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BigBang edges IU as artist of 2015: survey

December 17, 2015
South Korean boy band BigBang (Yonhap)

South Korean boy band BigBang (Yonhap)

SEOUL (Yonhap) — South Koreans have chosen boy band BigBang as the artist of 2015, a Gallup survey showed Thursday.

The five-member act received 15.5 percent of the votes in interviews conducted by Gallup Korea in July, September and November.

BigBang topped music charts every month from May to August, when they released “Bang Bang Bang,” “Loser,” “Sober” and “Bae Bae” on the first day of each month. These singles culminated in the album “MADE.”

BigBang had been the No. 2 artist of the year for three consecutive years from 2007 to 2009. They were second in 2011, and this is the first time the group topped the Gallup survey.

Singer-songwriter IU, who released her EP “CHAT-SHIRE” in October, was a close second with 15.4 percent.

Third place went to Girls’ Generation with 11.9 percent. After a brief setback caused by the exit of member Jessica last year, the eight-member act drove both title tracks on the fifth album “Lion Heart” to the top of music charts.

The pollster interviewed 4,200 South Koreans aged 13-59, and for idol groups, they interviewed an additional 1,500 South Koreans aged 13-29 to reflect their particular popularity among younger people.

The survey had a margin of error of plus or minus 1.5 percentage points. For idol groups, the margin of error was plus or minus 2.5 percentage points.