YG Entertainment officially confirmed that all four remaining members of BIGBANG: G-DRAGON, Taeyang, T.O.P, and Daesung extended their exclusive contracts with the company on 11 March.
The band already renewed their contracts back in 2011 and 2015 and this is the third time they have stayed with YG.
But now they will continue their activities without fifth member Seungri who is the main defendant in the case of the “Burning Sun scandal” and retired from the industry in 2019.
The group's most anticipated performance - the first since all the members returned from their military service and the first public appearance since the scandal with Seungri - was supposed to be at the Coachella music festival this April, as the group was set to be the headliners.
But the outbreak of Covid-19 ruined the original plans, and the festival is postponed until October. While Coachella organisers are reportedly in talks with other artists to preserve the line-up and to reschedule, there has been no official information from BIGBANG representatives on whether the group is still planning to appear at Coachella.
VIP's (official name for the fandom of the band) reacting to the contract renewal by crying tears of joy with high hopes for the future of the band.
BIGBANG is the most popular and recognizable K-pop band. It debuted back in 2006 and made the genre famous, bringing it to international attention. The contribution of the band to Korean music culture remains huge.