"Let's Not Fall in Love"
Single by Big Bang
from the album Made
A-side"Zutter"
ReleasedAugust 5, 2015 (2015-08-05)
GenrePop rock
Length3:32
LabelYG
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Teddy
  • G-Dragon
Big Bang singles chronology
"Zutter"
(2015)		 "Let's Not Fall in Love"
(2015)		 "Fxxk It"
(2016)

"Let's Not Fall in Love" (Korean: 우리 사랑하지 말아요; RR: Uri saranghaji marayo) is a song recorded by South Korean boy band Big Bang. It was released through YG Entertainment on August 5, 2015, alongside the single "Zutter"; both tracks make up the single album E as part of the group's Made series. The recording was written and produced by long-time group collaborator Teddy Park and band member G-Dragon. Musically, the pop-rock infused dance track features a variety of vocal samplings, acoustic melodies, and hazy synths, while the lyrical content explores the subtle insecurities that come along with teenage love.

Following the release of "Let's Not Fall in Love", it was met with positive reviews from music critics, many of whom highlighted the track's unique and sentimental composition, and further praised the band's versatility with emotional and complex themes that are seldom seen in K-pop. A commercial success, the track topped both the Gaon Digital Chart as well as the US World Digital Songs and garnered nearly 1,400,000 downloads in South Korea by the end of 2016. The song's pastel-colored music video was released simultaneously with the release of E and depicts the band members in a hazily-lit school courtyard, each taking on the role of a boyfriend. Promotions for the single featured BigBang performing the song live on the music program Inkigayo along with their ongoing Made World Tour (2015–16).

Composition and lyrical interpretation

Written and composed by member G-Dragon and Teddy Park, "Let's Not Fall in Love" is a pop-rock tune with a classic sentimental dance sound, that was compared to the group's early single "Blue".[1][2] The track also features "a variety of vocal samplings, acoustic melodies, and hazy synths."[3] The song was described as gentle and sweet unlike the previous releases from the band, having a solemn tone with a mid-tempo and gentle vocals with a sad mode.[4]

The lyrics speak of a young, hesitant romance that is ultimately more self-centered and defensive than caring, capturing the subtle insecurities of teenage love.[1] Billboard felt that the lyrical content of "Let's Not Fall in Love" encompasses "the scary moments that accompany the start of a relationship", depicting "the pressures and worries of starting a new relationship and committing to a person, and the potential pain that accompanies the risk of opening up to someone." The magazine concluded that the song gives a message "that if you like someone you still will want them to stay despite the fears."[5]

Critical reception

This song was well received by both the public and critics. Billboard said that "Let's Not Fall in Love" "showcases the boy band at their most sentimental", and has a classic BigBang song feel but with a unique sound because of the "lack of a definitive chorus and T.O.P and G-Dragon showing off new vocal colors instead of their usual personality-driven raps."[6] The magazine chose the track as BigBang's fourth best song,[3] praising the group versatility after nearly a decade on top.[2] Korean website Osen complimented "Let's Not Fall in Love" for being "filled with joyful and fluttering emotions with a young and fresh beauty that was expressed based on a sorrowful emotion."[7]

Fuse called the song "a gem" and praised its "lush production that evokes a range of emotions."[8] Philippine Daily Inquirer admired the group, stating "while most K-pop boy groups safely opt for either the sweet, forever-giving boyfriend role or the dangerously attractive bad boy image, Big Bang continues to explore more complex themes while still maintaining popular appeal" and commented that BigBang "has struck a genuine and elusive emotional chord" with "Let's Not Fall in Love".[1]

Commercial performance

"Let's Not Fall in Love" sold 314,944 digital copies in its first week on the Gaon Chart, the fourth highest first week sales of 2015, and peaked at number one in both the Digital and Download charts. The song debuted at the third position on the Streaming Chart with over 4.797 million streams, the fourth on Mobile Chart and eleventh on BGM Chart.[9][10][11][12][13] By the end of 2016, the song received nearly 1,400,000 digital downloads in South Korea.[14]

The single charted first on Billboard's World Digital Songs chart, being it the group's third number one on the chart which made them the Korean act with the most songs that topped the World Digital Songs, along with Psy.[15][16] In Taiwan, the song ranked fifth on the most popular Korean singles list of 2015 by music streaming service KKBOX.[17]

Music video

Acting as a complement of the lyrics, the music video highlights the happiness of falling in love through the use of bright colours, and fun and innocent depictions of dates, which is contradicted by the close up shots that emphasise the member's worried faces. While the under exposed and dreamy tone reflects the video as fragments of a memory.[18] The pastel-colored, dreamlike video features the five members running around a hazily-lit school courtyard, each taking on the role of boyfriend to five different models.[1] Ha Yeon-soo, Lauren Tse, Kim Yoon-hye, Seo Yea-ji, and Lee Ho-jung (actress) played the girlfriends of T.O.P, Taeyang, Daesung, G-Dragon, and Seungri, respectively.

