Review by Michelle Gonzalez, photos provided by the artist
Picture this: It’s 2009, and you and your friends are trying to learn the choreography to “Abracadabra” by Brown Eyed Girls. K-pop isn’t very big in the States yet, but you’re on YouTube hunting down any new music you can find. Groups like 2NE1, SHINee, Wonder Girls, and Super Junior are constantly in rotation. And of course there’s BIGBANG.
BIGBANG debuted in 2006, at a time when K-pop looked very different from the global phenomenon it is today. Over the next two decades, they would become one of the groups that helped shape the genre, not only through their music, but through fashion, and a more artist-driven approach to the traditional idol formula. Led by G-Dragon, the members took an active role in songwriting, composition and production, helping popularize the idea of the “self-producing idol.”
Twenty years later, they took the stage at the Oakland Coliseum for “XX : COSMOS”, their massive 20th anniversary world tour spanning 19 cities and 36 shows.
Fans of all ages filled the Coliseum. There were OG VIPs who had been around since the early days, newer fans, and mothers bringing their young daughters along for the experience. Everyone was buzzing as the countdown began. Even though I’ve been a K-pop fan on and off for years, somehow this was my first ever K-pop concert, and I was VERY excited. Then the lights went out.
BIGBANG
The crowd screamed, fireworks shot into the sky, and BIGBANG opened with: “Fantastic Baby.”
From there, the first act felt like a crash course in how many hits BIGBANG has accumulated over the years. “Hands Up,” “Tonight,” “Blue,” “Loser,” “Bad Boy,” “Bae Bae,” “Haru Haru,” and “Lies” came one after another. Hearing songs I had first discovered through a tiny YouTube window more than a decade ago suddenly filling an entire stadium was surreal.
The show itself was divided into three acts: BIGBANG, CHAOS, and COSMOS. According to the tour’s press materials, the progression represents a journey from BIGBANG into chaos and finally into COSMOS, “a world of order and harmony.” That cosmic theme appeared everywhere, with planets, constellations, the moon, lasers, pyrotechnics, and a massive 23-ton moving LED structure transforming the stage throughout the night.
CHAOS
The second act gave each member a chance to take over the stage with their solo work, showing just how different their individual styles have become.
Daesung kicked things off with “Universe” and “Wings,” followed by his latest single, the hilariously campy “HANDO-CHOGUA,” and fan favorite “Look at Me, Gwisun.” His entire set was playful, over the top, and really highlighted his personality as a performer.
Then came Taeyang, whose set had a decidedly different energy. To put it simply, Taeyang’s set was very much about his sex appeal. Any opportunity they got, fans started chanting “TAKE IT OFF!” in hopes that his shirt would finally disappear. He performed “BAD,” “Ringa Linga,” and “Live Fast Die Slow,”.
Finally, BIGBANG’s eccentric leader G-Dragon took the stage. All three members looked incredible throughout the night, but G-Dragon’s outfits were especially outrageous, which is exactly what you would expect from him. He performed “POWER,” “Crayon,” and “Crooked,” with the latter turning the Coliseum into one giant sing along.
COSMOS
For the third act, the three reunited onstage alongside their incredible dancers and the energy got even bigger.
The production throughout the entire show was incredible, but this final act really showed off its scale. Between the massive stage, lighting, fireworks, and visuals, there was constantly something happening. But even with such a huge production surrounding them, G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung never got lost. All three have such an incredible stage presence, and their dancers matched that energy throughout the night.
The crowd became part of the spectacle too. Looking around the Coliseum and seeing thousands of BIGBANG’s signature yellow light sticks glowing throughout the arena was beautiful. The entire place was washed in yellow, with everyone waving their lights together as the show went on. It was one of those moments where you really understood just how many people had come together to celebrate the same 20 years of music. The tour itself was designed around that connection between BIGBANG and their VIPs, with the yellow glow of their light sticks becoming part of the visual experience.
They tore through “Bang Bang Bang,” “Stupid Liar,” which was personally one of the songs I was most excited to hear, “Sober,” “We Like 2 Party,” and their newest single, “BiiiG.”
“BiiiG” feels particularly fitting for an anniversary tour like this. Released on August 19, exactly 20 years after BIGBANG’s debut, it was their first new song in more than four years. G-Dragon participated in both the songwriting and composition, making the track as much about where BIGBANG is now as it is about celebrating where they’ve been.
Then came “Home Sweet Home,” which felt like the perfect ending to a show celebrating BIGBANG finding their way back to each other and their fans.
Or at least, we thought it was the ending.
The encore was one of the sweetest parts of the entire night. G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung each took time to express their gratitude to VIPs, both new and old. They reflected on how lucky they feel to still be making music together and performing for fans after 20 years. It echoed something the group said at the beginning of the tour: “There is nothing more beautiful than the journey of sharing 20 years together and growing along the way.”
And then came one final trip through BIGBANG’s history.
The encore reached all the way back to the early years with “My Heaven,” “Sunset Glow,” and “Last Farewell.” The members made their way onto the floor, dancing around and interacting with fans while they performed. After spending most of the night watching this massive production unfold onstage, seeing them suddenly right there among VIPs made the encore feel much more intimate and celebratory.
They closed things out with “Flower Road” and finally “Still Life,” ending the night on a much more bittersweet note.
For someone who remembers a time when being a K-pop fan in the U.S. meant searching forums and YouTube for whatever music videos, dance practices, and grainy clips you could find, there was something special about looking around the Oakland Coliseum and seeing thousands of people singing along.
K-pop has changed enormously since those days, but somehow the group I was listening to back then is still here too. Twenty years later, the boys are back and VIPs are still here with them!
