BIGBANG
Debuting under YG Entertainment in 2006, BIGBANG broke from idol-group convention by putting its own members — chiefly G-Dragon — in the songwriter's and producer's chair, making it one of K-pop's first true self-producing acts. Their catalog swung from hip-hop-rooted early singles to the maximalist electronic-pop of 'Fantastic Baby' and 'Bang Bang Bang,' setting a template for genre-scrambling, member-driven idol music. BIGBANG's commercial dominance through the 2010s made the group a direct reference point for the generation of self-producing idol acts that followed.
G-Dragon has called Pharrell Williams his 'musical hero,' saying 'ever since I got into writing hip-hop music, he's been my only living idol' — a direct line from Pharrell's minimal, funk-inflected production style to BIGBANG's own hybrid, hook-heavy tracks.
listen forPlay Pharrell's 'Frontin'' against BIGBANG's 'Sober' — both ride a clean, springy groove built for a falsetto-adjacent hook rather than dense production clutter.
G-Dragon has said he was introduced to Wu-Tang Clan in the third grade and that the encounter is what sparked his interest in rapping in the first place, before he began taking classes — a formative jolt that runs underneath BIGBANG's grittier, rap-driven material.
listen forHear Wu-Tang's 'C.R.E.A.M.' next to BIGBANG's 'Bad Boy' — both strip things down to a stark beat and a hard, unglamorous rap delivery, worlds away from typical idol-pop polish.
G-Dragon has listed Kanye West among his cited influences; Kanye's maximalist, genre-blending sense of grandiosity is audible in BIGBANG's biggest, most over-the-top singles.
listen forSet Kanye's 'Jesus Walks' against BIGBANG's 'Loser' — both use big, dramatic production swings and an unapologetically theatrical delivery to sell a song about struggle.