My K-Pop Addiction: 2ne1


Intro

K-Pop can be addictive. You have no idea what you are saying half the time and the other half you are shouting to the random English words put together in the song. Sometimes half-hazardously and the other times, well it’s magic. I won’t go into depth about all this though, the guy’s over at Eatyourkimchi have got K-Pop down to a T. All I know is that people are really starting to love K-Pop. Here’s a map to prove it:

2ne1

Come along with me to the wonderful world of 2ne1. I don’t exactly know when I fell in love with them, but let me tell you, almost every big song that came out is chocolate to my soul. And knowing me, that is saying something. They emerged a few years ago, 2009, as a response to Big Bang (an all male group that is BIG here). They were to be the female counterpart. They are edgy, addictive and most importantly have music that can translate to the American market.

The thing with a lot of these K-Pop groups is that they consists of too many members. Big hits here like Super Junior and Girl’s Generation would just not translate into the American market. We like individuality, thus we easily fell for such acts as the Spice girls, and this gets lost in the numerous amounts of people in a group. No lie, there is a group in Japan that has 48 members and has the Guinness World Record for it. What the?? Now with 2ne1, 4 girls with 4 distinct personalities. Their sound transcends genres and styles. But I will let the music speak for itself. 


Quick Facts

  • The group’s name 2NE1 stands for “New Evolution of the 21st Century”.
  • Fans of 2NE1 call themselves “Blackjacks”, a reference to the card game Blackjack. (Why they have names, like Lady Gaga fans is beyond me. Sigh I can’t say much, I was a self proclaimed Renthead).
  • They have their own reality TV show, 2en1 TV, and it is headed into its 3rd season.
  • Music is a mix of pop, hip-hop, and at times reggae
  • They have 3 main albums out
  • My favorite is CL, love her tough style and her voice and rapping is awesome

News

The main reason I am writing this is because of the news I heard that will.i.am is collaborating with them to release (FINALLY) an English album in America. The main reason that K-Pop is becoming so popular is not surprising due to its hit online. JoongAng reports that he was interested in working with them after spotting them on Youtube. As Soompi reports, 

“Ooh. K-pop. You want to talk about technology? The Koreans, in South Korea… that’s the future,” he said. “South Korea, boom. On the next level. Go check it out. K-Pop, that industry is exciting. 2NE1, that’s why I signed those girls and am producing them, to blow them up outside of Korea. 2NE1 has to be big in Brazil, America, England, Canada, Australia, everywhere. That’s my next project after ‘i am FIRST’.”

Video

I leave you with one last video. This is pretty brand new, and pretty much sums it up. It’s called, “I am the Best”. I love the intro. Check it out and let me know what you think ♥