Lies (BigBang song)
{{short description|2007 single by Big Bang}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}}
{{Infobox song
| name = Lies
| cover =
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Big Bang
| album = Always
| released = August 16, 2007
| recorded = 2007
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = * Hip hop
| length = 3:49
| label = YG
| writer = G-Dragon
| producer = G-Dragon
| prev_title = Shake It
| prev_year = 2006
| next_title = Always
| next_year = 2007
}}
"Lies" ({{korean|hangul=거짓말|rr=Geojitmal}}) is a song recorded by the South Korean boy group BigBang. The song was written and composed by rapper G-Dragon. It was released on August 16, 2007, by YG Entertainment as the first single from BigBang's first extended play Always (2007). It became the group's breakout hit, topping charts in their home country for several weeks and consequently winning Song of the Year at the 2007 Mnet Asian Music Awards.{{cite web |script-title=ko:빅뱅 '올해의 노래'-슈주 '올해의 가수'…MKMF '아이돌 천하'(종합) |trans-title=Big Bang wins 'Song of the Year' - Super Junior wins 'Singer of the Year'... MKMF 'Idol Reign' (Comprehensive) |url=https://news.nate.com/view/20071117n07792 |date=November 17, 2007 |website=My Daily |via=Nate |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090301062726/http://news.nate.com/view/20071117n07792 |archive-date=March 1, 2009 |language=ko |url-status=live}}{{cite web|url=http://uk.mtvema.com/artists/big-bang |title=Big Bang |publisher=MTV UK |accessdate=February 4, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120215155550/http://uk.mtvema.com/artists/big-bang |archivedate=February 15, 2012 }}{{cite web|url=http://www.ygfamily.com/artist/About.asp?LANGDIV=E&ATYPE=2&ARTIDX=10|title=G-Dragon|publisher=YG Entertainment|accessdate=February 4, 2012}} The song remains one of their most critically acclaimed song to date and is often viewed as one of their signature songs.{{Cite web|url=http://star.mt.co.kr/stview.php?no=2014091511581945949&type=3|script-title=ko:대중음악계 10년史..최고 히트곡 톱10·연도별 190選 |work=Star News|access-date=July 18, 2017|date=September 15, 2014|language=ko}}
Background and composition
BigBang's first extended play, Always (2007), marked several changes for the group. Though the members had previously involved themselves with writing and composing, the group took more creative control over their music, moving away from their hip-hop and R&B roots and towards electronic dance music. G-Dragon composed and wrote most of the tracks included in their first EP, including "Lies."{{cite web|url=http://www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?aid=2007081791017&sid=83&nid=105type=1&pkind=all |script-title=ko:빅뱅, 'Always' 선주문 3만장 괴력 |last=Kim |first=Mi-youngshin |date=August 17, 2007 |publisher=Hankyung News |language=ko |accessdate=January 23, 2010 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222132458/http://www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?aid=2007081791017&sid=83&nid=105type%3D1&pkind=all |archivedate=December 22, 2015 }} The rapper originally wrote this track for his solo album, but the company decided it would suit the group better.{{cite web|url=http://seoulbeats.com/2015/05/throwback-big-bang-gets-start-lies/ |work=Seoul Beats |title=Throwback: Big Bang Gets Their Start with "Lies" |date=May 10, 2015}}
An electronic dance track combined with hip-hop elements, "Lies" begins with a dial tone, and that builds up around a "subtle piano, brassy percussion, and a clapping beat." The chorus blends "boy-band harmonies and hip-hop chants", which was described as "something fresh" for K-pop in 2007, while the vocals were described as "delicate". Arirang TV called the track a "Euro-house style piece, lanced with trance." Lyrically, the song describes a break-up, with the line "I'm so sorry but I love you" being used as the hook.
