Fantastic Baby

"Fantastic Baby" is a song recorded in two languages (Korean and Japanese) by South Korean boy band Big Bang. The Korean version was released through YG Entertainment on February 29, 2012, taken from the group's fourth extended play Alive (2012). The Japanese version was released on March 28, 2012 simultaneously with the group's fourth Japanese studio album with the same name. Musically, the song has been described as an electropop, EDM, and hip-hop track that possesses a bold and distinctive anarchistic concept.

This article is about the single. For Big Bang's fan meeting tour, see Fantastic Babys.
"Fantastic Baby"
Single by Big Bang
from the EP Alive
ReleasedFebruary 29, 2012 (2012-02-29)
Genre
Length3:51
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • G-Dragon
  • Teddy
Big Bang singles chronology
"Bad Boy"
(2012)		 "Fantastic Baby"
(2012)		 "Monster"
(2012)
Music video
"Fantastic Baby" on YouTube

"Fantastic Baby" has been recognized by Billboard magazine as "one of the biggest K-pop hits ever", and was hailed as a highlight in the spread of the Korean Wave around the world by Smithsonian Music. It was well received by music critics, with the Rolling Stone naming it one of the greatest boy band songs of all-time. The accompanying music video broke several records on YouTube, including the first K-pop group music video to surpass 200 and 300 million views on the platform.

The song was a commercial success, peaking at number three on both the South Korean Gaon Digital Chart and the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart and placed within the top 10 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100. The single went on to sell more than 4 million digital units in the group's native country and over 6.5 million units across Asia, becoming one of the best-selling singles in South Korea. In Japan, it was certified 2x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for digital sales of 500,000 units.

Background and composition

"Fantastic Baby" was released for digital download and streaming on February 29, 2012, as the third single off of the group's fourth EP Alive.[1] A Japanese-language version was released alongside the Japanese edition of Alive on March 28, 2012, with the lyrics translated by M-Flo member Verbal.[2] It was later added to the group's 2014 greatest hits album, The Best of Big Bang 2006–2014.[3]

The song was written and produced by member G-Dragon and YG Entertainment collaborator Teddy Park, with additional rap lyrics written by member T.O.P. It is composed in the key of B minor with a tempo of 130 beats per minute, and has a runtime of 3:52.[4] "Fantastic Baby" has been described as an anarchistic dance, EDM, hip hop and electropop track that features a "boisterous, genre-blending sound", creating a "full-on banger".[5][6][7] NME compared the song's signature catchphrase "boom shakalaka" to music that of 1960s band Sly and the Family Stone.[8]

Reception
Big Bang performing "Fantastic Baby" during K-Collection fashion show

The single received critical acclaim upon release. Kaitlin Miller from the Chicago Sun-Times called the track one of the group's best songs, hailing it a "quintessential K-Pop song" for being able to reach a widespread international audience.[9] Writing about the influence of "Fantastic Baby", Tamar Herman from Billboard magazine recognized it as the first song to cross international boundaries with its then-groundbreaking EDM style", and noted its ability in taking "K-Pop to a whole new level." Herman also praised the song for being "nothing short of fantastic."[6][7] The publication also included "Fantastic Baby" in their 100 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time list, stating that the "anarchic hip-house track raised the bar for the genre, overflowing with vibrancy as it bounces between sonic styles."[10]

Rolling Stone ranked the song number 31 in their list of 75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time, writing "this instantly accessible single from K-Pop phenomenon Big Bang blew off many doors of American crossover with little effort on the band's part" and labeled "Fantastic Baby" as a "modern-day essential" for showcasing "K-pop's genre-bending, visually-oriented charms."[11] Smithsonian Music recognized "Fantastic Baby" as one of the highlights in the spread of the Korean Wave around the world, along with "Only One" by BoA, "Sorry, Sorry" by Super Junior, "The Boys" by Girls' Generation, "Gangnam Style" by Psy, and "I Am the Best" by 2NE1.[12]

In November 2012, "Fantastic Baby" was featured in the American TV show Glee[13] and was included in the trailer for the movie Pitch Perfect 2 in April 2015, where Billboard referred to the song as "one the biggest K-pop hits ever" and was considered a "win for Korean music that has seemingly penetrated yet another traditional media source."[14] The members' visuals in the music video, especially that of G-Dragon's long red-streaked side hair, have been parodied several times; in particular by the Running Man cast members and Dynamic Duo.[15][16]

