Archive for the ‘Interview’ Category

Interview: EXO’s Chanyeol Likes Sandara Park in Yes Magazine Interview

Such a loyal fanboy! ^_^ We all know about EXO’s Chanyeol right? Its widely known that pre-debut, Chanyeol’s Weibo/Cyworld (I can’t remember which) was filled with Dara’s photos and at one point he even said that he wanted to marry her one day! ^^

In a recent interview for Yes Magazine, Chanyeol, once again, mentioned Dara as an artist he likes and really fits the description of his ideal girl.

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Chanyeol

Question: Do you have any favorite artist?

EXO Chanyeol: I like 2NE1’s Sandara Park.

Question: Ideal type?

EXO Chanyeol: A quiet girl, cute, kind and someone who loves to smile/laugh.

Credit: @gelli17

Translated by: @jonggdae

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Interview, Magazine

Video: 2NE1’s Fun Interview for Arirang World’s “Pops In Seoul” with English Subs

Awww, our girls in a fun, informative interview! Bommie said that she thinks that among the members, Dara has changed the most. She said that Dara was very quiet before, but now she opens up more and approaches people first even! In between the interview, we can see glimpses of 2NE1’s performances and MVs, it’s like a walk down memory lane. ^^ Bommie said that she she did a lot of directing in 2NE1’s “Do You Love Me” MV and said that Dara is fond of doing unexpected things like mock eating a feather and cycling in air while sitting on a windsill. XDDD 

Anyways, see the fun interview here!

Pops In Seoul 2460 K POPULOUS ENG

Credits: arirangworld

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Interview, Videos

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Interview: Is 2NE1 not Supposed to be Pretty?

“Is 2NE1 not supposed to be pretty?” (Interview)

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[TV Report=Kim Ye-na] They suddenly changed. There are no more unique, fierce, or sometimes peculiar girls anymore. They became sweet, fresh, and lovely. They even became pretty. There was a reason for the change of the five-year-old girl group.

2NE1 came back with their official album in two years. They are releasing a new track every month to present various performances. They expanded their area of activity. They used to appear on certain music programs. Now, they are showing up in variety shows.

“Many people consider that 2NE1 has a strong image. We did not intend to be feminine. We sought change just for our song. We always changed according to our music. We think that ‘I am the Best’ had the strongest image, but it was just an image. We were not like that actually.”

◆ Four different persons have the only common ground: 2NE1

2NE1 members say that they set this year as the ‘beginning year of 2NE1’. They were aware that it was time to rise above the career they built. They were very stressed out due to the homework before them. After all, 2NE1 decided to see things from a different perspective. They hypnotized themselves that having fun is the key. Probably because of that, they saw the largest number of male fans since their debut. Every time they released new songs (‘Falling In Love’ in July, and ‘Do You Love Me’ in August), the number of male fans went up.

“Male fans are always noticeable when our fans get together because there are only a few of them (laughter). The number of male fans, however, is increasing this time. We thought, “What is going on?” We thought that we were loyal crew of female fans. We are just happy if fans, whether they are male or female, trust and support us.”

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Each member of 2NE1 was different. CL says that she would have been living as an average student if she had not debuted. Park Bom says that she would have debuted as a solo singer or engaged in music industry. Sandara Park says that she would have lived as an actress with a pure image. Min-ji says that she would have lived as a student and then become a good wife and wise mother. They could be together because of music.

“It may make your toes curl, but we can be the one because we have music. We have totally different personalities. We are at the complete opposite end of the spectrum. It is marvelous that we do not have a fight. We sometimes wish that the other members would enjoy the same music. We believe, however, that such difference gave birth to 2NE1. The four different vertexes found a middle ground through 2NE1.

◆ In 2013, 2NE1 changed dramatically.

2NE1 tried another attempt. CL wore a lovely dress. Gong Min-ji had her hair dyed pink. Sandara Park gave off feminine vibes instead of being playful. Park Bom is showing off her slim and beautiful legs that she got through her successful diet.

“We did not dread new challenges for the past five years. All of us do not like boredom. We seek new things continuously. As the youngest member Min-ji turns 20 this year, we started to have interest in feminine charm. We thought that it was natural. We wanted to show to the fullest what we did not show before due to short promotion periods and limited areas of activity.”

