2NE1 was founded in 2009 by YG Entertainment, home of BigBang, AKMU, BabyMonster, and yes, Blackpink. They were a huge girl group in the 2nd generation, but disbanded in 2016, before reuniting in 2024 for a 15th anniversary tour. Right now, just like at their formation, they have four members: Park Bom, Dara, Minzy, and Chaerin (CL), who range from thirty to forty.

Here are my credentials: very few. I know of 2NE1 and I’ve heard some of their songs, because it’s difficult not to when you’re a kpop fan. I know a couple of the members, like Park Bom (who I watched on Queendom) and CL (who’s a huge soloist now), but nothing much deeper than that. I also know a bit about them from being a former Blink (read more about that here). But, since they’re reuniting for an anniversary tour, I thought that now would be a good time to take a look at their discography. So let’s get into it!

EP #1: 2NE1

In terms of iconic ways to start a song—or a career, for that matter, you can’t do much better than the “I go by the name of CL of 2NE1” that opens Fire. This is one of the few songs of theirs I’ve heard, because, well, it’s pretty much considered a classic in kpop. Firmly in the hip-hop genre but still with a great beat and a solid underlying melody, Fire’s an earworm without being irritating, which is more difficult than you’d think. This isn’t normally a style I would listen to, but I can’t deny that they aced it. It’s difficult to embody so much confidence without seeming like you’re trying too hard, and the fact that they’d just debuted only makes it more impressive. I could go on a whole rant about how this proves that we should be debuting idols older but I digress. I do admit that I laughed out loud at their low rise jeans and the “drop it like it’s hot” line, because, God, is there anything more 2009?

From the EP, I enjoyed the percussive texture of In The Club, the tongue-in-cheek fun of Pretty Boy, and the synths in Stay Together. My hidden gem was I Don’t Care, which balanced a softer, more vulnerable delivery with a still catchy EDM sound. That handclapping section before the last chorus is just great. I was expecting an album full of posturing, but to my surprise, that’s not what this was, instead being more open and genuine, absolutely to its benefit. (Edit: these were my thoughts on my first listen-through; later, when typing this up, I actually chose Pretty Boy as my hidden gem. Those strings snuck up on me!)

Album #1: To Anyone

As in-your-face as the title of Go Away is, the song itself is even more over the top. It’s a classic anthemic pop song, meant to be scream-sung into a hairbrush when you’re sixteen years old and going through your first break-up. It reminded me so much of BLACKPINK’s Lovesick Girls or Little Mix’s Shout Out To My Ex, albeit harsher around the edges and driven by stronger EDM. And just when I thought it couldn’t get any better, the deceptively simple bridge kicks in, followed by the final chorus that just knocks you off your feet with its power. It’s a great song, and adding to that, the six and a half minute long music video is just spectacular in its drama. Plus seeing CL drive a racecar in a leather jacket is never a bad thing. And I’m always here to see a girl gang take a piece of shit man down a few pegs. You’d better believe I was cheering.

From the album, I enjoyed the call-and-response hook from Can’t Nobody, the hopeful lyrics and nostalgic piano of Ah-Yah-Yah (my hidden gem), Park Bom’s voice in the sweet You & I, and the reggae version of I Don’t Care, which gives Wonder Girls’ Why So Lonely a run for its money. This is such a strong release, and I really enjoyed it.

EP #2: Nolza

I didn’t think I knew the song Hate You, but when the hook kicked in, I realized I’d actually heard it more times than I can count. It has an EDM base but with a lighter type of electro than 2NE1 has gone for in their previous singles, and despite that, sticks in your head. I wish that the chorus had gone a little further, honestly, since I don’t think it’s distinctive enough from the verses to feel as impactful as it could have, but that’s a pretty minor gripe, all things considered. The animated music video is incredible, by the way, and I want four seasons of the women of 2NE1 chasing down wanted criminals in a baby pink monster truck. Incredible, no notes.

