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Article: Kpopstarz – 2NE1, Intergalactic In ‘Come Back Home’ MV

 

2NE1, Intergalactic In ‘Come Back Home’ MV

By Jinecho | March 05, 2014 07:54 AM EST

2NE1 simultaneously released the music videos for their tracks “Come Back Home” and “Happy” on March 3rd at around 2 P.M.

In the morning of the 3rd, YG Entertainment posted, through their official blog, (www.yg-life.com) a timer for the release of the music videos as well as a teaser image for each respective video. The music video for “Happy” was screened beforehand on March 1st and 2nd during 2NE1’s concert at the Olympic Park SK Olympic Handball Stadium. These two images, shown below, were deliberately put next to each other in order to highlight their differences; “Come Back Home” is distinctly dark and charismatic while “Happy” is bright and colorful.

 

 

In this article, however, we will be focusing on the cinematic aspect of 2NE1’s “Come Back Home”. 2NE1’s new music video shocked fans and audiences alike. Through heavy CG work, we see the girls in a futuristic world complete with high-tech architecture and ultramodern technology. The group matches this futuristic backdrop with their unique style as well. In addition, the plot of the video seems to match the lyrics of the song, as we seeSandara Park act out a relationship with a man. With an obvious focus on visuals, there is evidently a developing storyline, making the music video complete.

To clarify things, Yang Hyun Suk explains the sci-fi concept behind the music video, “It might be hard to understand it at first. All you have to know is that finding happiness in the real world is the most important thing. In ‘Come Back Home’ we are placed in a futuristic world where the citizens choose to live in an intangible, imaginary world. Just like the movie ‘Matrix’, these people are connected to machines and prefer to transport themselves to another world instead of living in the world that they physically inhabit.”

He concludes, “Nowadays, people would rather talk or ‘meet’ via their smartphones instead of having a face-to-face conversation. Not only that, more and more people become addicted to these online games that create virtual worlds. In the music video, Sandara Park is heartbroken for this reason: her boyfriend is addicted to a virtual world. As a result, the 2NE1 members go into this false world and attempt to destroy it in order to spread the message that the real world is more important.”

2NE1 will make their first broadcast comeback on the 9th via SBS’s “Inkigayo”

Credits: KPopStarz

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Article: Billboard – “2NE1, Girls’ Generation, CNBLUE: Whose New Single Is Best?” ~ Vote for 2NE1!

2NE1, Girls’ Generation, CNBLUE: Whose New Single Is Best?

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As three of K-pop’s biggest acts 2NE1, CNBLUE and Girls’ Generation have reached audiences worldwide and managed to rack up a slew of international accolades, many in just the last 12 months.

Each group has held concerts past on their home continent, with CNBLUE most recently bringing its Korean rock to New York City’s Best Buy Theatre in January. All boast appearances on multiple Billboard charts, as 2NE1 and Girls’ Generation may possibly break Billboard 200 K-pop chart records this week. Plus, 2NE1 brought its hip-hop-meets-EDM sound to will.i.am’s “#willpower” album; CNBLUE continues to garner comparisons to Maroon 5 and Jason Mraz, and Girls’ Generation‘s sugary-sweet “I Got a Boy” video won the very-first video of the year award at the YouTube Music Awards over Justin Bieber, One Direction and Miley Cyrus.

The top-tier acts all dropped new singles within days of each other — but which is the standout K-pop release? Vote now in the poll below to show us why “Come Back Home,” “Can’t Stop” or “Mr.Mr.” is the hottest release of the moment:

BILLBOARD POLL: VOTE FOR 2NE1, BLACKJACKS!

The lead single off 2NE1‘s long-awaited “Crush” album, “Come Back Home” mashes up reggae and trap beats for a musical hybrid that also scales the girls’ emotional ranges: The quartet pleads a lover to “come back home” on the verse and chorus, but flips to seductive cooing when the beat drops. In less than 48 hours, the single’s CGI-heavy video has amassed 2.1 million views.

Take another listen to each new single from 2NE1, CNBLUE and Girls’ Generation, and vote for your favorite now!

(A/N: Omitted parts not related to 2NE1)

Credits: Billboard

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MTV Buzzworthy: 2NE1 Take Down Dystopia, Get Animated In The ‘Come Back Home’ + ‘Happy’ Videos

2NE1 Take Down Dystopia, Get Animated In The ‘Come Back Home’ + ‘Happy’ Videos

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We’re obviously beyond thrilled that 2NE1 have come back home.