Before coming back, 2NE1 listened to each other. Can we return to the beginning and start over now? They unanimously decided to muster up energy and go for it as they did in ‘Fire’.

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“We thought that the public may have forgotten us for our two-year vacancy. Therefore, we should have an attitude like a rookie. Let’s not feel pressured from the expectations for 2NE1. Let’s just have the responsibility that we should let ourselves know to people all over again. We are just rookies with the first official album (laughter).”

Credits: Star Naver Cast

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Interview, News

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Article+Video Interview: 2NE1 Talks Long-Awaited Return, U.S. Debut Rumors: Exclusive Video Q&A

2NE1 Talks Long-Awaited Return, U.S. Debut Rumors: Exclusive Video Q&A

“All the great energy we received during our world tour reflects on our new album” -CL

Since their fiery, eye-demanding debut in 2009, 2NE1 has generated a relentless and diverse string of hits like the club banger “Fire,” mid-tempo R&B track “I Don’t Care,” the emotionally-vulnerable “Lonely,” rock-influenced “Ugly,” hard-hitting “I Am The Best” and last year’s K-Pop Hot 100 No. 1 “I Love You.” All of which were heard on the girls’ first world tour, keeping them busy throughout 2012.

After a year’s break from the K-pop scene, the YG Entertainment girl group quartet are finally back with another the genre-blurring “Falling In Love” with a plan to roll out a new single every month until dropping a new album in October.

If “I Love You” roped in listeners for its innovative combination of electronic beats and singing style of trot (the oldest form of Korean pop music), their latest, “Falling In Love,” grabs ears for its reggae beat intertwined with hip-hop stylings.

“We wanted to come out with a summery, fun track,” explains CL of their newest musical offering. “It is a love song that is definitely not scary [laughs]. It was a daring move for us since it is a love song with positive lyrics. I think it will display 2NE1’s cuteness as well loveliness. We were all about showing our fierce charisma with ‘I Am The Best,’ so through this stage, we plan to smile and present our loveliness as much as we can.”

Their in-your-face stage presence is nowhere to be found as they brightly smile and lightly float on stage.

“We felt a burning passion for this new track,” says Sandara. “It felt like we were starting fresh as this was our first time pursuing a sweet, love song.”

2NE1‘s musical power lies in their ability to discard the old and adopt new styles. The easy-to-sing-along melody on top of CL’s bouncy, yet heavy, rapping and Park Bom‘s soulful vocals turns anything into an immediate head-bopper.

Fans will be able to see more of 2NE1 in the later half of this year. They’ll release a single and accompanying music video once a month, until the album is released in October and there are plans to promote at least four all new tracks from the upcoming album. However, their most anticipated schedule is their upcoming exclusive concert in Korea.

2NE1 plans to launch their long-awaited concert in Korea, sometime in October or November. “We want to meet as many fans as we can through our performances,” say the girls collectively. “We love performing onstage and we hope to learn a lot from the people we’ll work with through our concert.”

So what about the U.S. debut the girls have been teasing for so long?

Despite working with will.i.am (2NE1 featured on “#willpower” track, “Gettin’ Dumb”) CL confirms that “there are no official plans to crossover.” After their world tour last year, the girls are putting the focus back on home base, Korea. But the leader adds, “We really want to visit South America. I heard our fan base is the second biggest there… When I first met Will.iam., he told me that we were really popular in South America and we’ve been wanting to perform there for a while.”

Though no matter where they make waves (officially or unofficially), 2NE1 continues to be a leader for the exponentially growing K-pop scene. Despite some time away from the scene, 2NE1‘s new album — which promises a single each month until its October release — and the excitement (and coverage) it brings will be a testament’s to the girl group’s global presence.

Credits: Billboard

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Interview: 2NE1 Gets Candid for 10Asia Interview – Part 2 on “Variety Shows, Acting, Love, Favorite Songs and Getting Married”

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Q. A video clip of you guys performing at a club in Mexico in the past was popular in Korea at one point. I think people in South America must like you.

CL: Brazil is actually the country overseas where we have our second largest fanbase. I think they like us because our songs are hot and passionate.

 

Q. You give off an extreme amount of energy when you perform live. Are there any performances you’ve given recently that are memorable?