Critical reception
"Lies" received near universal acclaim from music critics, who described the song as "through the roof."{{cite web|url=http://www.arirang.co.kr/Tv2/Showbiz_OnLocation.asp?PROG_CODE=TVCR0112&OnAir_Date=2007-09-03&sys_lang=Eng|title=Big Bang's Showcase & First Fan Meeting|date=|publisher=Arirang|author=|accessdate=January 21, 2008}} Korean website Star News published an article commenting that BigBang's music "stands out" from other K-pop boy groups, because of their "impressive melody lines" in tracks like "Lies".{{Cite web|url=http://star.mt.co.kr/stview.php?no=2010070809433297671&type=3|script-title=ko:아이돌 장악 가요계, 백문이 불여일견 '씁쓸' |work=Star News|access-date=August 25, 2017|date=July 8, 2010|language=ko}} Tamar Herman of Billboard wrote that the "melodic, surging chorus and some rapid-fire rap" of "Lies" placed BigBang "down the path into the realm of avant-garde experimentalism that they've become known for over the past few years"{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/7633039/bigbang-best-songs|title=The 10 Best BIGBANG Songs: Critics' Picks|last=Herman|first=Tamar|date=December 23, 2016|magazine=Billboard}} and called one of South Korea's "most memorable songs."{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/7480080/happy-10-year-anniversary-bigbang-10-must-listen-songs|title=Happy 10-Year Anniversary, BIGBANG! 10 Must-Listen Songs from the Boy Band|last=Herman|first=Tamar|date=August 18, 2016|magazine=Billboard}}
Kaitlin Miller of Sun-Times stated that even though their sound has evolved, "their core blend of emotion and swagger shines through on this song."{{cite web |url=http://national.suntimes.com/national-music/7/72/2529604/bigbang-best-songs-10-year-anniversary/ |title=Big Bang's 10 best songs of the past 10 years |last=Miller |first=Kaitlin |work=Sun-Times |date=May 2, 2015 |accessdate=February 20, 2017 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161122132531/http://national.suntimes.com/national-music/7/72/2529604/bigbang-best-songs-10-year-anniversary/ |archivedate=November 22, 2016 }} While including "Lies" in a list of best songs written by G-Dragon, the Korean magazine Ize commented that BigBang's rebel image, and the track's easy melody and easy lyrics were the formula that brought the single's popularity.{{cite web|url=http://ize.co.kr/articleView.html?no=2017061217057287043 |script-title=ko:G-Dragon 고별展│가사로 본 지 드래곤의 인생 |language=ko |work=Ize Magazine |date=June 13, 2017|accessdate=August 25, 2017}}
The impact of the song was described by Kang Myung Suk - a music critic and former editor-in-chief of 10Asia magazine. Suk wrote "in that time, the one song 'Lies' satisfied all the music consumers in Korea. The 'sound' of this song was better than the normal K-Pop, and the melody development was easy for anyone to enjoy. Before 'Lies' came out, the music charts were dominated by medium tempo ballad songs." The composition was also praised, noting that "G-Dragon made this song with memorable rap and melody pieces" and admired the song for having "no useless parts". The critic concluded "'Lies' has the generation's code who wants to be a step forward in the trend but comfortable at the same time, and that wants to stand out but also somewhat mix in at the same time. This was a market that not exist before Big Bang's 'Lies', and this was the moment where the idols met this generation's emotions."{{cite web|url=https://bigbangisforever.wordpress.com/2014/03/13/an-in-depth-piece-about-big-bangs-impact-in-korea-written-by-kang-myung-suk-music-critic-and-former-editor-in-chief-of-10asia-magazine/|title=An in-depth piece about Big Bang's impact in Korea written by Kang Myung Suk (music critic and former editor-in-chief of 10Asia magazine)|date=March 13, 2014 }}
Commercial performance
The song was released prior to the creation of the Gaon Music Chart, which began tracking sales in 2010. In the South Korean's online music services, it became their first number one hit, and went to top the Melon Chart's for six weeks.{{cite web|script-title=ko:[M+기획…'보이그룹 통계'②] 최장·최다 음원 1위 빅뱅, 견줄 그룹 없다 |last=Park |first=Jung Sun |work=MBN Daily|date=May 7, 2014 |url=http://www.mbn.co.kr/pages/news/newsView.php?news_seq_no=1778998 |accessdate=July 29, 2017 |language=ko }} "Lies" also went to become the first song to win the Song of the Month award from the Cyworld Digital Music Awards for two consecutive months, as well as gathering the highest monthly sales in Cyworld's history, with over 200,000 copies sold in September.{{cite web|url = http://star.mt.co.kr/stview.php?no=2007100809314005840&type=3 |script-title=ko:빅뱅 '거짓말', 싸이월드 최초 2회연속 '이달의 노래'
|language=ko |trans-title=Big Bang's "Lies", first song to win two consecutives Cyworld's Song of the Month awards |work=Star News |date=October 8, 2010 |accessdate=July 29, 2017}} It was the best-performing song of 2007 in Cyworld,{{cite web|url=http://star.mt.co.kr/stview.php?no=2010010811412274428&type=3|work=Star News |script-title=ko:2NE1 '아이 돈 케어', 2009 싸이월드 연간차트 1위 |trans-title=2NE1's 'I Don't Care' ranks 1st on 2009 Cyworld Chart |date=January 8, 2010}} and as of 2010, the single was the ninth best-selling song of all time in Cyworld's digital chart.{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100227050253/http://music.cyworld.com/chart/chart_honor_song_list.asp |title=Hall of Fame - Songs |work=Cyworld Digital Music |url=http://music.cyworld.com:80/chart/chart_honor_song_list.asp |archivedate=February 27, 2010 |url-status=dead }} In 2016, "Lies" was revealed to be the second most downloaded song on Mnet.com since 2006, only after Busker Busker's "Cherry Blossom Ending."{{Cite web|script-title=ko:한국 사람들이 9년동안 가장 많이 다운 받은 음원은? | url = http://www.insight.co.kr/newsRead.php?ArtNo=53443 | website = Insight | date = March 8, 2016|language=ko|accessdate=February 20, 2017}}
