[11 of ′11] Badass Chicks – 2NE1

The ladies of 2NE1, who had us singing “I Am the Best” since their second mini album was released in July, are our Badass Chicks of 2011.

From debut single Fire and I Don’t Care in 2009 to 2010 hits Clap Your Hands and Can’t Nobody, 2NE1 never fails to give the ladies an anthem, and this year was no exception with hits I Am the Best, Hate You and Ugly.

Since taking Korea by storm with their in-your-face performances, avant-garde fashion and sky-high hairstyles, the girls have set their sights on the rest of Asia and the world.

Not only has 2NE1 been recognized for its talent in Korea, taking home the Album Award at the 2011 MelOn Music Awards and Song of the Year at the 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), the girls have been making waves overseas as well.

The girls’ debut Japanese album Nolza stole the number one spot on the Oricon Weekly Chart in the first week of its release, and the group wrapped up a successful concert tour in Japan in October.

2NE1 has also been praised by international superstars like will.i.am of The Black Eyed Peas, whom leader CL performed with at this year’s MAMA and MTV Iggy named 2NE1 the Best New Band in the World. Oh, and the girls are BFFs with too-cool-for-school fashion designer Jeremy Scott. A girl group hasn’t been this hot since the Spice Girls.

Source: ENews World

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The Most Futuristic Music of 2011

Put away your grandpa-style indie rock sweaters and salute the year’s most futuristic music. By that I don’t just mean music that sounds like it comes from the future (though there’s quite a bit of that); I also mean music that is indicative of larger future trends. Shall we begin?

2NE1, 2nd EP Release

2NE1 are the queens of Korean pop, which is even more insane than Japanese pop, and their anthem “I Am the Best” is the best song of 2011…because it sounds like the best song of 2111. If The Fifth Element were remade today (not that I’m suggesting it should be-it’s an unimpeachable masterpiece), 2NE1 would replace both the blue-skinned diva and Ruby Rhod. They’re just that awesome.

Source: i09

2NE1 ROCKS THE HOUSE @ MTV IGGY’S BEST NEW BAND CONCERT!

Can you believe it’s already been a week since Blackjacks overran NYC’s Times Square to see 2NE1 take the stage at MTV Iggy’s Best New Band Concert?

Yeah, we can’t either. Major 2NE1 withdrawal going on at MTV Iggy / MTV K Headquarters today. Everyone who was present that night will attest to our excitement (and unparalleled pride) in hosting 2NE1 for their first stateside performance. We’re thinking of having December 12 go right up there with Christmas and New Year’s — Hell, maybe we’ll even make it a red date on our calendars from here on out.

Did you miss CL, Bom, Dara and Minzy showing America what they’ve got that historical night of December 12, 2011? Did you miss the girls officially being crowned MTV Iggy’s Best New Band in the World? Well, that’s alright, because you can still catch the entire two-hour concert at live.mtviggy.com!

And while we’re waiting for the big reveal of MTV Iggy’s edgy photoshoot with 2NE1 on the rooftop of the swanky Mondrian SoHo, take a look at some of our favorite 2NE1 moments from the Best New Band Concert, from the girls killing it onstage with back-to-back performances of “Fire,” “Can’t Nobody,” “Lonely,” and “I Am The Best,” to receiving their golden Best New Band crowns in the final moments of that spectacular night:

Source: MTVK

OUR 10 FAVORITE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE MTV IGGY #BESTNEWBAND CONCERT

#-6 2NE1\’S ANTICIPATION-RATCHETING WALK TO THE STAGE

We’d planned for cameras to follow 2NE1 from the street to the stage…but that still didn’t prepare us for goosebumps all over as CL, Minzy, Bom, and Dara flitted down endless, twisting stairs and corridors to the insistent, throbbing strains of “I Am the Best.” We know you fans at home were chanting “Nega Jeil Chalaga”…cause we were too.

#-8 ULTIMATE FAN BIANCA STOPS BREATHING

Ok, not really. But she was so excited she could barely speak!! When she said, “I even got my class rings to say K-pop on them” an Iggy staffer thought she meant rings for the whole school and imagined “some sort of K-pop super school. If I had tried to get Backstreet Boys on my high school’s class ring, I would have been kicked in the face.” Upon rewatching the livestream we think Bianca got the words on her own ring, not the whole school’s, but we prefer to hold on to our imaginary version.

#-10 HIGHLY OPINIONATED FAN TWEETS

We wanted to include fans who couldn’t be there in person to still have a presence. So we featured your Tweets on the MTV HD Jumbotron in Times Square and on the LCD screen at the theater…and you didn’t disappoint. From fans waiting outside hilariously bi#ching (“I’m so cold I’m getting gangrene”) to the outpouring of Venezuelan “orgullo” for La Vida Boheme after their riveting performance, to 2NE1 fans noticing every minute detail — Bom’s dress length, how hosts pronounced the girls’ names, the song selections…you made us laugh, sniffle, and so happy to know how your felt.

#-11 THE MOMENT 2NE1 WAS CROWNED BEST NEW BAND IN THE WORLD!

Dressed in red military jackets accented with gold metal, the girls KILLED it. The unexpected call-and-response between CL and the audience to “Nega Jeil Chalaga,” the dizzying dance moves (they owned that stage), the confetti guns showering the room in a blizzard of paper so thick you could barely see 2 feet in front of you…and most of all the delighted looks on CL, Bom, Minzy, and Dara’s faces as they held the crowns in that moment. No amount of rehearsing or planning can capture that moment. It was the best.