Sandara Park (Sandara): PSY’s concert at the World Cup Stadium in Seoul was memorable because there were so many people there. You rarely get to perform in front of so many people. We got so excited that we had as much fun as we could.

 

Q. Minzy, I remember you singing while running about for that concert.

Gong Minzy (Minzy): The runway was so long that I ran out of breath. But I got excited unknowingly because there were so many people. I received so much energy from them.

 

Q. What did CEO Yang Hyun-suk say of your new song?

Sandara: He isn’t good at saying sweet things. So he doesn’t express [his emotions] directly but he is always there for us.

 

Q. 2NE1 always get mentioned alongside YG Entertainment. In a way, maybe this means you’re tied to the image?

CL: That’s not true. Our boss doesn’t force a certain style of us. He rather tries do pull out what’s within us. I think of YG as a crew. Our stylists and every member of the staff are all members of YG. You can’t make an album by yourself. It’s good to have good people by our side.

 

Q. What do you think of Teddy who’s the most important songwriter at YG?

CL: There are various charms to him. He always listens to a lot of music and more than anything, he’s always trying to improve. He is always looking beyond and forward. More than anything, his music is sincere.

 

Q. It’s been four years since you’ve debuted so in a way, you’re seniors.

CL: We’re still rookie singers. We still feel like rookies because we were on a close to two-year break. We’re comfortable with doing concerts but still feel uncomfortable with going on television. We haven’t been on a lot of variety shows so far but I think we will this time. We want to be more approachable to fans.

 

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Q. Are there any variety shows you want to go on?

CL: I want to go on “Impossible?! Possible! The Unlimited Challenge!” but I’m not confident of being funny. I think it’d be nice to go on a talk show if I were given the chance to.

Minzy: I’m confident with my physical strength. I’d like to go on “Running Man” because I like sports.

Sandara: I’m not good at talking so I’d like to go on a romantic program like “Just Married.” When I get lonely, I tell myself it would be nice to go on those shows.

 

Q. A lot of idol groups go on “SNL Korea” these days to change their image. Would you consider it too?

Sandara: I think it would be fun. I think I’d do well with skits.

 

Q. Most members of idol groups pursue acting too. Don’t you want to as well?

CL: I don’t think we’ve had the chance to. Even last year, we were overseas the whole time because we went on tour right after we got done promoting our album. Right now, I just can’t wait to have people listen to our new music.

 

Q. Well, reality is that idol groups need to pursue acting or go on variety shows to maintain presence in the industry. But your song “Falling in Love” topped music charts even when you don’t usually appear on TV. What do you think is your secret?

CL: I think the only thing I could say is that it’s because our music is good since we haven’t even started promoting the song on TV yet. We were worried that the public might have forgotten about us so we were surprised when we topped music charts.

Sandara: We’re so grateful. I still can’t believe we were in first place. I can’t wait to say hello to fans on stage.

 

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Q. It seems that YG doesn’t make its artists go on variety shows as much as other agencies do. I think YG helps you focus on your music.

CL: That’s right. I like that we can be ourselves yet improve. It’s a place where we can exhibit our creativity.

Q. Wonder Girls’ member Sun got married recently. Don’t you want to marry too?

Sandara: People who get married around me seem so pretty and happy but marriage isn’t real for me yet because I’m not even dating anyone.

 

Q. Then you should. I heard you’re allowed to date someone starting last year.

Sandara: Yes but nothing’s happening.

 

Q. Who do you think will get married the earliest?

(All point to CL)
CL: I think I’d be able to get married right away if I met someone good.

Sandara: I think CL would be able to do a great job of leading both her life as a singer and wife.

 

Q. Sandara and Bom, how does it feel to be in your thirties (Korean age)?

Sandara: I don’t feel any change. I still feel like I’m 20. I still feel awkward when I receive those questions. And I’m still technically 28.

Bom: I still feel like I’m in high school. I don’t think anything has changed except for the fact that I’m aging.

 

Q. Sandara, what’s your secret to looking young?

Sandara: Nothing in particular. Maybe just getting along well with younger people?

 

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Q. If you each had to choose a love song of yours that you related to the most, what would it be?

Bom: For me, “Slow.” I actually cried while singing it by thinking of when I was young. The director had asked me to sing it sadly as well but the sad emotions really welled up inside me.

Minzy: I’d like to choose “Falling in Love.” It’s sad that I have to sing this song when I’ve never dated anyone before.