Lists for "Fantastic Baby"
Publication List Rank Ref
Billboard 10 Best Big Bang Songs 1 [17]
The 100 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time 27 [10]
100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s 65 [18]
Rolling Stone 75 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time 31 [11]
Stereogum 20 Best K-Pop Videos 2 [19]
The Dong-a Ilbo Top Male Idol Songs in the Past 20 Years 6 [20]

Awards
Awards and nominations for "Fantastic Baby"
Year Organization Award Result Ref.
2012 Cyworld Digital Music Awards Song of the Month (March) Won [21]
Gaon Chart K-Pop Awards Won [22]
Melon Music Awards Song of the Year Nominated [23]
Global Star Award Nominated
Netizen Popularity Battle Award Nominated
2013 Seoul Music Awards Digital Bonsang Won [24]
MTV Video Music Awards Japan Best Dance Video Won [25]
2014 World Music Awards World's Best Video of the Year Won [26]
Music program wins for "Fantastic Baby"
Program Date Ref.
Mnet's M Countdown March 15, 2012 [27]
March 22, 2012

Commercial performance

Four days after the EP's release, the song debuted at number four in the Gaon Digital Chart, just charting behind the group's other songs "Blue," "Bad Boy" and "Love Dust", and sold 450,021 digital units.[28][29] The following week, the song rose to number three, selling an additional 362,298 copies.[30][31] The single was subsequently placed as the second best-selling song of March 2012 in South Korea, reaching 1,351,429 downloads[32] and ranked number one on the monthly digital chart.[33] By the end of the year, "Fantastic Baby" was ranked as the fifth best-selling and sixth most streamed single of the year, with 3,339,871 digital units sold and over 30 million streams in South Korea.[34][35] As of September 2016, Fantastic Baby accumulated over 4 million digital downloads in South Korea, becoming the best-selling boy group song on Gaon Music Chart.

As of February 2021, Fantastic Baby is the third-longest charting K-pop song on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart–following Psy's "Gangnam Style" (2012) and "Dope" (2015) by BTS–spending over 130 weeks on chart. In September 2012, the song was certified gold by the RIAJ for PC downloads, one of only two K-Pop songs to achieve this in Japan in 2012.[36] In December 2013, the song was certified platinum,[37] and charted for over 70 weeks on the Japan Hot 100.[38] In August 2015, the song was certified 2x Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) for total digital sales of over 500,000 units. "Fantastic Baby" has sold over 2.5 million downloads on Chinese download service KuGou.[39]

Music video

Production and synopsis
The music video shows the individuality of each member in a fashion style considered extravagant and urban.

The music video for "Fantastic Baby" was uploaded to Big Bang's official YouTube channel on March 6, 2012, and was directed by Seo Hyun-seung.[40] Filmed in an abandoned warehouse, the video was described as a "visual stunner,"[41] and captured the fight for freedom from oppression.[42] The members are seen wearing futuristic helmets, metal shoulder embellishments and jewelled crowns, wearing dark make-up and unique hairstyles.[42] The background dancers act as "rebels colliding with oppressors," wearing masks, spraying wires and waves of smoke around sets containing wreckage, while dancing saja-nori (the Korean lion dance).[41][42] Big Bang released a Japanese version of the music video focused on the group’s scenes while they are in a warehouse setting. Some individual scenes were removed and there are no extras in this version.[43]

The music video begins with scenes depicting a revolution, with the black-masked people representing those who capitalized on past controversies and tried to discourage, discredit and ultimately disband the group, whereas the white-masked people symbolize the V.I.P.s, Big Bang's fans, who continued to defend and protect Big Bang despite everything.[44] In the video, three frames of T.O.P. wearing a variety of outfits reminiscent of historical revolutionary figures such as George Washington and Napoleon Bonaparte are featured, which serves to represent Big Bang's status as K-Pop's musical revolutionaries. Daesung is also shown to be bound in chains, representing the emotional turmoil he went through following a car accident that he was involved in a year prior.[45] The images of a frozen Taeyang, a scarred Seungri, and a seemingly silenced G-Dragon, portray the publicity nightmares the members have faced in the past.[44] However, the video shows how they overcome these difficulties and create a better future. The video concludes with a giant dance party and the five members being crowned kings upon thrones.[13]

Reception

Kevin Perry from NME compared the group members' outfits in the music video to that of Lady Gaga.[8] While commenting on the success of labelmate Psy's "Gangnam Style", The Daily Telegraph recommended "Fantastic Baby" to its readers, highlighting the video's "fashionista eccentricity and excess."[46] Francois Marchand from The Vancouver Sun felt that "Fantastic Baby is easily one of the most colourfully twisted pop videos we've seen in a while, combining RPG style art, riot gear, steampunk elements and street pop swagger."[47] Tamar Herman of Billboard praised the video's "stimulating visual feast" when "promoting music as a form of rebellion."[6] The Guardian named "Fantastic Baby" the best K-pop music video of 2012, claiming that the "supremely demented" video "establishes global equilibrium."[48] The music video for "Fantastic Baby" won the World Music Awards for "Video of the Year"[26] and the MTV Video Music Awards Japan for "Best Dance Video."[25]

