The Wanted’s Jay McGuiness praises 2NE1 via Twitter!

We recently reported that Jay McGuiness from British-Irish boy band The Wanted sang along to 2NE1‘s ”I Am The Best“, and earlier today, he further praised the girls via his Twitter page.

When one of 2NE1′s international fansites ‘LP2NE1‘ posted the Wanted Wednesday clip of Jay singing, the singer responded with enthusiasm: 

Fellow Blackjacks were thrilled to hear he was a fan of the girls, and thanked him for showing his support.

Source: Allkpop

Yang Hyun Suk gives Big Bang & 2NE1′s upcoming releases “100 points out of 100″!

YG Entertainment‘s Big Bang and 2NE1 will both be making their respective comebacks this summer. Not only has news of their comeback grabbed the full attention of the industry insiders, YG fans are also eagerly awaiting the new material to drop.

CEO Yang Hyun Suk informed StarIn on May 29th, “Big Bang will be releasing new songs on June 3rd and June 6th, and 2NE1 has also been confirmed for a new album release in June.”

As previously reported, Big Bang will be releasing five new songs including “Monster” with their special edition album ‘Still Alive‘. This album will also contain five of the original tracks included in their fifth mini-album, ‘Alive‘.

Korean fans will not get to see much of Big Bang as the boys are currently focusing on their World Tour while residing in Japan, but 2NE1 will be filling in that void. The girls have just completed seven new songs with their producer Teddy Park, and are in discussions over which track should be pushed as their title song. Once 2NE1′s album officially drops, the ladies will be actively promoting on television broadcasts. Whether their new album will be a mini-album or a formal full album has not yet been decided.

“Both Big Bang and 2NE1 have worked extremely well together since their debut, and truly enjoy doing music,” Yang Hyun Suk remarked. “This is my personal opinion, but I would like to give both teams’ new songs 100 points out of 100.”

“I feel especially at ease when it comes to 2NE1,” he added. “2NE1 has consistently claimed their victory with good songs, and they further became acknowledged for their fashion sense and talents. Their comeback should be something to look forward to.”

Source & Image: StarIn via Nate

Credits: Allkpop

The Wanted’s Jay McGuiness sings 2NE1′s “I Am The Best”!

British-Irish boy band The Wanted has quickly climbed to superstardom in the UK and received recognition in the States and all over the world with their hit #1 tracks such as “All Time Low” and “Glad You Came“.

As it turns out, member Jay McGuiness of the hot UK band is a fan of 2NE1! In a Wanted Wednesday video uploaded earlier today on May 30th, Jay sings the chorus of 2NE1′s track “I Am The Best” (내가 제일 잘 나가 / I am the Best) and asks fans to tweet him if they know where the song came from.

Watch the clip below to hear him sing the chorus at around the 2:50 mark.

Source: Allkpop

What do 2NE1 and other groups' comebacks in late June-July mean for new artists?

The comebacks of idol groups 2NE1, B2ST, and T-ara have new, hopeful artists a little weary.

There are reports that the comebacks of these powerhouse idol groups in late June and early July do not bode well for upcoming artists. All three groups have proven themselves to be worthy adversaries in the K-Pop world as they’ve won first place on music television programs in addition to achieving all-kills on music charts.

2NE1 is slated to return with an album in mid-June. The YG Entertainment group is known to have had all-kills on music charts with their tracks: “Don’t Cry“, “Lonely“, “I Am The Best“, “Hate You“, and “Ugly“.

 

(other parts omitted)

A music representative recently pointed out that June might be a bad month for new hopeful artists. “If they avoid Big Bang and Wonder Girls, who will comeback in early June, they [will be facing] 2NE1, B2ST, and T-ara on music charts. It’s extremely difficult to schedule a comeback for other artists.”

Source + Photos: Osen

Credits: Allkpop

Lady Gaga stylist Nicola Formichetti is a fan of 2NE1 & Big Bang!

There is a man responsible for dressing mega popstar Lady Gaga in her famous meat dress. He has never studied fashion design, but currently in his early 30′s, he has now become the head of a luxury brand. He is none other than French Fashion House MUGLER‘s creative director and Lady Gaga’s stylist, Nicola Formichetti. During a recent interview, Formichetti admitted to being a fan of K-Pop.