Sandara: There are two songs. “I Don’t Care” is amazing in how well it expresses a woman’s emotions. And the situations such as another woman’s lipstick on the collar of her man’s shirt or hearing a woman’s laughter over the phone are things that could actually happen. I also related to the lyrics of “Lonely.” Feeling lonely even when you have someone.

CL: For me it’s “You and I” and “Lonely.” There are times when you’re with your lover, or even your family, but you’ll feel lonely, right? “Lonely” expresses that emotion so well. And “You and I” seems sad although it’s about being in love.

 

Q. G-Dragon will come out next month and then Taeyang in September. So you will all be pursuing your activities at the same time. How do you think you’d feel if you all were up for first place on music shows?

CL: We’d be happy whoever gets first place. Because we’re family.

 

Credits:

Source: 10Asia

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Article, Interview

Interview: 2NE1 Gets Candid for 10Asia Interview – Part 1 “Falling In Love, Reggae, the Beach, and Snoop Dogg”

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2NE1 has been considered ‘different’ from the moment they debuted in 2009. They weren’t sexy or cute like other girl groups. And one of their strengths was that they could pull off the ‘style’ of Hip-hop. There is nobody you can compare them to in Korea. They may briefly remind you of black girl groups like Salt-N-Pepa, En Vogue, or TLC but there is something that is still different about 2NE1. So what it is? Their style? Fashion? Music? Or boldness? One thing for sure is that they have become a group that is like none other – that is ‘special.’ 2NE1, back in the music scene for the first time in almost a year with song “Falling in Love” talked to the media on Tuesday.

Q. This is your first song in a year. 

CL: We released “I Love You” a year ago but it’ll be close to the first time in two years that we’re fully resuming our activities. We had craved to go on stage with a new song. While working on our new songs, we said we should try to work as hard as we did before we released “Fire.”

Sandara Park (Sandara): It’s almost feels like we’re debuting again. It’s exciting.

Gong Minzy (Minzy): We’ve waited for a new song as much as our fans have.

Park Bom (Bom): We were craving the stage so much to the point that we had to beg our CEO Yang Hyun-suk. And I’m not usually the begging type (laughs).

 

Q. You went on a break after going on your world tour last year. How have you been?

Bom: I went back to being like a trainee, taking lessons from a singing teacher, and I also bought different items.

Minzy: Sandara and I worked out a lot.

Sandara: I was trying to make pretty abs but I worked out so hard that they’re starting to turn into manly abs. I shouldn’t have worked out as hard. I’m regretting it now (laughs).

 

Q. Minzy, you’re 20 now (Korean age).

Minzy: I’m the youngest on the team so the fact that I’m 20 hasn’t hit me yet. I made an attempt at being cute in the music video for our new song “Falling in Love” to show that I’m 20.

 

Q. The pink wig you wore in the music video left a strong impression.

Minzy: I told my stylist that I want to try wearing a pink wig. I have a habit of collecting photos of things I want to try out. And pink hair was one of them.

 

Q. “Falling in Love” is a reggae tune that fits the summer.

CL: It’s a mix of reggae and hip-hop. It’s dynamic. And while the verse that Minzy sings is easy-going, the hook is lively. There’s the most hip-hop to the rap and the part that Sandara sings has the most reggae. Reggae is a new genre for us so it was fun coming up with the dance for it as well.

 

Q. The songs you’ve sung in the past are far from singing about songs that other love songs usually do. But the lyrics to your song this time are cheerful and lovable. Doesn’t it feel awkward?

CL: For us, it actually feels like it’s the first time we’re singing a normal love song. There was “I Love You” as well but that was about a woman who is clingy. We mostly sang of songs telling the guy to back off so we’re finally singing a normal love song.

 

Q. A lot of other girl groups go with lovable images. Have you ever imagined yourself doing that?

CL: We’re trying to be lovable in our own way. So you saying that hurts (laughs). We tried hard to seem more cheerful this time.

 

 

Q. I understand that Teddy made the song. What was your first impression of it?

CL: To be more precise, it’s a song that Teddy and Choice37 made together. Choice37 is the person that made G-Dragon and Lee Hi’s songs. We originally did some rapping using “Falling in Love” as the intro to a performance we gave for “I Love You” last year.

