2NE1 Proved They Were The Baddest Females In K-Pop In 2013: Year In Review

2013 was a year of evolution for YG Entertainment‘s 2NE1. The year opened with speculations surrounding upcoming releases for the group,  with rumors ranging from a full English language album to collaborations with label mates Big Bang. 2NE1’s CL,Minzy, Dara, and Bom celebrated numerous milestones throughout the year, however the group did not release a full album or extended play. With the release of three major singles, 2NE1 remained in the spotlight not only in Korea but internationally.

2NE1 started off the year quietly, with interviews which sparked many of the rumors of their upcoming releases. On March 14, 2NE1 released the previously recorded single Take The World On, a collaboration featuring will.i.am. The group would later be featured on will.i.am’s April release, #willpower with Gettin’ Dumb. On March 31, 2NE1 helped kick off the opening weekend performance for G-Dragon‘s 1^st World Tour at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena.

On May 4^th, 2NE1 further established their image as international trend setters by participating in the United All Originals Live performance with Snoop Dogg. The concert was sponsored by Adidas and reflected the ability of 2NE1 to serve as style icons, as well as performers. The performance was Snoop’s first official concert in Korea during his twenty year career and the group delivered an electrifying performance with the American hip hop pioneer.

On May 28^th, 2NE1’s leader CL released her solo single The Baddest Female. Produced by YG Entertainment’s Teddy Park, The Baddest Female featured elements of hip hop, dubstep, and electronic dance music. The video was innovative and featured appearances by Big Bang’s G-Dragon and Taeyang, as well as Teddy Park. With The Baddest Female, CL was able to establish her personality as a solo artist.

On June 29^th, 2NE1 joined G-Dragon for two performances in Singapore. On July 8^th, the group released the reggae influenced Falling In Love which was an uptempo single that was perfect for the summertime. Falling In Love was followed by the release of Do You Love Me which surprised audiences as 2NE1 had just completed promotions for Falling In Love.

2NE1 were named Korean Brand and Entertainment ambassadors for 2013 in October. As a result of this appointment, the group was present in London during the Expo. In conjunction with the November event, there was the YG Hologram Show which featured 2NE1 and PSY. On November 20^th, 2NE1 would fully release the highly anticipated single Missing You. Missing You featured a melancholy feel and also a tastefully executed nude scene by CL.

2NE1 performed Missing You as part of their 2013 MAMA stage and CL was with Icona Pop. CL received the Best Dance Performance-Female Solo award at 2013 MAMA for The Baddest Female. 2013 began to come to a close with the release of Park Bom & Lee Hi (BH)’s All I Want For Christmas Is You. The melancholy cover of the Mariah Carey classic was the first release of the new YG Entertainment unit. On December 29, CL will appear with Lee Hyori at SBS Gayo Daejun.

2013 has been an exciting year for 2NE1 and has definitely been a year of growth. In December, it was announced that 2NE1’s long time manager, Jjangmae would be going over to work with YG’s newest group WINNER. This move can undoubtedly be seen as the fact that 2NE1 is set to reach new height and are now seasoned performers in K-Pop. The group has promised another world tour in 2014 and new music, which will be highly anticipated.

Credits:

Source: Kpopstarz