CL: A Polyglot KPOP Powerhouse

CL (씨엘) 

I've written about Chanmina and her signature attitude in JPOP and KPOP. However, there stood a queen before her that paved the road ahead for female rappers in KPOP. Lee Chaelin aka CL from the girl group 2NE1. While Chanmina was inspired by Big Bang, 2NE1 was debuting with them. CL herself even performed one on one with G-Dragon for several tracks.

 

CL grew up in Japan, France and South Korea leading to her ability to speak Japanese, Korean, French, and English fluently. CL knew from a very young age that she wanted to entertain. It was once noted that at the age of 15 she stood outside the door of a huge record label everyday until they agreed to audition her.

 

After being signed, CL and 2NE1 saw great success with the single “I Am The Best” among many other hits. 2NE1 was also the first Kpop girl group to tour world wide. However, the fame would only last a few years as one member was kicked out due to drug abuse. The drugs in question were actually antidepressants prescribed in the states after dealing with a friend's death. (This just goes to show how strict the Kpop industry is.) Eventually that member made her return and fans celebrated for approximately one day, then another member left. CL decided at that point to pursue a solo career in the states.

 

CL released Lifted and a quick fan video of Hello Bitches in the US. She also released two solo songs in Korean, MTBD (Mental Breakdown) and Baddest Female. CL was the first-ever K-pop artist to perform on the famous American late-night talk show, ‘The Late Late Show' in 2016 with her single "Lifted" paving the way for groups like BTS and Black Pink now.

 

CL oozes creativity through her sense of style and is highly regarded for her fashion choices. She gives off a sleek, sexy energy with a boss attitude that never quits. She’s a musical icon and has been quoted as saying, “You can just enjoy music without understanding it, music is a universal language.” Keep in mind that those words are coming from a sensational polyglot.

Although her career has seen many rough patches since the breakup of 2NE1, CL continues to release music to this day. She keeps going and never stops. CL has also been cited as a role model for Lisa from Black Pink and many other late generation KPOP idols. She set the gold standard for female rappers in Kpop and we all love her for it. 

Enjoy the music videos I've attached of her recent music. 

안녕!! <3

 

Here are a couple of 2NE1's videos. They were amazing as a group.