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2NE1: The fiercest girl group in Korea is all about girl power.
Article Title: Being 2NE1
Being a girl group that packs a punch, 2NE1 has conquered the charts with their unique sound and image. By Hidayah Idris.
2NE1: A band that was formed to appeal to anyone. And appeal to everyone, they did. Well, almost.
When YG Entertainment released the teaser video for 2NE1's debut, it sparked a lot of interest. After all, the group provided a fresh burst of R&b and reggae among the electro pop tunes and hook songs.
When YG Entertainment released the teaser video for 2NE1's debut, it sparked a lot of interest. After all, the group provided a fresh burst of R&b and reggae among the electro pop tunes and hook songs.
THE NEW EVOLUTION
2NE1 stands for "New Evolution of the 21st Century", and it seems the group is doing justice to their name by making music that is different from most girl groups.
Their first song, "Lollipop" was a duet with their seniors from the same agency, Big Bang. The pop/R&B number was the promotional song for LG Cyon mobile phone and served to introduce the new girl group. It opened with a sugar-coated pop tune one would expect from a girl group, but transformed into a rap and R&B-infused song. The girls showed - and proved - that they were good enough to be the female version of Big Bang.
Music aside, another factor that was starkly different about the new band was their fashion sense. Dressed in colorful costume and printed leggings, their stage outfits stood out among the other girl groups who wore identical or similar get-ups. Their costumes sparked the craze for printed leggings in South Korea.
More than just clothes, member Sandara Park quickly gained attention for her "palm tree" hairdo, in which she tied a high ponytail on her crown, making it look like a tree is perched on her head. The petite singer traded her signature ponytail for a topknot in the subsequent single and puffy hair for her solo debut. Even now, her hairstyle changes still garner interest, and fans eagerly copy her hairstyle to look like her.
Leader CL, on the other hand, was known for her shades. The rapper usually sports sunglasses during performances and in music videos, which complemented her cool personality.
INSTANT SUCCESS
The music video for their official debut single "Fire" was edgy and strong. The members took on a chameleon persona, constantly changing their image. In some parts of the video, Sandara even donned a saree (T/N: saree - headscarf)! The video was shot in two sets, space and street. Newsen reported that the videos had two miliion views in various music sites and online communities in just one day.
Their follow-up song, "I Don't Care" also took the charts by storm. With lyrics that most girls could identify with, the catchy tune and choreography was a hit among fans and non-fans alike. It took the No. 1 spot on KBS' Music Bank for five weeks, and secured top spots in Mnet's M! Countdown and SBS's Popular Song (Inkigayo).
When 2NE1 appeared on their first variety show, Strong Heart, two years ago, Sandara revealed that she was not considered to be part of the group initially. When she heard that the company was forming a new girl group, she went for karaoke sessions with G-Dragon and singer SE7EN. She had performed with all her might to prove her worth and recorded their singing sessions. Their CEO, Yang Hyun Suk, saw Sandara's performance and recruited her into the group.
Sandara Park
Real name: Park Sandara
Date of Birth: November 12, 1984
Fun fact: Sandara was a celebrity in the Philippines before debuting in the group. She was the runner-up for a talent competition and appeared in dramas, movies and commercials. After she came from a break, her popularity declined and she went back to Korea to become a trainee in YG Entertainment.
Minzy
Real Name: Gong Minji
Date of Birth: January 18, 1993
Fun Fact: Minzy grew up in Gwangju, where she attended the same dance school as Big Bang's Seung Ri and KARA's Hara. An ace in dancing, she was told by CEO Yang Hyun Suk to tone down her moves, as they were too sexy for a young girl like her.
CL
Real Name: Lee Chae Rin
Date of Birth: February 26, 1991
Fun fact: Daughter to a physics professor, CL has lived in Japan, France and USA, where she picked up the languages. Her family decided to move back to Korea after she signed on with YG Entertainment as a trainee.
Park Bom
Date of Birth: March 24, 1984
Fun fact: Bom's family migrated to the US when she was in the sixth grade. Her parents were against her studying music so she took up a course in Psychology in university. However, with her aunt's support, she transferred to Berklee College of Music.
OVERSEAS ROOTS
Prior to being a part of 2NE1, Sandara was a well-known celebrity in the Philippines. Her family migrated because her father had started a trading business there.
She joined a talent competition, Star Circle Quest, in which she came in second. The Busan-born star pursued acting in dramas, movies and commercials, and released an album, which achieved 2x platinum in sales. She took a break and returned to Korea bot when she went back to the Philippines, her popularity declined and she received few offers to appear on shows. She also revealed that her father had left the family and took off with their money.
To start anew, she moved back to Korea with her mother and brother, who is now a member of boy band MBLAQ. She signed on to YG Entertainment the next day, and later debuted in 2NE1.
Like Sandara, Bom grew up in a foreign city as an adolescent. Her family moved to the United States when she was in elementary school. She graduated from a high school in the US and pursued a course in psychology in university. While she wanted to study music, her parents were vehemently against it. With the support of her aunt, she transferred to Berklee College of Music.
The singer auditioned for YG Entertainment a few times, but was rejected repeatedly. She persevered and was eventually accepted, and scored a spot in the group.
Unlike the other two, CL can be considered a traveler. The rapper had lived in a lot of countries. Her father, who is a Physics professor, was posted to Japan, France and United States. She picked up all the languages during that period, making her fluent in four languages.
When she was accepted into YG Entertainment as a trainee in 2006, her family decided to stay in South Korea.
After their short hiatus, the group resumed activities. "Follow Me" was released as a surprise track on digital music sites, but there were hardly any promotions for the song. The track was also the theme song for Samsung Corby Folder mobile phone.
They made a comeback late last year with their first studio album, To Anyone, and challenged the norm by promoting three tracks simultaneously. Most artists usually promote one track - or at the most, two - and only release another (usually a song from the repackaged album) after performing their "goodbye stage" for the first song.
Netizens voiced out their concerns about the group being given special treatment. Already, many of them have voiced concerns over howPopular Song (Inkigayo) favours YG Entertainment artists. The agency reacted by announcing that the group would only perform two songs onMusic Bank and MBC's Music Core.
Despite the fiasco, the group manage to clinch No. 1 spots for each song at each music show: "Clap Your Hands" took the top spot on M! Countdown; "Go Away" won first place on Music Bank, while "Can't Nobody" scored the "Mutizen Song" award on Popular Song.
VENTURING OUTSIDE KOREA
The girl group is slated to have their Japanese debut in February, under Avex. The company has witnessed the successes of Korean artists in Japan, including BoA, Tohoshinki and Girls' Generation.
They have also recorded ten English tracks with Black Eyed Peas member will.i.am, insinuating to a possible U.S. debut.
Wherever they go, the girls will definitely leave a lasting impression for being an atypical girl band from South Korea.
-End of article-
Source: Teens Magazine Singapore
Credit for Scan: s zeelicious@ygladies
Article: kwonjirinlee@ygladies.com
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