In March 2014, the official music video for "Fantastic Baby" on YouTube surpassed 100 million views,[49] making it the fourth Korean video to do so, after Psy's "Gangnam Style" (2012), "Gentleman" (2013), and Girls' Generation's "Gee" (2009),[50] as well as the first by a boy band. The music video later became the first from a K-pop group to reach 200 million and 300 million views on the platform in January 2016 and June 2017 respectively.[51]

Credits and personnel

Adapted from Qobuz (Korean edition).[52]

Charts

Sales and certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Japan (RIAJ)[58] 2× Platinum 500,000*
South Korea (Gaon)
Korean version 		— 4,036,298[59]
China (Kugou)
Korean version 		— 2,570,000[39]

*sales figures based on certification alone

Release history
Release dates and formats for "Fantastic Baby"
Region Date Format Label(s) Ref.
Various February 29, 2012
YG Entertainment [1]
Japan March 28, 2012 YGEX [60]

See also

References
  1. "Fantastic Baby" (in Korean). Melon. Archived from the original on November 26, 2016. Retrieved December 28, 2020.
  2. Hwang, Mi-hyun (March 18, 2012). "빅뱅 日 신곡 '필링', '트랜스포머 프라임' 테마곡 낙점" (in Korean). Nate. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  3. "'The Best of Big Bang 2006-2014' Release info". Archived from the original on October 18, 2014.
  4. "Key, BPM of Fantastic Baby By Big Bang". Musicstax. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved January 6, 2021.
  5. "Big Bang breaks its own record, garners 300 million views for Fantastic Baby MV". International Business Times. June 23, 2017. Archived from the original on January 13, 2021. Retrieved January 11, 2021.
  6. Herman, Tamar (March 7, 2017). "5 years of Big Bang's 'Fantastic Baby'". Billboard. Archived from the original on June 14, 2018. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  7. Herman, Tamar (August 19, 2016). "Happy 10-Year Anniversary, Big Bang! 10 Must-Listen Songs from the Boy Band". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 18, 2016. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  8. "Beyond 'Gangnam Style' - A Beginners Guide To K-Pop". NME. Archived from the original on October 6, 2012. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  9. Miller, Kaitlin (May 2, 2015). "Big Bang's 10 best songs of the past 10 years". Sun-Times. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved February 20, 2017.
  10. "The 100 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on April 28, 2018. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  11. "50 Greatest Boy Band Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. September 24, 2015. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  12. Music: The Definitive Visual History. DK Publishing. October 1, 2013. p. 372. ISBN 9781465421265.
  13. Tamar Herman (March 7, 2017). "5 Years of Big Bang's 'Fantastic Baby'". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 11, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  14. Benjamin, Jeff (April 16, 2015). "New 'Pitch Perfect 2' Trailer Features Big Bang's K-Pop Hit 'Fantastic Baby'". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 13, 2017. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  15. "[MV] Dynamic Duo (다이나믹듀오) _ Jam (꿀잼)". YouTube. Archived from the original on February 19, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  16. "'Running Man' Members Transform As Big Bang Members". Korea Portal. Archived from the original on March 5, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  17. "The 10 Best Big Bang Songs: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Archived from the original on May 14, 2017. Retrieved February 9, 2017.
  18. "The 100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s: Staff List". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 28, 2019. Retrieved December 17, 2019.
  19. "The 20 Best K-Pop Videos". Stereogum. March 22, 2012. Archived from the original on May 26, 2016. Retrieved May 24, 2016.
  20. ""반짝반짝 눈이 부셔"… 빅뱅-소녀시대 역대 최고 아이돌 원문보". The Dong-a Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  21. "Song of the Month". Cyworld. Archived from the original on January 7, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  22. "국내 대표 음악 차트 가온차트!". Gaon. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  23. "2012 Melon Music Awards Winners". Yahoo! News. December 16, 2012. Archived from the original on January 2, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  24. "22nd Seoul Music Awards Winners". Hype Malaysia. February 1, 2013. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  25. "Big Bang and 2PM Win at the ′MTV VMAJ 2013′". Mnet. Archived from the original on March 5, 2017. Retrieved March 4, 2017.
  26. "World Music Awards :: G-Dragon Wins "World's Best Entertainer" and "World's Best Album" Awards". World Music Awards. Archived from the original on March 11, 2016. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  27. "Big Bang YG Family" (Wins are listed under "TV Performances" on the right hand side.). YG Entertainment. Archived from the original on May 31, 2020. Retrieved December 27, 2020.
