Dong Young-bae, better known by his stage names Taeyang and SOL, is a South Korean singer, songwriter and dancer. After appearing in Jinusean's music video "A-yo", Taeyang began training under YG Entertainment at the age of 12. Six years later, he made his debut in 2006 as a member of the South Korean boy band Big Bang. While the quintet's debut was met with lukewarm receptions, their follow-ups cemented their popularity, becoming one of the best-selling digital group of all-time in Asia and one of the best-selling boy bands in the world.
Following the release of several albums and extended plays with his group, Taeyang pursued a solo career in 2008, releasing his first extended play, Hot. The EP was acclaimed by critics and went to win the award for Best R&B & Soul Album at the 6th Korean Music Awards. Hot was followed by his first full-length studio album, Solar, that garnered sales of over 100,000 copies.