Going Out With A Big Bang: K-Pop Icons Finish Up MADE Tour In The U.S. With Mesmerizing Performance At New Jersey's Prudential Center

When the lights go down at any Big Bang concert, yellow crowned glow sticks with the letter B encrusted in rhinestones, always keep the arena from completely fading to black.  

In fact, the warm glow of the Big Bang fandom in the darkness felt purposely nostalgic considering that it has been three years since the group last toured North America and performed at the Prudential Center in Newark, NJ.

That same warm glow can also be likened to dying light, as the concert could reasonably be the last one they give in the U.S. as a complete group.

A sense of finality seemed to be on the minds of all the Big Bang members as they walked out in black suit jackets and skinny jeans with personal variations: G-Dragon donned a white turtleneck instead of the button down worn by Daesung, or the plain white t-shirt worn by Taeyang. Meanwhile, T.O.P sported sunglasses, perhaps due to his recent run in with a sty during the beginning of the U.S. tour, or because sunglasses are typical of the most secretive and mysteriously alluring member of Big Bang.

The individual style choices continued throughout the first half of the concert, specifically tied into a short film that played between set and outfit changes. The film, set in the style of Quentin Tarantino's modern spaghetti westerns like "Pulp Fiction," begins with an alcohol hazed party, and then an emotional and self-deprecating monologue by T.O.P, right before a group performance of the song "Loser."

The clips all seemed to involve something specific to each member, though G-Dragon will likely never confirm if the woman in his short clip is supposed to represent his rumored on-and-off again girlfriend Kiko Mizuhara. His video clip of being hypnotized by a beautiful woman on the TV precedes the performance of the song "Blue" from their 2012 album "Alive."

Big Bang is ultimately a group, but the individual performances at the MADE World Tour concert highlighted the solo endeavors of the members over the course of their long careers at YG Entertainment. Seungri was the first member to take the stage with a performance of his song "Strong Baby," followed by an inspiring and infectiously happy Daesung, who sang his solo single "Wings."

T.O.P was the next member to take the stage with his single "Doom Dada," dressed in what looked to be a Mondrian print suit, showing off his eccentric style while, as always, causing many of Big Bang's numerous female fans to scream their lungs out.

The second half of the concert brought the group back together, and thematically stronger, with the final video clip showing the boys waking up in the light of day after a crazy night of partying and dark experiences.

As you could probably guess, the next song performed was the song "Sober."

After the ventures in individual performances, and final few group songs, Big Bang came out to say goodbye once more to their U.S. fans before playing their final three songs. The emphasis on it being their last night in the U.S. seemed to imply that Big Bang are just as uncertain about the future of the group as some fans are.

Though it seems coincidental, the wardrobe choice of green jackets and all black clothing underneath brought forth the question of their always looming mandatory military service.

Nevertheless, the final group songs displayed the true originality and creativity of five individually talented artists combining to form a seamless and aesthetically pleasing musical group. While the days of the boy band might be long over in the United States, Big Bang is a boy band that has been perfected, polished, and then transformed into a wildly appealing musical artist. 

Click here more photos from Big Bang's MADE Tour in the U.S. at the Prudential Center, Oct. 10-11.

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Big Bang
G-Dragon
T.O.P
Taeyang
Daesung
Seungri
MADE Tour
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