Legacy
"Lies" is recognized as the song "that made Big Bang who they are today", the ground for the following releases of the group,{{cite web|url=http://www.kpopstarz.com/articles/233485/20150823/big-bang-best-songs.htm|title=K-Pop Mixtape: 9 Most Definitive Big Bang Songs|accessdate=February 16, 2017|website=KpopStarz.}} and the "decisive moment" that influenced K-pop idols to produce their own music by themselves. The track's electronic sound became the new music trend in Korea.{{cite web|script-title=ko:빅뱅·BEG·쥬얼리…가요계 대세는 '일렉트로니카' (Big Bang, Brown Eyed Girls, Jewelry... The trend of J-pop 'Electronica') | author =Kim, Wong Young | publisher = Star News | date =February 28, 2008 |url =http://star.mt.co.kr/view/stview.php?no=2008022809411230840&type=1 | accessdate = February 28, 2008|language=ko}} It was chosen as the "Song of the Decade" by Mnet's music show M! Countdown in 2014.{{cite web|url=http://www.hellokpop.com/news/bigbangs-lies-named-song-of-the-decade/|title=BIGBANG's 'Lies' Named Song of the Decade|website=HelloKpop|date=July 25, 2014 }} In 2016, "Lies" was voted the top K-pop male idol song in the past 20 years in a poll involving 2,000 people and 30 music industry experts by South Korean magazine Dong-a Ilbo.{{Cite web|url=http://news.donga.com/NewsStand/3/all/20160901/80071885/1|script-title=ko:"반짝반짝 눈이 부셔"… 빅뱅-소녀시대 역대 최고 아이돌 원문보 |website=The Dong-a Ilbo|language=korean|accessdate=February 16, 2017}} Billboard ranked the single third on their list of Top 10 Songs from the group in honor of their tenth anniversary, as well as the third greatest K-Pop chorus of the century.{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/7775078/greatest-k-pop-choruses-21st-century|title=The 10 Greatest K-Pop Choruses of the 21st Century|magazine=Billboard|access-date=May 11, 2017|date=April 28, 2017 |last=Benjamin |first=Jeff}} Sun-Times also included "Lies" in their unranked list of ten best BigBang songs. In 2014, Star News named "Lies" one of the ten best digital hit songs in South Korea's history.
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="text-align:center"
|+ "Lies" on select critic lists and polls ! Publisher ! Year ! List ! Rank ! class="unsortable" | {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| scope="row" | Billboard
| 2017 | 10 Greatest K-pop Choruses of the 21st Century | align="center" | 3 |
|---|
| scope="row" | The Dong-a Ilbo
| 2016 | Best male idol songs according to experts | align="center" | 1 |
| rowspan="2" scope="row" | Gallup Korea
| 2007 | Most Popular Songs of 2007 | 2 |
| 2024
|10 Most Beloved K-pop Songs of the 21st Century |7 |
| scope="row" | Melon
| 2021 | Top 100 K-pop Songs of All Time | align="center" | 19 |
| scope="row" | Mnet
| rowspan="2" | 2014 | Legend 100 Songs | align="center" | No order |
| scope="row" | Music Y
| 120 Best Dance Tracks of All Time | align="center" | 18 | align="center" | {{Cite web |date=2014-07-31 |title=Dance Track 120 List |url=http://musicy.kr/?c=best&s=1&cidx=22&cat1=&cat2=&ps=120&sw= |access-date=2022-10-03 |website=Music Y |language=ko}} |
| scope="row" | Research Panel Korea
| 2013 | Best hit idol songs of all time | 2 |
| scope="row" | Star News
| 2014 | 10 Best Digital Hit Songs in the Past 10 Years | No order |
Accolades
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+Music program wins (5 total) |+ ! width="170" | Program ! width="145" | Date ! class="unsortable" | {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |
| rowspan="3" | Music Bank
| September 7, 2007 |
| October 5, 2007 |
| October 19, 2007 |
| Inkigayo
| September 9, 2007 |
| M Countdown
| September 27, 2007 |
Charts
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
|+2024–2025 weekly chart performance for "Lies" ! scope="col"| Chart (2024–2025) ! scope="col"| Peak |
| scope="row"| South Korea (Circle){{cite web |title=2025 Week 05 Digital Chart |url=https://circlechart.kr/page_chart/onoff.circle?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=ALL&targetTime=05&hitYear=2025&termGbn=week&yearTime=3 |website=Circle Chart |access-date=2025-02-06 |language=ko |date=2025-02-01}}
| style="text-align:center" | 105 |
|---|
Sales
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
! Country ! Sales |
| scope="row"| South Korea {{small|(digital)}} |
|---|
Notes
The lead actress in the music video was Cha Soo-yeon.
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{YouTube|id = 2Cv3phvP8Ro |title = BIGBANG - LIES(거짓말) M/V}}
{{Big Bang singles}}
{{Mnet Asian Music Award for Song of the Year}}
{{Seoul Music Awards for Best Song}}
{{authority control}}
Category:BigBang (South Korean band) songs
Category:YG Entertainment singles
Category:Songs written by G-Dragon