Formichetti is half Asian with a Japanese mother and an Italian father. When asked which side he feels closer to, he answered, “I was born in Shizuoka, Japan and grew up in Tokyo. I went to high school in Rome, and lived in London for ten years after that. I felt like an outsider growing up, but I think it’s helped me build an ability to blend different things. I look young for being 35, thanks to my Asian blood (laughs).”

The fashionista also admitted to being a huge fan of Korean pop music. “I am a huge fan of Big Bang and 2NE1. 2NE1 knows how to sing. Just this morning, I listened to 2NE1′s “Scream” and Big Bang’s ‘Fantastic Baby‘“, he said, revealing the tracks on his iPhone playlist. “This is a secret, but I may be working with 2NE1 in the future. There are a lot of Korean people that I know in Europe. I once did a show with designer Woo Young Mee in Paris a few years back. We had bibimbap (Korean mixed rice meal) together, and the spicy kick was the greatest. If I were ever invited to Seoul’s Fashion Week, I would love to go. I want to work on a new Lady Gaga outfit with Korean designers, and I also want to learn Korean.”

Would you like to see a collaboration between Nicola Formichetti and 2NE1? Toss us your thoughts below!

 

Source & Image: Donga via Naver

Credits: Allkpop

Intel releases making-of clip for will.i.am & 2NE1′s “Take The World On” + full instrumental!

Separate from Intel Korea‘s 2NE1 X Teddy Ultrabook song event, 2NE1 recently collaborated with will.i.am to produce “Take the World On” for Intel.

Last month, some footage leaked of 2NE1 and will.i.am‘s alleged US track at Club Answer in Seoul. Thereafter, an official preview was released.  The song will be used as a promotional single for Intel’s Ultrabook Project. Produced by will.i.am and DJ Poet, the track is electro-dance.

Earlier today, a second promotional video was released featuring extensive behind the scenes clips of the production process for “Take the World On”. In addition to more of the track, will.i.am and apl.de.ap (aka The GhettoBlasterz), DJ Poet, DJ Ammo, Dork Dozier, and of course YG Entertainment‘s in-house producer Teddy all share their thoughts on the group.

Check out the making of video and full instrumental below.

Source: Intel 

Credits: Allkpop

Sandara Park introduces this summer’s must-have fashion item!

2NE1 member and leading fashion icon Sandara Park revealed a new fad: the doughnut bracelet.

On May 22nd, Sandara Park uploaded the photo above on her me2day and wrote, “Daebak! The newest fashion item that Dara recommends for this summer! Ta-da!!!!!!!! It’s a ‘doughnut bracelet’.”

She added, “Especially good for those like me who have low energy and low sugar levels. You can eat it anytime you’re tired while rehearsing… kekeke. Even if you’re having a bad fashion day, you can become a fashion king with this doughnut bracelet!”

The doughnut bracelet seems to be causing a comment frenzy amongst her fans. Some wrote, “I like your bracelet, but I want your hat too!”,”A perfect accessory to eat on the way to work“, and “How did your hands fit in that?”

Source & Image: Sandara’s me2day

Credits: Allkpop

2NE1 and Intel release ‘Make Thumb Noise Round 3′!

As previously reported, 2NE1 and Teddy Park have partnered with Intel Korea for the “Make Thumb Noise” project!

2NE1 and Teddy Park will collaborate with Intel to create an “Ultrabook Song“. Teddy Park will be producing the song while the girls of 2NE1 will be lending their vocals for it.

During Round 1 fans were asked to choose their favorite instrumental.  Round 2 had fans pick the best song title.  Now round three has fans picking which arrangement style the song will have.

Check out the 2 clips for ‘Make Thumb Noise Round 3′ and Making Film released today!  Then go to Intel’s Facebook Page to vote for your favorite clip.

BE MINE – Electro House Type

BE MINE – R&B Type Source: Allkpop

2NE1 to release a new Korean album in June!

Minzy, Dara, Bom, and CL of girl group 2NE1 will be returning with a new album!

A representative from 2NE1′s agency YG Entertainment informed Star News on May 21st, “2NE1 will be releasing a new Korean album around the middle of June. 2NE1 and their producer Teddy have completed 7 amazing new songs. Once the new album drops, the girls will also be promoting on various programs.”

YG Entertainment added, “We have not decided if the new 2NE1 album will be a full-length or a mini-album.”

