[OSEN=이소담 기자] YG Entertainment (“YG”)’s best character KRUNK goes to Shanghai, China.
YG will launch “BIGBANG X KRUNK CAFÉ” which combines BIGBANG KRUNK’s collaboration version and Paris Baguette’s signature concept will be launched in a mega shopping mall located in Southern Shanghai, China, on December 18.
YG signed a contract for operation of “BIGBANG X KRUNK CAFÉ” with SPC Group’s Paris Baguette Chinese business headquarters.
“KRUNK” is YG’s character, which symbolizes a fashionable celebrity who likes hip-hop culture. After it was first introduced in the music video of LEE HI’s “IT’S OVER”, “KRUNK” has become the character that represents YG. Then, KRUNK character goods were launched in December 2013. Since then, KRUNK has drawn big attention by opening Seoul Ping-Pong-up pop-up store, doing collaboration with a variety of famous brands, launching YG artist art toys, and being introduced at Seoul Fashion Week art toy culture 2015.
“KRUNK” has been making efforts to go beyond the limitations of a character, by collaborating with a variety of fields such as culture and fashion. KRUNK will give a special experience to fans once again, in “BIGBANG X KRUNK CAFÉ” created in collaboration with Paris Baguette in Shanghai.
“BIGBANG X KRUNK CAFÉ” which is a collaboration project between Shanghai Paris Baguette and YG will be used as a cultural space for YG fans. The café is a space decorated with the concept of BIGBANG’s song “BAE BAE”. Paris Baguette’s popular products will be reinterpreted into KRUNK characters and those character products will be sold at the café. Plus, BIGBANG KRUNK goods will also be sold.
“BIGBANG X KRUNK CAFÉ” is the first-ever case of collaboration between Korean-Wave idol singers’ contents and bakery café both in Korean and China. That shows how big influence BIGBANG has in the Chinese region, with their explosive popularity in the country.
In August this year, KRUNK and BIGBANG’s collaboration café was opened in Tokyo and Osaka, Japan, and hundreds of people rushed to the café from the very day of opening. The cafes were full of visitors all day long on the opening day, proving the big popularity of BIGBANG and KRUNK character.
With the opening of “BIGBANG X KRUNK CAFÉ” in Shanghai, the café is expected to draw big popularity in China, following Japan.
2015. 12. 18.
  

Source: YG Life

[일간스포츠=황소영 기자] G-DRAGON, a member of BIGBANG and the main producer of the group’s music, gave one of his songs to another group for the first time in nine years. And that group is the BIGBANG’s label mate iKON.
On December 19, a poster was uploaded on YG Entertainment’s official blog. According to the poster, a song titled “I MISS YOU SO BAD” is going to be on iKON’s debut album, and the song’s lyrics are written by G-DRAGON, B.I, and BOBBY, and its music is made by G-DRAGON and DEE.P. This came as a surprise as G-DRAGON has almost never written a song for another group before.
The fact that iKON’s leader – B.I – participated in writing nearly all the songs in the group’s debut album makes G-DRAGON’s present to iKON even more meaningful.
YG said, “’I MISS YOU SO BAD’ was a demo song made earlier this year for BIGBANG’s album. But, we thought the song didn’t go well with BIGBANG and that it would be better to give it to another group. Coincidently, iKON was recording in the next studio, and we called them up and tried the song out on them. It sounded better, so G-DRAGON gave the song to iKON as a debut present.”
Indeed, it’s almost impossible to get G-DRAGON’s songs no matter how much you are willing to pay. The song is estimated to be worth several ten million won, but he gave the song to iKON for free as a present. It is said that iKON was thrilled to get a song from a musician that they admire the most.
iKON was not the only one that was surprised. YANG HYUN SUK even called G-DRAGON to check this is true as he knows that G-DRAGON has never written a song for another singer before and he himself have never asked G-DRAGON to do so.
YG said, “The song that G-DRAGON gave to iKON is very good. At first, we thought that it was fit to be the title song but then people might think we are trying to use G-DRAGON’s fame and popularity to promote a rookie’s debut album. So after much thought, we decided to just include the song in the album rather than making it the title song as it was a present with good intentions from G-DRAGON.”
The two title tracks of iKON’s debut album, which will be released on December 24, are “WHAT’S WRONG” and “DUMB & DUMBER”. The title songs are upbeat and fast tempo dance songs, unlike iKON’s previous songs. As the album will be iKON’s first full album released three months after their debut and as “I MISS YOU SO BAD”, a song written by G-DRAGON, will be in the album, expectations are running high.
iKON will be holding a concert at the Olympic Gymnastics Stadium at the end of January next year to write the next chapter of their successful debut story.
2015. 12. 19.
  
Source: YG Life