2NE1 and Tablo picked as 2011's Best Acts!

YG Entertainment artists 2NE1 and Tablo have been chosen by Slant Magazine and MTV Iggy as two of the Best Acts of 2011.

Tablo’s solo debut album “Fever’s End” has been chosen as No. 5 Best 20 Debut Albums of 2011 by MTV Iggy.

“Korean rapper Tablo’s  epic two-part solo album ‘Fever’s End’ includes brooding, brainy tracks like 'Home' among more upbeat R&B influenced numbers. His English-language kiss-off to the fame game, ‘Dear TV’ is a spare, envelope-pushing standout, but the whole album consists of that kind of reflective, solid material. There’s a post-hip hop/singer-songwriter vibe throughout, but it’s the sprinkling of K-pop dust that gives this debut just the right amount of kick,” MTV Iggy described the album.

Last September, Tablo signed up with YG Entertainment and “Fever’s End” is his first project.

The two-part album was released last November and it entered the Billboard World Albums Chart. “Fever’s End: Part 2” peaked at No. 2 and “Fever’s End: Part 1” entered at No. 5.

The album also shot up to the No. 1 position on iTunes hip-hop charts in the US and Canada.

On the other hand, SLANT magazine has picked 2NE1’s “I Am the Best” as one of the 25 Best Singles of 2011.

“One of 2011's best developments was that the Western world finally discovered the unmitigated joy of K-pop. Even within a music scene characterized by its fearless appropriation of pop, hip-hop, and dance styles, 2NE1's ‘I Am the Best’ is a jaw-dropping, vibrant triumph of pure swagger and verve,” according to SLANT magazine. 

In addition, MTV Iggy chose “I Am the Best” as the No. 1 Coolest Non-English Tracks of 2011.

“No surprise here, right? In 2011, millions of adoring fans chanted ‘Nega Jeil Chalaga,’ or ‘I’m the Best’ in Korean, at concerts worldwide, on Twitter, Facebook, and fan sites. It was all for the pop wunderkinds 2NE1, whose brand of gleaming pop production, four-to-the-floor beats, and sassy fashion sense have made them one of Korea’s breakout acts,” MTV Iggy said of 2NE1.

2NE1 was recently crowned as MTV Iggy’s Best New Band in the World and performed at the MTV Studios in New York City.

Here’s the list of SLANT magazine’s 25 Best Singles of 2011:

1. Kanye West, "All of the Lights"

2. Tyler, the Creator, "Yonkers"

3. Adele, "Rolling in the Deep"

4. Lana Del Rey, "Video Games”

5. Lady Gaga, "Born This Way"

6. Robyn, "Call Your Girlfriend"

7. Fleet Foxes, "Helplessness Blues"

8. Lady Gaga, "The Edge of Glory"

9.. Beth Ditto, "I Wrote the Book"

10. Azealia Banks featuring Lazy Jay, "212"

11. Das Racist, "Michael Jackson"

12. Gotye featuring Kimbra, "Somebody That I Used to Know"

13. Florence and the Machine, "Shake It Out"

14. Lana Del Rey, "Blue Jeans"

15. EMA, "California"

16. Britney Spears, "Till the World Ends"

17. SBTRKT featuring Yukimi Nagano, "Wildfire"

18. Lykke Li, "I Follow Rivers"

19. Girls, "Vomit"

20. Frank Ocean, "Novacane"

21. 2NE1, "I Am The Best"

22. Patrick Wolf, "The City"

23. St. Vincent, "Cruel"

24. Beyoncé, "Love on Top"

25. Battles featuring Matias Aguayo, "Ice Cream"

Source: Manila Bulletin PH