This new album will be the first to be released since the girls dropped ‘2NE1 2nd Mini Album‘ last July. Tracks “Dont Cry“, “Lonely“, “I Am The Best“, “Hate U“, “Ugly“, and more from that album were all major hits that climbed the charts. Because many of their tracks from each of their albums are quick to become the new trends, this new album is drawing much anticipation from fans everywhere.

After the album drops, the girls will immediately hold an independent concert in Korea. Fans are excited for their new album as well as the concert, as the girls have been primarily focusing on their Japanese tour, and it will be the first time in a while Korean fans will get to see the girls 2NE1 up close.

“We will officially announce the concert once everything is organized,” YG added. “We hope that the new 2NE1 release and the concert will help everyone enjoy this summer season.”

Source: MoneyToday StarNews via Nate
Credits: Allkpop

Sandara Park hints at a comeback?

The latest me2day post by Sandara Park has fans buzzing over the possibility of 2NE1′s comeback.

On May 19th, the idol uploaded a very cute photo of herself and wrote, “What’s up?!? Here’s an alert! Alright~ For those who have been thirsty for 2NE1~ For those who have been actively promoting us~ Those who have been quietly listening to 2NE1′s music and –+ black jacks who have been cheating on us, gather around!^_^ Now slowly slowly..get together!^.*. It’s a little hard for PR officer, Dara to do this alone. I’m looking for people to help me, so please show interest ^_^”

Fans were immensely joyful to hear the good news and replied, “Finally, it’s about darn time you guys came back“, “Loving the chic hat“, and “Blackjacks will gather up, so please return with a banging hit track!“.

Source + Photos: 2NE1 Sandara Park’s me2day

Credits: Allkpop

Rolling Stone lists “The Top 10 K-Pop Groups Most Likely To Break Into America”!

With the ever increasing presence of K-pop, popular US based magazine Rolling Stone recently ranked the top 10 K-pop artists that they believe are most likely to break in America.

The 10 artists they selected are: 2NE1, Girls’ Generation, Big Bang, Wonder Girls, After School, B2ST, Ailee, SISTAR, SHINee, and miss A.

"YouTube’s most-watched Korean pop music video, Girls’ Generation’s “Gee,” has earned 74,000,000 American views alone, even though most mainstream U.S. music fans have never heard of it. The song and video – a calculated, colorful, choreographed affair that sees the nine-member girl group smiling and winking for the camera in flirty outfits as they change formations and soloists without a hitch – epitomize how Korean pop music (K-Pop for short) has been able to break language barriers and captivate a passionate U.S. audience. More recently, acts have begun turning the interest into profitable American tour stops and announcing plans to officially release music stateside. And as if to officially christen the genre’s U.S. crossover potential as an internet phenomenon, Google will host a multi-act K-Pop concert at their California headquarters on May 21st, which will be livestreamed on their YouTube Presents channel.

In the past, popular Korean acts (like BoA and Se7en) made unsuccessful American debuts likely due to the fact that they were molded by American record labels to be presented in a way they saw best to break into the notoriously difficult market.

Yet K-pop has garnered a strong following without the help of any major American backing. K-Pop is a mixture of trendy Western music and high-energy Japanese pop (J-Pop), which preys on listeners’ heads with repeated hooks, sometimes in English. It embraces genre fusion with both singing and rap, and emphasizes performance and strong visuals.

Never very racy, K-pop could easily slide into America’s Top 40 market if correctly targeted at children and teenagers. The following are the 10 acts most likely to successfully crossover to America – as long as they’re allowed to keep the same sounds and concepts that made them popular in Asia.”

Do you agree with their list, if not, what would be your top 10?

Source: Rollingstone.com

Credits: Allkpop

Who is the champion of splits?

Many female celebrities have done the splits on screen, but who is the best?

Actress Ha Ji Won surprised viewers with her 180-degree split on MBC‘s drama ‘The King 2 Hearts‘. On episode 18, the actress did a split as she exercised before attempting a prison break.

Han Ga In also stretched her legs on the March 28th episode of SBS‘s ‘One Night of TV Entertainment‘. The beautiful actress lied on the floor and did a full split, surprising many viewers with her flexibility, and making some fans jealous of husband Yun Jung Hoon.

