"Sober" (Korean: 맨정신; RR: Maenjeongsin) is a song recorded by South Korean boy band BigBang. It was released digitally on July 1, 2015, by YG Entertainment as the third single from the album Made, included in the single album D.
Background and Release
The first promotional poster for "Sober" was released on June 27, 2015, revealing the song title and production credits. The single was officially released on July 1, 2015, preceded by a live countdown on Naver Starcast on June 30. An exact verse that G-Dragon sings toward the end of "Sober" was first performed during the 2013 Mnet Asian Music Awards as a prelude to his song "Crooked." The music video was directed by Han Sa Min, who had previously worked with BigBang on "Loser," "Bad Boy," and "Blue."
Composition and Reception
"Sober" features a pop rock sound, an unusual genre for BigBang, who typically produce electronic and hip hop-based music. The track incorporates prominent guitars and percussion with a high-energy rock vibe. Fuse described the song as fitting on alternative radio and comparable to material heard on the Warped Tour, a festival known for alternative and punk rock music. The Korean website Osen called it "an exciting summer song that perfectly fits the [season]." Billboard described the music video as "going mad in a colorful world."
Credits
- Songwriters: Teddy Park, G-Dragon, T.O.P
- Producers: Teddy, Choice37, G-Dragon
- Language: Korean
- Length: 3:57
- Label: YG Entertainment
Commercial Performance
"Sober" sold 276,180 downloads in its first week on the Gaon Chart and debuted at number two on both the Digital and Download charts. It also placed at number seven on the BGM and Streaming charts, accumulating over 3.9 million streams. The song charted at number three on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart and ranked at number eleven on the most popular Korean singles of 2015 in Taiwan according to KKBOX. In South Korea, it sold a cumulative total of 1,317,469 downloads.
Chart Performance
| Chart | Peak Position |
|---|---|
| South Korea (Gaon) | 2 |
| US World Digital Songs (Billboard) | 3 |
| Japan Hot 100 | 24 |
Accolades
"Sober" received music program awards on the following broadcasts:
- M! Countdown (July 9, 2015)
- Show! Music Core (July 11, 2015)
- Inkigayo (July 12, 2015)