Note: Took out parts not relevant to 2ne1. ^_^

Source: MTV IGGY

Kpop Cheat Sheet: The Bands To Know Before They Blow Up

By Lisa Eppich

2NE1

The Lowdown — Forget any thoughts of sugary tunes, frilly dresses, and cutesy looks — the girls behind 2NE1 are badasses and are proud of it. Consisting of CL, Sandara, Park Bom, and Minzy, these girls have already taken the world by storm with their hip-hop infused songs. They’ve even going so far as to declare “I Am The Best” in their latest hit (which has already racked up numerous awards this year). You might think they’re being boastful, but it’s kind of hard to disagree — their thumping beats, unique and versatile voices, ability to drop rhymes like the best of them, and their flawless style have already earned them the attention of Will.i.Am, who has produced several of their tracks. The group just won MTV Iggy’s Best Band in the World contest, which has earned them their first concert in NYC. But then again, their awards shelf is not exactly empty — they’ve earned no less than 40 other awards and 74 nominations in the past two years since they made their debut. If any group is poised to take over the world, it’s this one.

Their Style — 2NE1’s style isn’t for the faint of heart. These girls prove that, no, you can’t have too many layers of color, texture, and pattern in any given outfit. 2NE1 are usually decked out in leather, patterned leggings, graphic tees, and piles of jewelry — and some sky-high heels to top it all off. They’re also not afraid to rock a hairstyle that’s a little less than normal — whether it’s bright blue, red, or sticking out at an angle we can’t compute without a protractor. Designer Jeremy Scott numbers amongst the group’s devoted followers, and has even collaborated with them to create a line of his iconic winged kicks. But while their image may be loud and in-your-face, these girls certainly aren’t afraid of their feminine side. Every now and then, you’ll see them in a sleek little LBD, but rest assured — they might just accessorize with a pointy-shouldered blazer, or a nail-studded bra.

Jeremy Scott Skeleton Big Sweater, $1,035, available at Opening Ceremony; Topshop Black Aztec Print Leggings, $40, available at Topshop; Dries Van Noten Cacey Contrast Print Blouse, $569, available at My Theresa; Dr. Martens Izzue Stud Boots, $240, available at Dr. Martins; Style Stalker Viper Room Bustier, $125, available at Glassworks Studios.

Their Songs

I Am The Best — With a title like “I Am The Best,” the subject of this song needs little introduction — let’s just say the lyrics contain Kanye-level boasting. Not that we mind — 2NE1 is kind of the best, and we’re totally smitten with how they manage to be both eclectic and totally glam at the same time.

Ugly — “Ugly” showcases 2NE1’s refusal to sugar-coat anything. While the lyrics are downright depressing (the chorus, sung in English, pretty much says it all), we appreciate that 2NE1 uses this anthem-like song to dive head first into those feelings of hopelessness and self-loathing that we all feel at one point or another in our lives.

Follow Me — This hypnotic, techno-heavy song features some of the most fantastic fashion 2NE1 has ever done, plus their moves are pretty sweet. Even though we’ve already bedazzled a pumpkin for Halloween, we’re thinking of following CL’s lead and bedazzling our faces next year.

Source: Refinery 29

WHICH K-POP GROUP MADE IT ON SLANT MAG’S BEST SINGLES OF 2011?

American online publication, Slant Magazine, which reviews movies, music, theater, video games, and more, just released their top 25 best singles of 2011 and YG Entertainment’s top charting female group made the list! 2NE1, Korea’s fiercest girl group, came in coincidentally at number 21, with their hot single, “I Am The Best,” beating out Beyonce’s “Love On Top,” which came in at number 25. Here’s what Slant writer, Jonathan Keefe, had to say about the girls:

“One of 2011′s best developments was that the Western world finally discovered the unmitigated joy of K-pop. Even within a music scene characterized by its fearless appropriation of pop, hip-hop, and dance styles, 2NE1′s “I Am the Best” is a jaw-dropping, vibrant triumph of pure swagger and verve. Really, who’s going to argue with logic like “Even if you were me/You’d be envious of this body” or stand in the crosshairs for 2NE1′s machine-gun “rah-tah-tah” hook? It ain’t bragging if it’s true, and 2NE1′s “I Am the Best” makes its case airtight.”

The girls have had a great 2011 with a string of hits, but “I Am The Best” definitely took the cake for hottest club banger of the year and proved its worth when it won the coveted MAMA award for Best Song of the Year. 2NE1, who debuted in 2009, is quickly becoming the girl group to beat, and at the rate they’re going, it doesn’t look too hopeful for competing groups. Do you think 2NE1 will keep the hype up in 2012? Let us know!

Check out Slant’s top 25 hottest singles of 2011 below:
25. Battles featuring Matias Aguayo, “Ice Cream.”
24. Beyoncé, “Love on Top.”
slant23. St. Vincent, “Cruel.”
22. Patrick Wolf, “The City.”
21. 2NE1, “I Am The Best.”
20. Frank Ocean, “Novacane.”
19. Girls, “Vomit.”
18. Lykke Li, “I Follow Rivers.”
17. SBTRKT featuring Yukimi Nagano, “Wildfire.”
16. Britney Spears, “Till the World Ends.”
15. EMA, “California.”
14. Lana Del Rey, “Blue Jeans.”
13. Florence and the Machine, “Shake It Out.”
12. Gotye featuring Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used to Know.”
11. Das Racist, “Michael Jackson.”
10. Azealia Banks featuring Lazy Jay, “212.”
9. Beth Ditto, “I Wrote the Book.”
8. Lady Gaga, “The Edge of Glory.”
7. Fleet Foxes, “Helplessness Blues.”
6. Robyn, “Call Your Girlfriend.”
5. Lady Gaga, “Born This Way.”
4. Lana Del Rey, “Video Games.”
3. Adele, “Rolling in the Deep.”
2. Tyler, the Creator, “Yonkers.”
1. Kanye West, “All of the Lights.”

Credits:

Source: MTVK