Flashback to the summer of 2011, and all that could be heard on the airwaves was the bumping sound of South Korea’s then hottest girlgroup – 2NE1. Fresh from the months after releasing their first album, To Anyone, and racking up plenty of awards from MAMA, the four members dropped their highly-anticipated second mini album.
Many of the songs, including “Ugly” and “Lonely” became some of 2NE1’s most favourite, showcasing the group’s more tender side and sensitive topics relating to looks and beauty standards within society. Meanwhile, party anthems such as an alternate version of “Don’t Stop the Music” also featured, giving 2NE1 their crazy electronic vibe they we were all used to.
Focusing on their electro-extravaganza, the EP’s first track, “I am the Best” ushered in a new generation to hop on to the K-Pop fan bandwagon and becoming one of the most successful K-Pop songs of all time. Compiling dirty techno beats to the catchy lyrics of “bam ra-ta-ta-ta”, it didn’t take too long before the bumping track jet packed up the charts. The song was also featured on many reality TV shows in the west and most notably on a Microsoft advertisement!
We were also treated to another solo single from Park Bom, released as the first output from the album. In a similar fashion to “You and I”, “Don’t Cry” touches upon love and loss, with the music video further expressing this.
And while new music isn’t coming from the disbanded group as all four members together; Bom is preparing her second solo debut for an early 2019 release with brief online moments on social media, Minzy is on tour with a new English single, Dara is out and about and CL releasing something every year.
2NE1’s second mini album is available to purchase online and stream on all major digital music platforms. What are your favourite songs from this explosive era of 2NE1?