Sandara: I got hooked to it as soon as I heard it. Minzy’s part in particular made me feel like I’m at the beach.

Minzy: I’m the type that dances upon hearing music so the song made me want to dance.

 

Q. Your new song is like a song for the beach. Have you been to the beach recently?

CL: I suddenly feel sad. The last time we went to the beach is… When?

Sandara: It’s been over a year. I went to the Philippines for a photo shoot so I got to work and play as well then but I haven’t been able to go since.

 

Q. You recently went on stage for Snoop Dogg’s concert in Korea. And he recently released a reggae album titled “Reincarnated” under the name Snoop Lion. Have you listened to the album by any chance?

CL: Snoop Dog made the album by learning reggae directly in Jamaica. And I’ve liked him for a long time. It was fun getting to perform with him and it was good because we got to talk to him a lot.

 

Q. Of the numerous girl groups in Korea, you probably differentiate yourselves the most in terms of style. Is there anything in particular you did this time around as well to differentiate yourself?

CL: We’ve been true to ourselves rather than trying to be different. And we’re returning [to the music scene] for the first time in a while so we just want to stay true to ourselves rather than trying to show a new side to us. We recorded a lot of songs whenever we have time, during the past two years so we can’t wait to have you hear them. Our style and wardrobe will depend on the song.

 

Q. How many new songs do you have so far? I understand that you’ll be releasing a new song every month and then release an entire album in the end.

CL: It’s the way in which we released our mini-album last year as well. We started with “Lonely,” then “Ugly,” “Hate You,” and “I Am The Best” before releasing the album itself. As of now, we have enough new songs to release two studio albums. We’re planning on releasing a new song every month and releasing an album in October. We haven’t decided on whether it’ll be a studio album or a mini-album.

 

Q. What did the rest of you think of CL’s “The Baddest Female”?

Bom: It was like a new world to me. She pulled it off so well that I became a fan.

 

Q. I think the energies that you experienced on your world tour must’ve influenced how you worked on your new album. 

CL: We wanted to release an album with the energy we got from our concerts as soon as we were done [with our world tour] but we weren’t able to. There’ll be a lot for us to show once we get on stage since we’ve been holding ourselves back.

 

Credits:
Source: TenAsia

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Interview

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Interview: 2NE1 Turns on the 4-Stage Booster.. The First is with Reggae

2NE1 Turns On The 4 Stage Booster…The First Is With Reggae [Interview]

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‘Unrivaled team’, ‘Sound Source monster’, ‘Incomparable artist’, these are phrases that characterize 2NE1, a group of four girls who have recently gained huge popularity with a new reggae-style song ‘Falling In Love‘. Immediately after the sound source release, 2NE1 dominated a number of domestic music charts. Moreover, they received a global attention as they ranked first in 7 of the iTunes Chart worldwide, and ranked high in more than 10 of them.

What’s remarkable about this is that 2NE1 has just started the march. 2NE1 who hasn’t been so active lately except for releasing ‘I Love You‘ last year, plans to make a glorious comeback by showing everything they have prepared for their fans. They declared that they are planning for a ‘4 Stage comeback’ in which they will release new singles and music videos, one per month, from July to October.

“We wanted to present a perfectly-packaged song since each and every piece is wonderful. It is of course good to present all of our songs at the same time in a lump sum but rather, we wanted to highlight the colours of each song. Since we have been working on this for 2 years, we have so many ideas and diverse concepts to share with you.”

The first launch of the unprecedented ‘4 stage booster‘ is the reggae-style ‘Falling In Love’ which captured the minds of 2NE1‘s fans worldwide. They have always dominated the top rank whenever a new single was released, yet members of 2NE1 feel happier than ever.

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The leader of the team, CL said as she smiled  “I am extremely pleased. It’s been a while like 2 years since we have really buckled down and performed, and yet our fans have given us great attention and love and I really appreciate that. All I can think for now is to return the favour with better performances.” When asked whether she is pressured to produce a good sound source record, she responded with a wit as she said “The one who is really pressured is Teddy who’s producing the song.”

2NE1 has always brought sensations in the industry as they refrained from following the trend of mainstream music and this time they came back with reggae. Members of the team were always interested in reggae and this is well reflected in a number of past hits such as ‘Fire,’ ‘I Don’t Care‘ and many more. They have even released a reggae version of ‘I Don’t Care‘. However, this is the first time for 2NE1 to release an entirely reggae-style song.

