Pop groups Big Bang and 2NE1 released their new albums in Japan on Wednesday.

Big Bang’s latest album, “Alive,” includes “Feeling,” a collaborative effort among Big Bang’s G-Dragon, Top and world-famous German artist Boys Noize,“ that has been selected as the opening theme song for Japanese TV animation series ”Transformers:Prime.“

2NE1’s first regular album in Japan, ”Collection,“ features 12 songs including a reinterpretation of Madonna’s ”Like a Virgin“ and a remix of Japanese electronic artist M-flo’s ”She’s So (Outta Control),“ and ”Scream.“

M-flo member Verbal was involved in the making of both ”Alive“ and ”Collection,“ writing Japanese lyrics for Big Bang’s ”Fantastic Baby“ and 2NE1’s ”Scream,“ according to YG Entertainment.

Big Bang and 2NE1 are scheduled to perform at Spring Groove, a music festival in Kobe on March 31 and Chiba on April 1, joining world-famous artists such as LMFAO and David Guetta.

Big Bang is scheduled to hold concerts in Nagoya, Yokohama, Osaka, Saitama and Fukuoka in May as part of its ”2012 Big Bang Alive Tour in Japan.“

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)