Korea
Legendary Solo Artist TAEYANG is Back with Solo Album 'QUINTESSENCE' with Title Track 'Live Fast Die Slow'
Monday, May 25, 2026
Watch Live Fast Die Slow MV:
Fresh off BIGBANG’s explosive closing performance at Coachella, TAEYANG delivers his most experimental and progressive body of work to date, taking a leading role in both the album’s concept and creative direction. 
QUINTESSENCE is an album born from TAEYANG’s long-standing reflections on the nature of essence itself. Across the project, he traces a musical journey in search of the unseen yet most vital values in life. Rather than rushing to define definitive answers, TAEYANG instead focuses on the questions, emotions, and personal revelations encountered along the way. Grounded in his own experiences, these reflections are expressed through the music, ultimately resonating with something essential within each listener.
To bring his vision to life, TAEYANG assembled a globally renowned roster of collaborators, including Grammy Award-winning production team The Stereotypes, Grammy-winning songwriter Theron Thomas, and acclaimed hitmakers Tone Stith, j.Que, and Chaz Jackson. From Korea, renowned artists Paul Blanco, Tablo, and CAMO contribute across the project alongside longtime THEBLACKLABEL producers TEDDY, Vince, Dominsuk, and IDO, who are fresh off their success from KPop Demon Hunters. The album features The Kid LAROI, as well as TARZZAN and WOOCHAN of ALLDAY PROJECT.
Spanning cinematic pop, atmospheric R&B, experimental production, and emotionally charged songwriting, QUINTESSENCE showcases TAEYANG at his most expansive. The album opens with the powerful “BAD” before moving through reflective moments like “WOULD YOU (feat. TARZZAN, WOOCHAN)” and the dreamy, atmospheric “MOVIE,” which evokes the feeling of walking through the streets of Paris at night.
Elsewhere, tracks such as the uplifting and energetic “OPEN UP (feat. The Kid LAROI)” and the soulful “LOVE LIKE THIS” further highlight the album’s wide-ranging sonic palette. The addictive melodies on “YES,” which incorporates a sample of BIGBANG and 2NE1’s “Lollipop,” adds another unexpected layer to the project, while the urgent and powerful “NOW,” driven by a progressive beat and explosive EDM drop, pushes the album’s energy even further.
The project closes with the introspective “G.O.A.T,” a track imagining what TAEYANG would share with his loved ones if today were his last day, before ending on the deeply reflective finale “4U,” where TAEYANG encapsulates his enduring hopes for the future and a message of unending “eternity.”
Photo Credit: THEBLACKLABEL
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