  28. "2012 Digital Chart Week 10". Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  29. "2012 Download Chart Week 10". Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on September 26, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  30. "2012 Digital Chart Week 11". Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on July 10, 2015. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  31. "2012 Download Chart Week 11". Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on September 27, 2018. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  32. "2012년 03월 Download Chart". Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  33. "2012년 03월 Digital Chart". Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  34. "2012년 Download Chart". Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  35. "2012년 Streaming Chart". Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on October 29, 2020. Retrieved August 25, 2017.
  36. レコード協会調べ 9月度有料音楽配信認定 [Record Association Investigation: September Digital Music Download Certifications]. RIAJ (in Japanese). October 19, 2013. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved March 28, 2013.
  37. レコード協会調べ 11月度有料音楽配信認定 [Record Association Investigation: November Digital Music Download Certifications]. RIAJ (in Japanese). December 20, 2013. Archived from the original on December 24, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
  38. "Big Bang CHART HISTORY". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 11, 2017. Retrieved December 25, 2016.
  39. "酷狗单曲畅销榜" (in Chinese). KuGou. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved December 8, 2017.
  40. Tan, Alicia (December 5, 2015). "These 5 videos prove K-pop is having more than just a 'moment'". Mashable. Archived from the original on January 15, 2021. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  41. "Big Bang Releases 'Fantastic Baby' MV". M Wave. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  42. "The Bizarre, Creative and Devastating. Big Bang's Top 5 Music Videos". K-Ville Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 16, 2017. Retrieved February 16, 2017.
  43. "Big Bang - Fantastic Baby -Ver. Final- M/V (Japanese Short Ver.)". YouTube. May 30, 2012. Archived from the original on February 2, 2021. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  44. Catherine Deen (March 12, 2012). "K-Pop royalty Big Bang speaks to fans with 'Fantastic Baby'". Yahoo! Philippines. Archived from the original on December 6, 2017. Retrieved May 15, 2017.
  45. "Big Bang's Daesung involved in car accident, motorcyclist dead". Travel CNN. May 31, 2011. Archived from the original on November 11, 2020. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  46. "South Korea: a rough guide to Gangnam style". Daily Telegraph. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  47. Marchand, Francois (March 16, 2012). "K-pop sensation Big Bang's latest video is fantastic, baby". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on April 1, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  48. Robinson, Peter (December 27, 2012). "The 2012 pop video awards". The Guardian. Archived from the original on April 16, 2017. Retrieved April 15, 2017.
  49. Big Bang (March 6, 2012). "Big Bang - FANTASTIC BABY M/V". You Tube. Archived from the original on July 8, 2017. Retrieved June 4, 2016 – via YouTube.
  50. "#BigBang100M Big Bang's 'Fantastic Baby' MV reaches 100 million views". DKPop News. March 27, 2014. Archived from the original on March 28, 2014. Retrieved March 27, 2014.
  51. "빅뱅 '판타스틱 베이비' 유튜브 3억뷰 돌파...특별 포스터 공개" [Big Bang 'Fantastic Baby' exceeds 300 million views on Youtube... Special poster released]. Dong-a Sports (in Korean). June 23, 2017. Archived from the original on August 6, 2017. Retrieved June 23, 2017.
  52. "Alive - Big Bang". Qobuz (in French). Archived from the original on March 1, 2017. Retrieved February 28, 2017.
  53. "Korea K-pop Hot 100 - Week March 24, 2012". Billboard. Billboard. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  54. "Big Bang Chart History - Japan Hot 100". Billboard. Billboard. Archived from the original on May 16, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  55. "2012 Monthly Digital Chart - March". Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  56. "2012 Yearly Digital Chart". Gaon Music Chart. Archived from the original on August 26, 2017. Retrieved May 28, 2016.
  57. "Japan Hot 100". Billboard Japan. Billboard Japan. Archived from the original on November 20, 2017. Retrieved January 10, 2017.
  58. "Japanese single digital certifications" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2015年8月 on the drop-down menu
  59. Cumulative sales for "Fantastic Baby"
  60. "Alive BigBang のプロフィールならオリコン芸能人事典 - Oricon Style" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on July 8, 2012. Retrieved June 1, 2012.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.