PUBLIC RAVES ABOUT 2NE1’S ‘FALLING IN LOVE’ FOR 2 DAYS: A FACE-TO-FACE INTERVIEW
“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.
‘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?’”
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!”
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.”
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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