Congratulations, everyone! It appears as if we’ve survived the K-Pop-pocalypse. You know, how two of South Korea’s girl-group titans, 2NE1 and Girls’ Generation, both planned to release new music and videos in late-February/early-March? C’mon, do you even read the news??

Well, now that 2NE1 have seen GG’s “Mr.Mr.” wager and raised them two new videos for the Crush tracks “Come Back Home” and “Happy,” it appears as if the dust has settled for the time being, and we can finally breathe. Oh wait, except we can’t, because the clips have snatched our lungs, hearts, kidneys, and every other organ we need to function.

In the aptly titled “Come Back Home,” we see Minzy, Bom, CL, and Dara channeling a little bit of everything from the dystopian lit canon: “1984,” “Brave New World,” Beyoncé’s “Superpower” video, etc.

Much like the track itself, which switches from “Man Down” to “The Baddest Female” and back, the visual’s a total mindf*** — and we mean that in the best way possible, obvs.

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“Happy” is like endorphins in music video form.

“Happy,” meanwhile, goes straight for your pleasure centers, pairing 2NE1 with some adorably emotive animation. As the video progresses, the hand-drawn bells and whistles increase until you begin to question whether 2NE1 doesn’t actually live in a half-animated paradise 24/7. (They don’t, FYI. Actually, we’ll get back to you.)

These two offerings kind of encapsulate everything that 2NE1 does best: playing with hard and soft and fusing polished K-Pop production with unexpected genres from across the globe. Needless to say, we’re (still) crushing hard.

Credits: MTV Buzzworthy

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Feature: 2NE1’s “Crush” Included in MTV Buzzworthy’s “5 Must-Hear Pop Songs Of The Week”

MTV Buzzworthy: Tove Lo, 2NE1, Christina Perri + More: 5 Must-Hear Pop Songs Of The Week

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It’s Tuesday! Time for another round of “5 Must-Hear Pop Songs of the Week!”
This week’s roundup features some amazing Swede-pop, K-Pop kweens dominating the South Korean scene, and a Top 40 pop smash that never was, courtesy of a newly emancipated singer-songwriter with plenty still to offer.

2.) 2NE1, “Crush”

After their fellow K-Pop krew Girls’ Generation debuted their brand new EP, Mr.Mr., last week (NO FIGHTING, FANBASES), the fashion-forward, futuristic South Korean sensations known as 2NE1 have returned to do the same with Crush, their second studio album.

In usual form, the album’s a genre-twisting blur of electro-pop and R&B gems, kicking off with the wickedly fierce “Crush.” The searing electronic brag attack is a major comeback statement: “They love me ’cause I’m hot, they love me ’cause I’m cold/They love me ’cause I’m real, they love me ’cause I kill!” the “Come Back Home” singers confidently speak-sing above the nasty synth pulse and a big fat bass. Um, you want a piece of ‘em?

Read the rest of the article HERE!

Credits: MTV Buzzworthy

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Article: Soompi – “Dara Shows Off “Abs” in Backstage Photo on Instagram”

Dara Shows Off “Abs” in Backstage Photo on Instagram

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2NE1‘s Dara has posted a back stage picture of her chiseled abs on her instagram account. The singer posted the picture on March 3 with the short message “Abs.” The picture was taken back stage at their “All or Nothing” World Tour on March 1 at Seoul’s Olympic Park SK Handball Stadium.  2NE1 has recently released their comeback album “Crush.”

The picture shows an unknown man pointing at Dara’s abs. The heads of the two were cut out of the picture. Dara shows off her unique style with the shiny gold pants. Read more about her fantastic abs here.

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2NE1 will continue their “All or Nothing” World Tour with their next show on March 22 in Hong Kong. Blackjacks of Hong Kong get ready! Below are short video clips from the concert in Seoul.

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Source: Soompi

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Article: Soompi – “2NE1’s Dara Reveals Toned Abs at “All or Nothing” World Tour”

2NE1’s Dara Reveals Toned Abs at “All or Nothing” World Tour

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2NE1’s Sandara Park surprised concert-goers at the girl group’s first “All or Nothing” World Tour concert on March 1 by revealing a set of perfect abs.

2NE1 kicked off their “All or Nothing” World Tour on March 1 at Seoul’s Olympic Park SK Handball Stadium. They held a second concert on March 2, which was attended by 6000 people, similar to the previous day’s concert.

The group performed new songs from their second studio album “Crush,” released earlier on February 27, for the first time. Fans and the 2NE1 members alike had been waiting for this for a long time.

