5 things to know about Daesung, the D-Lite and ‘smiling angel’ of K-pop’s BigBang

The lead singer celebrates his birthday this weekend and is loved by fans in Korea and Japan for his goofy antics and sexy charms

BigBang's lead vocalist and now maknae (or youngest member) Daesung is loved for his goofy energy, funny antics, and cute charms, turning from silly to sexy in a snap. Chosen by his agency because of his smile, Daesung has also earned the nickname "smiling angel".

As he celebrates his 31st birthday this Sunday, April 26, and more than a decade since his debut with the band, here are five things to know about the BigBang artist.

He is extremely popular in Japan

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A post shared by DAESUNG 빅뱅 (FANBASE) (@daesung89) on Dec 30, 2017 at 9:20pm PST

Although all BigBang members have successfully embarked on solo careers, Daesung's took off in Japan. Under his Japanese stage name D-Lite, Daesung released his first-ever solo Japanese album called D'scover in February 2013. According to the YG Life website, his album leapt to number two on Japan's Oricon hit chart " a rare feat for a non-Japanese artist.

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To further promote his album, Daesung took on the D-Lite D'scover Tour 2013 in Japan, where he performed 26 concerts in 20 cities, to the delight of more than 100,000 Japanese fans. His success was considered a breakthrough for a K-pop artist at that time.

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A post shared by DAESUNG 빅뱅 (FANBASE) (@daesung89) on Jan 1, 2018 at 8:38am PST

In 2014, Daesung launched another album, D'Solve, which quickly took the top spot on the Oricon daily chart and number two on its weekly chart, according to YG Life.

He went on to promote this via a solo arena tour called D-Lite D'Solve Tour 2014 in Japan. Due to public demand, Daesung's team had to revise initial plans to accommodate more locations. Daesung ended up performing 15 concerts in eight cities in front of 170,000 Japanese fans.

He also became the first Korean solo artist to draw more than 100,000 fans on tour for two consecutive years.

He was rumoured to have a 'sexy image'

In a 2017 episode of I Live Alone, Taeyang, who was invited as a guest, spent time with Daesung, and the two discussed D-Lite's popularity in Japan. The BigBang members began talking about a Radio Star episode wherein the host said that Daesung has many Japanese fans because of his sexiness.

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Daesung told Taeyang that that Radio Star episode caused a rumour. Strangers came up to him and would say, "I heard you're very sexy on Japanese shows." It made Daesung feel self-conscious about his image, to the extent that he could no longer sleep comfortably.

"I think to myself, should I sleep in a sexy pose?" Daesung joked.

He has unique hobbies

In the same segment, when Taeyang asked him what he was up to, Daesung shared that he was learning pilates and had already taken three sessions. Taeyang was amazed and told him, "You do all the sexy things!"

Aside from pilates, Daesung is also good at playing the drums. He initially started it as a hobby to relieve stress but eventually became good at it and would perform in concerts, too.

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His room is 'fit for a princess'

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A post shared by DAESUNG 빅뱅 (FANBASE) (@daesung89) on May 11, 2018 at 5:50am PDT

In an episode of Come to Play, BigBang appeared as the show's guests but Daesung was unable to attend. The group members ended up talking about him. After it was mentioned that Daesung paid much attention to his skincare, G-Dragon chimed in, saying that once he and his mother came by Daesung's room, and the amount of beauty products he owned made G-Dragon's mother jealous.

T.O.P added that Daesung's room is "fit for a princess".

He relies on his older sister

Being in the public eye since debuting with BigBang in 2006, Daesung has faced many hardships and controversies throughout his career.

In one of his most trying times, the artist has revealed that he would always rely on one woman, his older sister, Bora. Website Soompi revealed that in Korean talk show Strong Heart, Daesung shared how his sister helped him endure a rough time. "My sister, who is a soldier, used up a holiday day to spend time with me."

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