There are also many girl group members who seem to be confident when it comes to splits. The public is already well aware of f(x)‘s Victoria, who has shown her incredible flexibility on various variety shows. Victoria, who studied traditional Chinese dance in the past, is able to do unbelievable splits beyond 180 degrees.

SISTAR did “high-kick” choreography for their track “How Dare You“. All four members were capable of doing the “high-kick” dance, which impressed many fans.

miss A‘s Fei and Jia are also known to be the split masters of their group. On SBS‘s ‘Star King‘, Jia challenged f(x)’s Victoria to determine the real champion of splits. Fei and Min have also been known for their capability of doing difficult choreography.

Girls’ Generation‘s Yuri, Sunny, Hyoyeon, Jessica, 2NE1‘s Minzy, singer Lee So Eun seem to have proven their ability to do splits as well.

So who do you think is the champion of splits?

Source: Star News via Nate

Credits: Allkpop

2NE1 shows off their customized necklaces with their initials for 3rd year anniversary!

In honor of 2NE1‘s 3rd anniversary, necklaces with the members’ initials were produced.

On the 18th, 2NE1′s Dara wrote on her me2day, “3rd anniversary necklaces! They’re necklaces made with the members’ initials. C + D + M + B = 2NE1″, along with a photo of the customized necklaces.

2ne1 member Park Bom replied, “I can’t believe it’s been three years already. We’ve had both happy and sad memories. There sure are a lot of pictures of us taken together. Looking back on these years, we were blessed with so much. I will never forget my purpose.”

Fellow YG artist Se7en also wrote on his Twitter, “Congratulations to 2NE1 on their 3rd year anniversary. I will look forward to a more charismatic 2NE1 in the future. Fighting to Dara, CL, Black Jacks, and everyone.”

Fans commented, “I hope 2NE1 continues to stay together for even the next 30 years”, “I hope 2NE1 never forgets their true colors”, and “I can’t wait for your next album. Congratulations on your 3rd year anniversary.”

Happy 3rd anniversary to the girls and Black Jacks!

Source + Image: Dara‘s me2day, Star News via Nate

Credits: Allkpop

B.A.P mashup with 2NE1 receives attention!

The charismatic warriors of B.A.P recently made their comeback with ‘Power‘, and gained much recognition on and off the music charts.

With their star power growing, fans have been eager to perform covers and mashups featuring the group and one particular mashup has been receiving the attention of netizens.

The mashup is titled “B.A.P vs. 2NE1 – Try To Got A Power” and features B.A.P’s “Power” along with 2NE1‘s “Follow Me“. The two tracks from both of these fierce groups surprisingly fits well together.

The mashup has already garnered 10,000 views and the viewcount is growing rapidly.

Check out the mashup below!

Source: Allkpop

Dara reveals 2NE1′s 3rd anniversary cake!

Dara revealed a picture of a cake she and her members specially prepared to celebrate their 3 year debut anniversary.

On May 17th, Dara posted on her me2day, “2NE1′s 3 year anniversary! For real daebak, congratulations! This is a special cake symbolizing 2NE1 and Black Jack’s 3 year anniversary! We ordered it ourselves and prepared it! I love you Black Jack! Stay together Black Jack! Forever live Black Jack! Black Jack zzang!” and shared the above picture.

The picture showed a light purple, 3 layered cake. The cake had the writing, “2NE1 3rd” to celebrate the 3 year anniversary and “Forever with Black Jack” to show their appreciation for their fans. The top layer also had doll figures of 2NE1 members.

After seeing the picture, the netizens responded with, “I’ve been supporting you guys for 3 years. I’m happy“, “Happy 3 year anniversary“, and “When are you guys making a come back? I’m waiting.”

2NE1 made their debut on May 17th, 2009 on ‘Inkigayo‘.

Source+Picture: Dara‘s me2day

Credits: Allkpop

Dara shares a photo from her trainee days!

Dara shared a photo from her trainee days in honor of 2NE1′s upcoming 3rd year anniversary.

On the 16th, Sandara Park shared on her me2day, “Kya~ Being a trainee in Korea means a cold, hungry, and young Dara. At the time, I thought my suffering would be over after I debuted~ I always feel this way even 3 years after my debut! Every time we prepare for a new album, I realize I have to work harder~! Because I have my BlackJacks beside me, I’m always happy, and they restore my fatigue.” 