Accolades

BigBang received the Song of the Year – August award at the 5th Gaon Chart Music Awards for its success on digital platforms.[19] It additionally achieved the top positions on several South Korean music programs during its promotion, including on Show! Music Core, Inkigayo, and Music Bank.

Music program awards
Program Date Ref.
Show! Music Core August 15, 2015 [20]
August 22, 2015 [21]
Inkigayo August 16, 2015 [22]
August 23, 2015 [23]
Music Bank August 21, 2015 [24]

Charts

Release history

Release history and formats for "Let's Not Fall in Love"
Region Date Format Label
South Korea August 5, 2015 Digital download YG Entertainment, KT Music
Various
Japan August 12, 2015 YG Entertainment, YGEX

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Review: Big Bang's new releases are disturbing, emotional". Inquirer.net. Philippine Daily Inquirer. August 11, 2015. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  2. 1 2 Herman, Tamar (August 19, 2016). "Happy 10-Year Anniversary, BIGBANG! 10 Must-Listen Songs from the Boy Band". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  3. 1 2 "The 10 Best BIGBANG Songs: Critics' Picks". Billboard. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  4. ↑ "K-Pop Boy Band Face-Off: Big Bang's 'Let's Not Fall in Love' Vs. GD&TOP's 'Zutter'". Kpop Starz. August 5, 2015. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  5. ↑ Herman, Tamar; Benjamin, Jeff (February 14, 2019). "35 K-Pop Love Songs For Valentine's Day". Billboard.
  6. ↑ Bejamin, Jeff (August 5, 2015). "BIGBANG Are at Their Most Tender on 'Let's Not Fall in Love,' While GD&T.O.P Are at Their Craziest on 'Zutter'". Billboard. Retrieved August 9, 2015.
  7. ↑ "[Midnight New Song] BIGBANG's two extremes "Sweet vs. Bold"… "Crazy energy"". Osen. YG Life. August 5, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  8. ↑ "11 Big Bang Songs That Deserve More Love". Fuse. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  9. 1 2 "Gaon Digital Chart - Week 33". Gaon Chart. August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Gaon Download Chart - Week 33". Gaon Chart. August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  11. ↑ "Gaon Streaming Chart - Week 33". Gaon Chart. August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 13, 2015.
  12. ↑ "Gaon Mobile Chart - Week 33". Gaon Chart. August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  13. ↑ "Gaon BGM Chart - Week 33". Gaon Chart. August 13, 2015. Retrieved August 24, 2015.
  14. ↑ Cumulative sales for "Let's Not Fall in Love"
  15. ↑ "Billboard's World Digital Singles Chart: Singles". Billboard. August 11, 2015. Retrieved August 11, 2015.
  16. 1 2 "BIGBANG Tie PSY for Most No. 1s on World Digital Songs Chart". Billboard. August 11, 2015. Retrieved August 12, 2015.
  17. ↑ "2015韓語年度單曲/專輯榜TOP 20 (in Chinese)". KKbox Taiwan. February 3, 2016. Retrieved February 5, 2016.
  18. ↑ "Hello Asia! New Music Video Review: Big Bang - "Let's Not Fall in Love" (South Korea, 2015)". The AU Review. Archived from the original on February 15, 2017. Retrieved February 14, 2017.
  19. ↑ "제5회 가온K팝어워드, YG 음원-SM 음반 '초강세'..빅뱅·엑소 5관왕(종합)" [5th Gaon K-Pop Awards, YG and SM 'super strong'... Big Bang and EXO wins 5 crowns (comprehensive)]. Star News (in Korean). February 17, 2016.
  20. ↑ "'음악중심' 빅뱅, 출연 없이 샤이니·원더걸스 누르고 1위.."역시 탑 지드래곤 태양 승리"". EToday. August 16, 2015. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  21. ↑ "'음악중심' 빅뱅, 방송 없이도 1위 차지 '우리 사랑하지 말아요'". Ten Asia. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  22. ↑ 8월 셋째주 인기가요 차트 (in Korean). Seoul Broadcasting System. August 17, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  23. ↑ 8월 넷째 주 인기가요 차트 (in Korean). Seoul Broadcasting System. August 25, 2015. Retrieved May 17, 2019.
  24. ↑ "'뮤직뱅크' 빅뱅, B1A4 누르고 '우사말'로 1위 차지". Ten Aia. Retrieved March 11, 2017.
  25. ↑ "Digital Chart - August". Gaon Chart. Gaon Chart. Retrieved September 10, 2015.
  26. ↑ "Yearly Digital Chart - 2015". Gaon Chart. Gaon Chart. Retrieved February 3, 2016.
  27. ↑ "World Digital Song Sales – 2015". Billboard. Archived from the original on November 27, 2020. Retrieved October 6, 2021.
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