“Minzy struggled the most during the recording. She practiced a lot for a reggae-style vocal. Moreover, she worked really hard with Teddy to demonstrate an accurate reggae-style melody in the booth. On the other hand, the rest of the members focused more on reggae moves and choreographs for the stage.”

2NE1 plans to be away from their charismatic image for a while as ‘Falling In Love’ is more of a cheerful and exciting reggae melody. It seems all the more appropriate that they decided to choose bright outfits and choreographs that are in line with the melody.

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“You will be able to see us enjoying and laughing on the stage more than ever. We will try to stage an enjoyable and relaxing performance through highlighting the reggae feel of the song. We have never done such a thing before, so it is not easy for us to get used to it as well. I often question myself whether it is okay for me to laugh this much on a stage. I hope that those who watch us feel the positive energy we produce on stages.”

Another issue grabs our attention. As 2NE1 schedules to make monthly comebacks throught the next four months, a fierce competition among YG Entertianment artists is expected. In the next four months Bigbang’s G-Dragon and Taeyang’s solo comebacks will take place as well as Kang Seug Yoon‘s solo and team comeback which will heat up the second quarter of the 2013 music industry. To this, 2NE1 is more excited than worried.

“To think we will be active all together, it is so exciting. Since we have seen how hard our colleagues work, we will always encourage them and root for them. I hope you love our songs as well as songs of our colleagues in YG Entertainment.”

They also didn’t forget to thank their fan club ‘Blackjack‘ who waited for 2NE1 in what seemed to bea  long break.

“Our fans are incredible. We didn’t show up for 2 years, yet they trusted us and we are so thankful that they waited. We will return their favour by working harder. You can look forward to it since we are planning to show up on screens more frequently.”

Girl groups, are also subject to change over time. Members of S.E.S, a girl group in the early time, Shoo and Eujene are married and Sea is continuing on her career as a solo artist and a musical actress. Lee Jin and Sung Yu Ri of Fin.K.L, have also moved into the acting industry while Lee Hyori who has made her comeback recently is now a bride-to-be. What is the future of 2NE1?

“No matter how we dream of our future, it will not turn out exactly as we thought. For now, we’ve got so many paths to walk and so many things we can do. We can’t make precise predictions at this time. We just want to do our best until we can and perform as much as we can.” 

Credits:

Source: Naver Star

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Interview

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Interview: Public Raves About 2NE1’s “Falling In Love” for 2 Days: A Face-To-Face Interview

PUBLIC RAVES ABOUT 2NE1’S ‘FALLING IN LOVE’ FOR 2 DAYS: A FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEW

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“I want to show the song to our fans as soon as we can. We want to give this gift that we have been preparing for 2 years, in a very pretty package.” (CL)

On July 8, 2NE1 made a comeback with their digital single ‘FALLING IN LOVE’. On the day of the release, it ranked #1 on 9 different music charts. Currently, (on July 9), it is still the leader on charts.

This is the first release for 2NE1 in 1 long year since ‘I LOVE YOU’, a mix of electronic and trot (the older form of Korean pop music). But because they did not carry out any music related activities with ‘I LOVE YOU’, the Korean fans did not get many chances to see 2NE1. Considering this fact, 2NE1’s comeback is the first in 2 years since July 2011 release of their second mini album.

Last month, CL made a debut with a solo digital single ‘THE BADDEST FEMALE’, which marked the start of 2NE1’s music activities. After ‘FALLING IN LOVE,’ 2NE1 will be releasing one song every month until October.

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‘FALLING IN LOVE’, a summery reggae song, is 2NE1’s first attempt at the genre. Its refreshing melody is perfect for the season. This is a collaborated work of YG Entertainment’s main producer TEDDY and CHOICE 37.

 CL said, “Our music always have hip-hop as the base, and we add rock or electronic or other genre. Our hit songs ‘FIRE’ and ‘I DON’T CARE’ also have a tinge or reggae feel to it. But ‘FALLING IN LOVE’ is the first one to have full reggae, and we tried to blend the genre into our own colors. We learned some reggae moves from a Japanese choreographer.”

