Alive | ||||
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EP by | ||||
Released | February 29, 2012 | |||
Recorded | 2011–2012 | |||
Studio | YG Studios (Seoul) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 23:41 | |||
Language | Korean | |||
Label | ||||
Producer | ||||
Big Bang chronology | ||||
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Singles from Alive | ||||
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Special Edition 'Still Alive' | ||||
Singles from Still Alive | ||||
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Alive is the fifth Korean extended play by South Korean boy group Big Bang, released through YG Entertainment on February 29, 2012. Musically, it is a dance and electronic record that incorporates elements of hip hop and R&B. BigBang members G-Dragon and T.O.P wrote and produced the lyrics and music for nearly all tracks on the album. Alive spawned three digital singles that were released within the week prior—"Blue", "Fantastic Baby", and "Bad Boy", all three of which peaked within the top three positions on the Gaon Digital Chart.
Music critics praised the record's production and composition and was named one of the year's 40 best albums by Fuse. The EP along with its singles won various awards, including at the Gaon Chart Music Awards and World Music Awards. A repackaged version of the extended titled Still Alive was released on June 3, 2012, and featured the single "Monster" along with two new additional tracks.
Both versions achieved commercial success in South Korea, with Alive and Still Alive ranking as the 2nd and 6th best-selling albums of 2012 in South Korea; it sold a combined total of over 450,000 copies by 2016. Internationally, Alive marked the first time a Korean-language album entered the Billboard 200 in the United States, and the second time a Korean artist entered the chart after BoA in 2009.