112, the highest-charting K-pop album by a Korean soloist on that chart
• Third highest-charting K-pop album on the Billboard 200
• After release, the album reached the top of the iTunes Top Albums chart in seven Asian countries

Sources: fr.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• Intro (Rise) contains samples of Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears.
• Body and Love You to Death contain uncredited vocals from 2NE1's CL.
• The female lyrics for Love You to Death were written by Kang Hye-jung.
• Before the online release, Taeyang held a private event called Rise:Premiere in Gangnam, where the new songs and music videos were first revealed to invited reporters and selected fans.
• Akdong Musician were the first to release a cover of Eyes, Nose, Lips in YG's cover project, with Tablo's rap version and a Taeyang appearance in the bridge.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · ko.wikipedia.org

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