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"Tonight" (Korean: 투나잇) is a song by South Korean boy band BigBang released on February 24, 2011, through YG Entertainment as the only single from the quintet's fourth extended play of the same name after a two-year hiatus. It was also the group's first Korean-language single since "Sunset Glow" in 2008. Written by members G-Dragon and T.O.P, the song peaked at number one on the Gaon Music Chart, and become one of the best-performing singles of 2011 in their home country.

Background and composition

Following a two-year hiatus where members explored and experimented with different sounds, BigBang returned to South Korea with their 2011 Big Show concert, showcasing songs from the then-unreleased EP. Though the group's previous extended plays contained songs that were heavily influenced by electronic music, they opted to concentrate more on "warm rock music" for new materials. Released as the lead single, "Tonight" contained a "sophisticated electronic sound" paired with acoustic guitar. The song is "clearly grounded in dance-pop" a genre the quintet is known for. The track is built over "fist-pumping beats and applause", features "heavily autotuned vocals" and concludes "with sudden silence and then picking up again as if returning for an encore."

Reception

Billboard noted how "Tonight" was "more nuanced and sophisticated than many of previous club anthems," and hailed it "four-minute sonic journey" to one of the group's concerts. The magazine ranked it number ten on their list of BigBang's must-listen songs. KpopStarz choose it as one of BigBang's definite songs, while Sun-Times named it one of the group's ten best songs, calling the single a "slick party anthem".

"Tonight" debuted at number two on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart, at number one on the Download Chart and five on the Streaming Chart. On its second week, the single rose to a peak position atop the Digital and the Streaming charts, while remaining at number one on the Download Chart. Additionally, the single topped the Gaon BGM Chart upon release. By the end of 2011, "Tonight" was the eighth best-performing single of the year in South Korea, with over 2.3 million downloads sold. With over 23 million streams, the song was the tenth most streamed of 2011.

Accolades

Charts

Sales and certifications

References

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8. "Big Bang's 10 best songs of the past 10 years". Sun-Times. May 2, 2015. Archived from the original on November 22, 2016. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
9. "Tonight" debuts on the Gaon Chart
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10. ^ "Digital Chart – Week 11 of 2011". Circle Chart (in Korean). March 6–12, 2011. Retrieved November 27, 2022.
11. *"2011년 11주차 Streaming Chart". Gaon Chart. March 3, 2011. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
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12. "2011년 10주차 BGM Chart". Gaon Chart. February 26, 2011. Archived from the original on August 30, 2017. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
13. ^ "Yearly Digital Chart - 2011". Gaon Chart. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
14. "2011년 Download Chart". Gaon Chart. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2017.
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16. "List of nominees announced for MNET Asian Music Awards in Singapore". SG Magazine. October 24, 2011. Archived from the original on December 18, 2020. Retrieved December 11, 2020.
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18. "Billboard's Japan Hot 100 Singles Chart: Singles". Billboard. Archived from the original on February 8, 2016. Retrieved February 13, 2016.
19. "Billboard World Digital Songs: Chart Search". Billboard. May 7, 2011. Archived from the original on November 18, 2018.
20. "Monthly Digital Chart – March 2011". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved November 27, 2022.
21. "Japanese digital single certifications" (in Japanese). Recording Industry Association of Japan. Select 2014年2月 on the drop-down menu
22. Cumulative sales for "Tonight"
    • "2011년 Download Chart" (in Korean). Gaon Chart. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved June 1, 2015.
    • "January - 2012 Download Chart". Gaon Chart. Archived from the original on August 16, 2016.
    • "Gaon Download Chart - February - 2012". Archived from the original on August 16, 2016.
    • "Gaon Download Chart - March- 2012". Archived from the original on August 16, 2016.
    • "Week 15 - 2012 Download Chart". Gaon Chart. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
    • "Week 16 - 2012 Download Chart". Gaon Chart. Archived from the original on September 29, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2016.
    • "Week 24 - 2012 Download Chart". Gaon Chart. Archived from the original on July 29, 2017. Retrieved August 15, 2016.

External links

• BIGBANG - Tonight M/V on YouTube

• BigBang (South Korean band) songs
• YG Entertainment singles
• Songs in Korean
• Songs written by G-Dragon
• Songs written by T.O.P
• Gaon Digital Chart number-one singles
• 2011 singles
• 2011 songs
• South Korean dance-pop songs