Dong Young-bae, a South Korean singer, songwriter, and dancer was born on May 18, 1988. He is best known by his stage names Taeyang (which is Korean for “sun”) and SOL (when performing in Japan). As a member of the South Korean boy band Big Bang, he made his debut in 2006. While their debut was not well received, their subsequent albums solidified their success, making them one of the best-selling boy bands worldwide and one of the best-selling digital groups in Asia.
Taeyang started a solo career in 2008 and released his debut extended play, Hot after his group released a number of albums and extended plays. The EP received high praise from reviewers and went on to win the Best R&B & Soul Album prize at the 6th Korean Music Awards.
His first full-length studio album, Solar (2010), which sold over 100,000 copies, came after Hot. The lead single from Rise (2014), “Eyes, Nose, Lips,” reached number one on the Billboard K-pop Hot 100, giving him his first solo chart-topper there. His second studio album, Rise (2014), peaked at number 112 on the US Billboard 200, making it the highest-ranking album by a Korean soloist in the chart. At both the 29th Golden Disc Awards and the 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards, “Eyes, Nose, Lips” won Song of the Year. 2017 saw the release of White Night, his third studio album. Music critics have praised Taeyang’s vocal abilities, and he is thought to be one of South Korea’s top vocalists.