Bad news, got back from the vet and my beautiful baby son is going to have to be put down soon, probably tomorrow or the next day, so send him best of wishes for his next few days~ Luckily, he's actually not in a lot of pain (for now, hopefully he won't be) and is acting pretty normal, so I'm hoping he won't suffer at all and everything will be peaceful for him.

I know BB is in a difficult time right now but reading Taeyang's recent interview just made me accept that this is really happening to them. Taeyang really wants BB to work out and I'm glad he said they're trying their best to aim for that. It sucks that OT4 have to pick up the pieces for the mistakes they don't even commit.

His comments on Big Bang and Coachella come off as cautious, but that’s to be expected right now. Given the current climate, the last thing they should be seen as is cocky. They’re expected to be contrite – to express all the remorse and self-reproach their departed member didn’t. And honestly, while I want to think they’re more confident about their future plans than this interview suggests, this guarded approach… it feels genuine. 2019 was dreadful for BB as a group. Even though OT4 weren’t implicated in the Burning Sun controversy, the severity of the scandal can’t be ignored; many of their own fans turned their backs and left because the actions of one broke trust in them all.

It’s so sad to hear that the invitation from Coachella gave them trouble. They knew that any decision they made would look bad and they’d receive criticism. “Any choice is not easy for us now.” They’re caught between a rock and a hard place. They’re well aware of how mangled their image is after the events of last year – badly enough that, as the interviewer pointed out, among Koreans a comeback is still viewed as premature.

But the invitation was an unexpected opportunity, one they couldn’t pass up. Because who says no to Coachella? And what a boost of confidence, right? In a difficult time when they weren’t even sure how many of their own fans were still by their side, one of the world’s biggest and most celebrated music festivals came calling, offering them a place on the stage. I’ve seen VIPs liken this opportunity to their 2011 MTV EMA nomination, drawing comparisons between then and now, reminding everyone that they were on the verge of disbandment after the hell that was 2011… until their unexpected win at the EMAs reinvigorated them and gave them the courage to try again.

In the same way, in late 2019 when they were floundering, when what they needed was a sense of direction, something solid to grab onto, something new, they were thrown another lifeline – and this time its name was Coachella. Taeyang said that before the invitation arrived there was “no answer.” No answer to the question of their future, I think he means. It seems Coachella was the answer they were looking for, dropped in their laps at just the right time. A much-needed sign that the world still wants them, fate and circumstance (or maybe God himself) telling them that this isn’t the end.

So yes, this is really happening. Taeyang said he wants to “work through this difficult time together in the most realistic and wisest way.” I think his wording here is important.

1) Realistically, Big Bang has lost a member. A member who realistically cannot and will not come back to the team. Five is just a memory, and a future as five a fantasy. We have to be realistic about this, and that means accepting that Big Bang is now four. This is the way forward.

2) “Wisest way," he says. I’ve been contemplating this since he said at his discharge event that BB would need a lot of wisdom going forward. Then, after the Coachella announcement and the almost nonchalant, act-like-nothing’s-wrong way it was presented, I began to wonder if one reason why the members haven’t spoken up about you-know-who and the state of the group is because they consider it unwise to do so. Think about it: when a sizeable, zealous chunk of their fanbase is still telling them their support is conditional, still insisting on “five or nothing,” is it wise to cut those fans out? To alienate them by sternly shutting them down? Five is impossible and “nothing” is not what they want, their decision to play Coachella with four members makes that pretty clear. Sadly though, they’re in a poor position right now to be at odds with their own fandom. Especially when Korea is not very accepting and they need international support.

In addition, is it kind? BB know how badly VIPs were hurt in 2019 – many still feel wounded. I’m sure the last thing the members want to do is add to that pain. In this interview Taeyang spent some time explaining that one thing he thinks he learned to do better in the military is communicate. Specifically, how to address a troubling issue with loved ones with understanding and empathy, saying the right thing while maintaining a good relationship. “If there is a loved one around you, if you really love that person, you need to know how to say the right thing even if it’s difficult. How do you communicate that?” As for BB, he said he feels responsible and it’s his calling to make sure they work through this together. I think he touched on this for a reason; it’s not just the members he’s helping, we can see that he’s putting his new communication skills to use right now in his careful handling of the fans.

I’m not surprised that Taeyang has stepped up and assumed this burden of bringing everyone to a peaceful resolution. For as long as I’ve known him, he has always taken a hands-on approach to caring for the fans, direct when he needs to be, and always kind. This time though, from the members themselves the situation calls for some serious tact. As much as I’d like them to come out with it already, like ripping off a band-aid, a statement as blunt as “Big Bang is four” would deal a terrible blow to the many fans who are still hoping for five. I’m so sad for BB, that there is this need to tiptoe around the issue at all. If more of the fandom had their heads on straight the members wouldn’t have to.

So I think they’re going to do their best to keep the peace while letting their actions and work speak for them. New stages, new schedules, new music. They’re going to take care of us as best they can given the circumstances and work together, with us and with each other, to make this new BB succeed.