After two decades in the industry, singer Taeyang of K-pop legend Big Bang returns to the basics — his quintessential self, reimagined in his first full-length album in nine years, “Quintessence.”

“When I first started working on this album, what I focused on most was figuring out what could feel the most like me while still being new,” Taeyang said during a press conference held at Cube Convention Center in Mapo District, western Seoul, on Monday.

“I’ve made a lot of music for the past 20 years, so challenging myself with something new was difficult in some ways,” he continued. “Still, I deliberated a lot about what I could do at this point to try something new. All those thoughts and experiments are reflected throughout this album.”

Taeyang debuted as a member of the boy band Big Bang in 2006. As a soloist, he is best known for his 2014 hit “Eyes, Nose, Lips,” a slow-tempo R&B ballad.

Yet his latest lead single, “Live Fast Die Slow,” marks a clear shift in tempo — “probably the most fast-temp song I have ever released,” according to Taeyang — reflecting his attempt to venture into new musical territory. The upbeat, fast-paced pop track centers on lyrics that serve as “a declaration of the time spent fiercely living while holding onto his own center amid a fast-moving reality,” according to his agency The Black Label.

Taeyang’s latest album, “Quintessence,” is the vocalist’s first full-length solo release in nine years since his third studio album “White Night” (2017), and comes three years after his second EP, “Down to Earth” (2023).

“Quintessence” features 10 songs: the lead track, “Live Fast Die Slow,” along with B-sides “Bad,” “Would You,” “Movie,” “Open Up,” “Love Like This,” “Yes,” “Now,” “G.O.A.T,” and “4U.”

The Kid Laroi is featured on “Open Up,” while Tarzazan and Woochan of Allday Project — labelmates to Taeyang under The Black Label — are featured on “Would You.”

Renowned producers from The Black Label, including Teddy Park, Kush, Vince and VVN, worked closely with Taeyang on the release, alongside global producers such as Paul Blanco, who is credited on multiple tracks including “Love Like This” and “Yes.” Rapper Tablo of Epik High is also credited for writing lyrics for multiple songs, including “Movie.”

The collaboration with Blanco started with an offer from the Korean Canadian producer, who grew up listening to Big Bang songs and therefore had a personal understanding of Taeyang’s discography and legacy, according to the singer.

“He really loved our early R&B tracks like ‘A Fool of Tears’ [2006],” Taeyang said, expressing gratitude to Blanco’s commitment in producing the album.

As for The Kid Laroi, Taeyang said the collaboration was a result of a streak of luck. His team had already envisioned the Australian singer as an ideal collaborator for “Open Up,” but had not had the chance to reach out when The Kid Laroi happened to visit Korea for a Spotify event, leading to a dinner meeting, a studio tour and, ultimately, the collaboration.

The collaboration with Allday Project’s Tarzzan and Woochan, on the other hand, was Taeyang’s idea, as the group reminded him of Big Bang’s early days as rookies.

“Watching Allday Project debut, for some reason, reminded me a lot of how it felt when we debuted,” he said. “When they recorded the verses, I felt that it brought in the kind of freshness and texture we had back when we first debuted.”

Looking back on the full year he spent preparing for the album, Taeyang said he began the project to dig into the core of his musical identity, seeking an answer — and ultimately decided that a quintessence cannot be defined in a single word.

“What I realized in the process is that even if you think you’ve found your essence, defining it as one thing and ending it there doesn’t mean you’ve truly found it,” he said. “For example, when we talk about freedom or love, there are so many layers that make up those words, and I thought what mattered was my attitude of pursuing them in depth.”

Taeyang’s new release comes as Big Bang is set to celebrate its 20th debut anniversary in August. Taeyang, along with his bandmates G-Dragon and Daesung, has already revved up the engine for the group’s upcoming comeback with performances at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, on April 12 and 19.

Big Bang announced plans to release an album to mark its 20th anniversary, along with a tour beginning in August. Specific plans have not been unveiled yet.

The band last held its Japanese Dome concert tour "Last Dance Tour" in 2017, while its last Asian tour was its 10th anniversary "Big Bang 10 The Concert: 0.TO.10" concert series all the way back in 2016 and 2017.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]