[2] Taeyang's vocal skills have been admired by music critics and he is regarded as one of the best vocalists in South Korea.

[4] When his family began struggling financially, Dong felt the need to find a job to help support them at a young age.

[6] On the occasion, Dong met Yang Hyun-suk CEO of the record label YG Entertainment and begged him for a chance to become a singer.

[8] Although Dong was scheduled to debut alongside Kwon as the hip hop duo GDYB (with Kwon choosing the stage-name G-Dragon, and Dong Young-Bae then initially choosing the name YB taekwon to rhyme with his bandmate G-Dragon),[9][10] the plan was scrapped by their record label.

Their formation was documented on television, but before their official debut, Hyun-seung was dropped and their final lineup consisted of five members.

[13] Instead, Taeyang released the EP Hot in May 2008, backed by a production team that included 1TYM's Teddy Park, Yang Hyun Suk, Kush, and his fellow member G-Dragon.

[23] It was included at number 17 in music critic Kim Hak-seon's introduction of 20 great albums from the 2000s in his book Capturing the K-POP World.

[32] The choreography for "Ringa Linga" spawned numerous covers on the video-sharing website YouTube,[33] while "Eyes Nose Lips" was covered by various celebrities, including label-mates Akdong Musician, Tablo, Lydia Paek as well as Korean singer Eric Nam and Canadian pop star Michael Bublé.

[36] Taeyang then embarked on the Rise World Tour in support of the album, visiting 9 countries and 16 cities in Asia beginning in August 2014.

[37] At the 2014 Mnet Asian Music Awards, Taeyang won Best Male Artist, Best Vocal Performance and Song of the Year for "Eyes, Nose, Lips".

[38][39] Taeyang collaborated with G-Dragon in November 2014 to release the song "Good Boy" for YG Entertainment's new hip hop project.

The duo teamed up with ZE:A's Hwang Kwanghee and released the single "Mapsosa", which peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart.

[58] Taeyang's third studio album, White Night, was released on August 16, 2017, with dual lead singles "Darling" and "Wake Me Up".

[62][63] On September, it was announced that Taeyang will appear on the upcoming JTBC survival audition program Mix Nine as a judge.

[64] Taeyang was revealed as one of the cast members of tvN's new variety program, Livin' the Double Life, along with CL and Oh Hyuk.

[65] Taeyang began his 21 months of mandatory military service on March 12, 2018, by entering the 6th Infantry Division's boot camp in Cheorwon, Gangwon Province as an active duty soldier.

[67] In December, Taeyang signed a contract with YG Entertainment's affiliate, The Black Label and Interscope Records for representation outside of Asia.

"[78] For his second album Rise (2014), Taeyang stated that while "R&B and hip-hop are a given," "there is also electronic, ballad, and rock,"[79] hoping to blend genres like Kanye West.

[80] Taeyang lists Miguel, Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, and Michael Jackson as his biggest influences,[12] in particular the latter's album Xscape.

Korean critic Kim Young-dae called his timbre "luxurious and one you couldn't find before him," noting that "instead of giving off a mechanically trained and cold aura that other idols usually exhibit, he has a warm and full emotional range.

"[87] A review of his first solo tour stated that: Taeyang's vocals glide effortlessly over the melodies as his body twists fluidly from one move to the next.

[88]In 2017, Taeyang started endorsing auto maker Lexus, becoming the brand's Korean ambassador for their newest model LC500h,[89] composing and writing the lyrics for the promotional song "So Good", which was released in May.

[98][99][100] On February 3, 2018, Taeyang and Min married in a private ceremony with family and friends, officiated by actor Ki Tae-young.

[108] His second album Rise in 2014 debuted at number 112 on Billboard 200 chart, becoming the highest entry by a Korean solo artist at the time.

[110][111][112] In 2017, Taeyang was appointed as an honorary ambassador for the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, being tasked with extolling the virtues of South Korea for the world.