What they did for the new song is quite similar to what the American hip-hop legend SNOOP DOGG would do. When SNOOP DOGG approached reggae, he changed his name to SNOOP LION. The American hip-hop artist and 2NE1 met in person on May 4 when he was in Korea for a concert, and 2NE1 was a guest artist for the show.

 CL said, “Spending time with SNOOP ‘uncle’ affected us a lot in many ways. I especially learned a lot from the way he enjoys music.”

On stage, 2NE1 was known for their charismatic female power. But with ‘FALLING IN LOVE’, they are more feminine and comfortable. CL laughed, “We are going to show that we enjoy being on stage. We are not used to this concept yet, and we sometimes think, ‘is it ok to smile on stage?’”

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2NE1 is different from other girl groups who are more focused on the concept of “sexy”. To this, CL said, “If that “sexiness” is for the song, and if that’s inspired by the music, then I think it’s ok.”

For 2NE1, “sexy” refers to “confidence and the ability to enjoy, and being natural” (CL), “confidence” (Dara), and “internal beauty” (Minzy).

Their songs rank #1 every time. CL explained, “TEDDY, who produces our song, would probably feel the pressure more than we do. Ranking #1 is important, but the fact that there are fans out there who love us is much more meaningful to us.”

Because their song makes it to the top every release, the group must feel stressed and pressured. Plus, this time, a new song will be released every month until October. To this, CL said, “Whether we feel stressed or not, it does not affect the result. So we are going to do our best every time. That way we would not regret it in the future, no matter how we do on music charts. And when we do feel the pressure, it is having a positive influence on us because that motivates us to make greater songs and move forward.”

As 2NE1 has not had many opportunities to meet the fans on Korean TV, they will be seen a lot more frequently from now on. CL commented, “Dara and Bom really want to go on a lot of variety show programs. It’s a chance for us to show the fans what we’ve got!”

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2NE1’s initial plan was to perform ‘FALLING IN LOVE’ on SBS’s music program Inkigayo on July 7.  But because of Asiana’s plane crash at San Francisco’s airport, the program was cancelled due to breaking news report. Now they are making an official comeback performance on Mnet’s M Countdown on July 11.

CL emphasized, “Because we can perform any time, we were not upset about it. We are more worried about the people who were on the plane when it crashed. The music program is not important at all, considering what happened to Asiana.”

Each member of 2NE1 is a big star, but they are not much different from any other girls in their 20’s. They want to go on dates like other people do. YG Entertainment used to ban their artists from dating, but now the rule is gone. Dara said, “The CEO told me that I should go on dates. But it’s hard to meet people. I hope someone hits one me!” She giggled shyly.

 CL added, “Because we yell out ‘I’M THE BEST’ on stage, people think we are too strong. Not only women, but men also seem to be intimidated by us!”

The youngest of 2NE1, 19-year-old Minzy who made a debut when she was just 15,  hoped that “the fans see her mature self on stage.” She added, “I had to socialize with people since I was young, and I deeply feel that it is an important process for me to grow.”

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2 years ago when they were interviewed for their 2nd mini album, they told us that their characters are “undefined.” CL explained, “I did not want to put a boundary on ourselves by defining who we are. And we are still the same. That’s why we tried reggae for the first time.” About the songs that are to be released in the future, she said, “the songs embrace a lot of different genre and there will be a big twist!”

On not being able to perform much in Korea, CL explained, “We felt like we stopped ‘rolling’. Our new song makes us feel like we are ‘rolling’ forward again. We told ourselves that we are starting from zero again. We really wanted to perform and see our fans.”

Bom, who was unwell from feeling too nervous about Inkigayo performance on 7th, said, “I am so grateful for the fans that they have waited so long for us. I really wanted to perform. There are so many things to show you, so stay tuned!”

Credits:

Source: YG-Life

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Interview

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Interview: 2NE1 Ranked #1 On Music Charts – “Grateful for the Fans and Motivated by Positive Pressure”

2NE1 RANKED #1 ON MUSIC CHARTS, “GRATEFUL FOR THE FANS AND MOTIVATED BY POSITIVE PRESSURE”

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2NE1, knocking out all music charts with their new song ‘FALLING IN LOVE’, expressed their gratitude for the fans.

In the interview conducted at a café in Seogyodong, Mapogu, Seoul, 2NE1 told us about their thoughts on the comeback of ‘FALLING IN LOVE’.