“In honor of 2NE1′s 3rd year anniversary on the 17th, I posted a photo of me as a trainee. Young and fresh!”

The photo shows Dara ready to workout wearing a white headband, red t-shirt, and sneakers. Her young face, clear skin, and adorable expression of concentration were all noticed by fans.

They commented, “She looks exactly the same even after all these years,” “She still looks so pretty,” and “Congrats on your 3rd year anniversary.”

Source + Image: Dara’s me2day, OSEN via Naver

Credits: Allkpop

YG Entertainment’s upcoming girl group seems to parallel 2NE1?

YG Entertainment recently revealed yet another ‘mystery girl’.

On May 11th, YG Entertainment released a video teaser featuring a potential member of the agency’s upcoming girl group on the YG-Life Blog. The new mystery girl seems to have outstanding dancing skills and, according to reports by media and fans, is rumored to be a 16-year-old half Caucasian and half Korean trainee from Thailand.

With three ‘mystery girls’ in total, including Kim Eunbi and Euna Kim, who were already known to the public through Mnet‘s ‘Superstar K‘, it seems like the members and overall structure of the new upcoming group shows several similarities to 2NE1, who made a powerful and impacting debut into the Korean music industry in 2009.

First, despite her young age of only 17, Kim Eunbi was one of the Top 6 finalists in 2010′s ‘Superstar K2‘. Many are anticipating that she will most likely be the main vocal or the ‘Park Bom‘ of this new group. During the second season of ‘Superstar K’, Eunbi showed her quirky and honest personality that captured the hearts of many male fans, which seems similar to 2NE1 Park Bom’s four-dimensional and dorky personality.

In addition, Euna Kim, who showed her talents and rapping skills in ‘Superstar K3‘ last year, could be connected to 2NE1′s CL. Euna Kim proved her potential and capabilities in rapping through her cover of Sam Sparro’s “Black and Gold” with Kim Eunbi. Other than that, her English proficiency and background in the United States seem to be similar to CL.

The second ‘mystery girl’, who was revealed on May 4th, gained attention from the public through her innocent and beautiful appearance. Although there hasn’t been much information revealed about this member, many are speculating her to be handling the ‘visual’ role of the group, which reminds us of 2NE1′s Sandara Park.

It has been said that the third ‘mystery girl’ revealed on the 11th is one of the best dancers from YG, with a fantastic sense of rhythm and powerful moves. Although she is only 16 years old, the video clip revealed shows her flexibility and skills in dancing to fast beats. This member seems to parallel with the ‘dancing-machine’ and the youngest member of 2NE1, Minzy.

These 16-20 year old girls have been taking away the search rankings on various Korean portal sites each time they were revealed through the YG-Life Blog. It seems like the marketing strategy by YG to reveal each ‘mystery girl’ one by one to build up anticipation has been a success so far.

Recently, there have been many girl groups making their debut in the industry. However, this upcoming girl group from YG Entertainment has been gaining a huge amount of attention from the media and public despite the fact that only a few members have been revealed. This is incredibly similar to when 2NE1 made their debut. 2NE1 transformed the definition of K-Pop girl groups, from innocent and cute looking to powerful hip-hop warriors. 2NE1 was a revolutionary group that swept the music charts during their debut, and now many are anticipating whether this new girl group will be able to follow in their footsteps.

YG has been trying to hide the personal information of these members and have been keeping them in complete ‘mystery’. With YG’s impressive marketing strategies, ability to set a new trend in the industry, and their top-class trainees, many are excited to see what this new group will bring to the K-Pop world.

Source + Photo: Star News via Nate 

Credits: Allkpop

Etude House releases two videos for their ‘COOOL Skin World Championships’ with Dara & SHINee!

Back on April 19th, Etude House revealed a poster image of their models Dara and SHINee, as well as a teaser video for their ‘COOOL Skin World Championships‘.

Since then, Etude has released Day 1 and Day 2 of the Championships, where Dara takes part in a ’110M Hurdle’, and the SHINee boys play a game of soccer.

The videos are an attempt to promote their new Trip Crown Precious Mineral SUN BB, which began selling on May 1st.

In case you missed it, check out the first two videos below!

Day 1 – Dara’s 110M Hurdle

Day 2 – SHINee’s Soccer

Source: Allkpop