The 2NE1 members appeared on the stage wearing powerful black and gold outfits, delivering a dynamic performance of “Crush,” which set the crowd on fire. This was followed by a performance of their debut hit track, “Fire.”

Of special note was Sandara Park’s outfit during “Crush” and “Fire.” She had on gold pants, and a short cropped top under her black and gold jacket, which revealed her midriff section.

Sandara Park caught the attention of concert-goers with her perfect abs, slightly deviating from her cute image. Of course, she did not stray too far, bringing back her uniquely cute charm during the rest of the concert.

She commented on the group’s new album later on during the concert, “Although it took a long time, it’s an album that I’m personally very satisfied with.”

2NE1 will continue their “All or Nothing” World Tour with concerts in China, Japan and other Asian countries, holding 15 concerts in 12 cities, and a total of 9 countries. The tour is being directed by Travis Payne and Stacy Walker, who also worked with them on their first world tour.

The new album’s two title tracks, “Come Back Home” and “Gotta Be You,” shot to the top of Korea’s charts right after the album’s release, and continues to rank in the top 100 on the iTunes Top Album Charts in more than 20 countries.

2NE1 is expected to release the music video for “Come Back Home” on March 3, and their album will be available offline on March 7.

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Source: Soompi

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Article: Allkpop – “Dara Takes Time Out of Her Busy Schedule to See Thunder’s Musical”

Dara Takes Time Out of Her Busy Schedule to See Thunder’s Musical

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On March 3, 2NE1‘s Dara uploaded a picture of herself at the venue to watch musical ‘Moon Night‘ in which her brother, MBLAQ‘s Thunder, stars.

She wrote, “I came from watching the musical ‘Moon Night’~  I went there with high hopes because it’s about moon night and was not let down as it had 90s music and dances of all genres; I had a lot of fun watching it! @.@ My eyes were popping out~  The dialogue was fun and my Thunder is the cutest!!! >.<”

Check out the sibling love in the picture above!

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Source: Allkpop

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Article: MTV K – “2NE1 Returns with First Two MVs for Second Album, CRUSH”

2NE1 Returns with First Two MVs for Second Album, CRUSH

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After several delays caused by scheduling conflicts and technical glitches, the girls of Korea’s fiercest girl group 2NE1 are back with their new album CRUSH! To celebrate their first full-length release in four years, the girls released MVs for tracks “Come Back Home” and “Happy.”

YG’s famed producer Teddy produced “Come Back Home,” one of CRUSH‘s two lead singles. A song about waiting for a loved one to return, the track has a very modern hip-hop/R&B melody with elements of reggae. “Come Back Home” instantly topped major music charts upon its release and now that its futuristic MV is out, its domination has only gotten stronger. Watch the 2NE1 ladies rebel against false reality below, and don’t miss the snippet of the “Come Back Home (Unplugged Version)!”

In contrast to “Come Back Home,” “Happy” reacquaints fans with 2NE1’s upbeat, cheerful personas and their signature street flair. Produced by both Teddy and group leader CL, “Happy” brings listeners a colorful, buoyant melody and lyrics about wishing an ex a happy life. Check out the MV below:

Labeled a “top-quality album” by YG’s CEO Yang Hyun Suk, CRUSH includes: “Crush,” lead singles “Come Back Home” and “Gotta Be You,” “If I Were You,” “Good Girl,” CL solo “Mental Breakdown,” “Happy,” the Korean version of Japanese single “Scream,” “Baby I Miss You,” and “Come Back Home (Unplugged Version).” Along with frequent YG collaborators Teddy, Choice 37, DEE.P, and more, CL participated more than ever in the composition of Crush, writing music and lyrics for three of album’s 10 tracks.

Still on the way are MVs for “Come Back Home (Unplugged Ver.)” and “Gotta Be You,” so keep an eye out!

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Source: MTV K

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Article/Feature: Kpopstarz – “2NE1 2009 vs 2014”

2NE1: 2009 vs. 2014

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Now that it’s been approximately five years since 2NE1’s debut, how much has their music changed? How much of it has stayed the same?

In order to address these questions I will be comparing and contrasting 2NE1’s 1st mini album, which was released in 2009, and their more current studio album ‘Crush’.

2NE1’s first EP was successful in that it established their color. There was a definite ‘swag’ in their music that no other girl group had. Their lyrics weren’t about hopeless love or chasing guys. Instead, they wrote and sung about being strong, independent females. In addition they delivered a stage performance that didn’t seem too mechanical; they knew how to enjoy themselves and transmit that to their audiences.