2NE1’s comeback marked another moment of success for the group as they swept across all Korean music charts and ranked within the top range on overseas iTunes.

2NE1 said, “We are so happy and grateful. Last year, we released ‘I LOVE YOU’, but it’s been 2 years since we properly embarked on music promotion activities. So it’s been long since our last song, and we are thrilled by the positive reaction. We would like to repay this by doing our best on stage.”

Because 2NE1 hits the bull’s eye of success every comeback, they earned a nickname “Music Monster”. And when asked about how they feel about this nickname, they answered, “YG (the producer) would be feeling the pressure more than we would!”

They added, “When we rank the top on music charts, it makes us feel great. But we love it more when we can actually see the reaction of the audience. Actually feeling love and support in the air is more important to us. So although ranking #1 is valuable for us all, it’s not as good as people actually singing our songs or airing our performance more often.”

With the comeback of ‘FALLING IN LOVE’, 2NE1 will be releasing a new song every month until October. The music world is already keeping an eye on the future monthly release dates of 2NE1’s new songs.

The group laughed, “We did not have an opportunity to do this for the last two years. So we are going to do it all at once this year!” They also told us about the pressure and stress from such high expectations.

They said, “Since our debut, we slowly learned how to not be so stressed about our performance and people’s reaction. Whether we feel stressed or not, the result does not change. So we are simply doing our best and devoting all our energy into our performance. We learned that enjoying every process is important.”

They added, “So pressure that comes from such expectations is giving us motivation. Because without it, we can’t develop further or move forward.”

On July 11, 2NE1 will be performing ‘FALLING IN LOVE’ for the first time on Mnet’s M Countdown

Credits:

Source: YG-Life

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Interview, News

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Interview: Sandara Park, “Even Though I’m Released from our Dating Ban… I’m Still Single”

Sandara Park, “Even Though I’m Released from our Dating Ban… I’m Still Single”

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2NE1 member Sandara Park reflects on her social life now that she has been freed from her dating ban.

On the 9th, Sandara Park revealed in an interview with Star Today, at an undisclosed venue in Hongik University in Seoul, that YG Entertainment CEO, Yang Hyun Suk, personally told her that her “dating ban” has been lifted last year.

2NE1’s CL said that this dating ban on relationships had started since their debut, “The unnies (Park Bom, Sandara Park) were freed from the dating ban last year. We had a dating ban so as to focus on work, but they were released last year, with their ages in mind. Minzy and I will be released next year,” she said.

She added, “We don’t go out very much, we only go to music shows once a week, we don’t go to variety shows, so we don’t have a lot of chances to meet other celebrities. We always work, so we don’t get that much opportunity to meet people. Since we debuted, we didn’t have a lot of chances to have a break,” she said with a heavy heart.

Sandara Park added, “I’m mostly at home, and I don’t see myself asking someone out or going out on casual dates,” she said, “Although our dating ban has been lifted, it’s still pitiable. Until last year, I had a dating ban, but now that it’s ended I think that it feels even weirder.” she said.

Sandara Park also revealed, “Even our president (Yang Hyun Suk), asked me, ‘Shouldn’t you have met someone already’ sometimes,” she added, “I would really appreciate it if someone confidently asks me out,” she said with a smile.

Sandara Park said, “We should take our promotions and activities for ‘Falling In Love,’ as opportunities to go out more,” revealing expectations of natural meetings with other people (as opposed to being set-up on dates or something like that).

Finally, Sandara Park said, “In response to reporters asking me, ‘Why don’t you look around the people near your brother, Thunder?‘ well I asked him that too. And all he said was, ‘Noona needs to date a really good man.’ As a younger brother, he must not be satisfied. I also think that that it will be inappropriate to date my brother’s friends,” she said with a laugh.

On the other hand, 2NE1 released their newest single, “Falling In Love,” at midnight on the 8th, making a comeback after a year. 2NE1 garnered a hot response and dominated the music charts with their own take on reggae genre with “Falling In Love,” showing their many charms and unique colors.

2NE1 will be making their comeback stage via Mnet’s “M!Countdown” on the 11th.

Credits:

Source: Nate 1 2
Translated by: BlackjackBelle@OhDara/ SlaveTranslator@WeLoveDara

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Interview, News

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