BIGBANG Returns to London After 14 Years: How the Trio Kept T.O.P.'s Place in "Still Life"

G-Dragon took the stage in a red fluffy hat so over-the-top it bordered on comedic, while Taeyang ripped his shirt off midway through "Ringa Linga," half-jokingly telling the crowd, "This is illegal, gentlemen shouldn't do this." Daesung, in his solo segment, paid tribute to Freddie Mercury, leading the whole crowd through his own version of a Queen-style call-and-response that got more absurd with every line. This was BIGBANG's London show on September 26 — their first time on a UK stage in 14 years.

"Making it to our 20th anniversary feels like a miracle to me," Taeyang said toward the end of the show. When they debuted in 2006, few K-pop groups lasted past ten years, let alone twenty. Now only three of them remain onstage — G-Dragon, Taeyang, and Daesung — the lineup shrinking from five to three over the past decade, each departure carrying its own share of pain.

The tour, titled XX: Cosmos, deliberately looked backward in its setlist. Having released only one new single in recent years — "BiiiG" this past August — the night's setlist instead stitched together nearly two decades of material spanning their debut to now: opener "Fantastic Baby" and, later, "Bang Bang Bang" represented the era when they pushed K-pop toward maximalist EDM aesthetics; 2012's "Bad Boy" hasn't aged a day; "Sober" and "Stupid Liar" had the whole venue shaking. The first act barely paused for breath, the trio delivering one tight performance after another, and by the end of "Loser," two members were goofing around behind Taeyang, waltzing arm in arm.

Each member's individual style came through in the solo segments of the second half: Daesung's signature warm, upbeat pop and trot; Taeyang following with a sultrier turn; and G-Dragon digging up early tracks like "Crayon" and "Crooked" to showcase his vividly colorful rap-pop.

What truly made the audience pause was the closing number, "Still Life." It was the last track T.O.P. worked on before leaving the group, and while the trio rearranged other songs to fit the current lineup, they chose to keep his original rap verse intact in this one — the only moment in the entire show where the absent member's voice could still be heard. Near the end of the performance, G-Dragon also mentioned that he's "been trying to figure out a way to bring back our golden era — not just for myself, but for all of us."

The show wasn't without its flaws. The sound mix in the first act was muddy at times, with vocals often getting swallowed up by the arrangements and stage effects; the crowd's reaction was also more subdued than expected. Taeyang praised London as "the best audience," but G-Dragon didn't quite agree: "Taeyang says you're the best, but I don't think so" — his tone carrying a clear note of skepticism. As the fireworks went off, Daesung made a promise: "We will sing for you forever, I swear."