Another thing that their EP demonstrates is their ability to play around with a mix of genres. Combining hip-hop, R&B, electro pop and dance-pop, this was the first time we saw 2NE1 perform songs that could be classified into the crossover genre. For example, tracks such as ‘Fire’ had distinct Middle Eastern tonalities and ‘I Don’t Care’ hinted at Reggae and R&B.

However, 2NE1’s 1st mini album was exclusively composed and written by YG’s resident producer Teddy and Kush. In terms of the actual behind-the-scenes operations of the album, the 2NE1 members had little to no contributions.

2NE1’s new album ‘Crush’ is almost like a loyal follow-up to this 1st EP. Their color and fierceness remains, if not gets stronger. We can see through the teaser images that Sandara is no longer the ‘cute’ and ‘pretty’ member of the group; she can also display charisma. Minzy, in addition, becomes an adult and states that she can now “understand stage mannerisms better”. Their songs, however, have become more sentimental in comparison to their first EP. Tracks like ‘Come Back Home’, ‘Gotta Be You’ and ‘Baby I Miss You’ show off a sentimentalism that 2NE1 lacked in their first mini-album.

In terms of the genres, 2NE1 remains constant. ‘Crush’, just like their first EP, contains songs that cannot be classified into one genre. For example, ‘Come Back Home’ not only has hints of Reggae and R&B but also Dubstep.

One major different this current album contains is their overall contribution to the album. 2NE1 finally (partially) leaves the crutches that Teddy and Kush provided in their 1st mini-album and take on composition and writing for some of the songs. For this we have CL to congratulate. She is responsible for composing and writing a total of three tracks.

How much do you think their music will change? Can they keep on being successful while keeping their music similar?

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Source: Kpopstarz

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Article: Billboard – “2NE1 Serves Double Dose of Fierce With ‘Come Back Home’ & ‘Happy’ Videos”

2NE1 Serves Double Dose of Fierce With ‘Come Back Home’ & ‘Happy’ Videos

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The K-pop girl group shakes up a CGI-created world and downtown Los Angeles with new visuals

K-pop’s baddest females are truly back and bolder than ever. After spending 2013 experimenting with different images and sounds — from the sunny, reggae pop of “Falling in Love” to the sparse, piano ballad “Missing You” — 2NE1‘s new album “Crush” feels like a return to its roots. The 10-track LP comes with hard-hitting, electro-pop/hip-hop tracks that recall some of the group’s past singles while refreshing the formula by incorporating new sounds.

It’s all led off by first single “Come Back Home” — one of two the quartet will actively promote — a reggae-trap hybrid that mashes the two seemingly disparate genres into a booming final product. Opening with a bouncy beat similar to Rihanna’s “Man Down,” the girls croon about losing a lover, asking him to “come back home” until the production flips into a heavy trap beat. At that point, the girls get seductive and demand their love to “come, baby baby, come, baby baby.”

While the gals played with reggae last summer, their latest feels like a more honest attempt to dive into the genre as opposed to just incorporating it for a nice summer sound. “Come Back Home” — along with album standout “MTBD,” a solo by 2NE1 leader CL — feel the type of tracks Rihanna or Nicki Minaj would make if a little more open minded to genre fusion.

In in its computer graphic-heavy visual, 2NE1 live in a futuristic world where one can escape reality for a “virtual paradise” with a special machine. While the girls can live out their ideal fantasies — unsuprisingly, main vocalist Bom is a diva singer entertaining a dinner crowd — when Dara‘s love interest would rather be in the fantasy land than with her, the girls transform into warrior rebels to lead an army to seemingly destroy the paradise.

While the sci-fi clip ends without an ultimate resolution, one wonders if the video for hip-hop/dance track “Gotta Be You” — the other promoted single off “Crush” — will be a part two.

The video for album track “Happy” dropped alongside “CBH,” revealing a much lighter side of the girls — despite the melancholy lyrics like the brilliant “I’m not happy, but I hope you’re happy” chorus.

Watch the cartoon-inspired visual as the girls saunter around Los Angeles in their signature crazy-patterned getups and hairstyles that require a double take — from Minzy‘s violet bowl cut to Dara‘s ’90s-inspired baby curls.

As Billboard previously reported, “Crush” could make an impressive splash on several Billboard charts this week. Early industry forecasts suggested the LP could sell 4,000 copies which could lead to 2NE1‘s first entry on the Billboard 200. The charts refresh every Thursday.

Fans can also look forward to videos for “Gotta Be You” and the “unplugged version” of “Come Back Home.”

Credits: Billboard

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