I Am The Best is 2NE1’s most famous song, there’s no doubt about it. There’s a lot of k-pop songs about how great the singers are, but none so iconic as this one. Operating on a simple electro beat with the occasional flourish, it’s really all about the chorus. A kind of chorus that I’ve bemoaned before: the anti-drop. And yet I’m not mad at this one. Similarly to SNSD’s The Boys or BLACKPINK’s Ddu-Ddu-Ddu, I Am The Best definitely more performance piece than song. But it’s a hell of a performance, and I can’t imagine anyone besides them being able to pull this off. Is the line “naega jeil jal nega!” going to be stuck in my head for the next week? You have no idea. And watching 2NE1 do an updated version of it during CL’s time at Coachella made me like it even more from how completely pumped the crowd was. I can’t imagine what an experience it was to be there.

From the EP, I enjoyed both the acoustic ballad Lonely and the stomping dancefloor beat of Don’t Cry. But I’d like to take a moment (or paragraph) of your time to talk about my hidden gem: Ugly. It’s clearly a song born of pain, of deep-seated insecurity and fury, and even before looking up the lyrics, I could feel that. But after watching the special video for it, and realizing that it was actually about the fact that none of the members fit into Korean beauty standards, it touched me even more. It’s desperately vulnerable and painfully relatable in a way that k-pop usually only skirts the surface of. And that electric guitar? Just the cherry on top of all of this. Avril Lavigne would be so proud. This may be their best release, even more than their debut. Every song is just fantastic.

Single #1: Falling In Love

Falling In Love’s opening is harsh on the ears, and not in a good way. It gets better as it goes along, that’s for sure, going for a tropical inspired sound that’s new for them. This was probably my least favorite of their songs, to be honest. It’s full of empty posturing, which 2NE1 of all groups really doesn’t need to do. I did like the main part of the chorus, with the “falling in love, falling in love” hook, but besides that, I think I’ll leave this one alone. I don’t feel the need to listen to it again.

Single #2: Missing You

When you think “modern film noir”, something like Missing You is what comes to mind. Slinking along with an easy, relaxed confidence that makes you feel cooler just from listening to it, the song has this gentle yet compelling build, and its skipping piano and the smooth vocals make a great atmosphere. I’m consistently surprised by 2NE1’s ability to make songs that are outside of their usual genres but still sound undeniably theirs, and this is a perfect example of that. The final minute, when everything from the vocals to the many layers of instrumentals comes together is so powerful and showcases what excellent performers each of them are.

Album #2: Crush

Come Back Home starts out surprisingly gently for such a dramatic song, with restrained yet still emotive verses. It has this interesting tropical influence which is different from Falling In Love’s, with what I think is a xylophone? I really loved the quasi-anthemic, soaring “come back home, won’t you come back home” part. But God, do I despise an anti-drop when it’s not earned, and the over-autotuned, drony hook just drives me nuts because this song was so close to being another favorite of mine. But no. The music video, thankfully, is quite good, set in some kind of dystopia that our main characters are trying to fight against, and fits with the music.

From the album, I enjoyed the orchestral swirls of If I Were You, the sunny, acoustic guitar-led Happy, and the polished electro sound of Scream. But, once I heard the building tension and synth-filled payoff of Gotta Be You, which feels tailor made for a dance floor, I knew I’d found my hidden gem. I also really loved the unplugged version of Come Back Home, which is everything I wish the original had been.

Single #3: Goodbye

I’d heard Goodbye (and even seen the music video before), but looking at it as the final step in a long journey rather than just a standalone piece genuinely made me emotional. It doesn’t just come out of nowhere, piggybacking off of both the unplugged version of Come Back Home and the melancholy of Missing You. The bitter tinge to all of the vocals and the empty, bluesy instrumental are just heartbreaking, and the members watching all of their past career highs and memories on a screen gives you the feeling that something isn’t just over; something has died. The weight is, of course, a little easier to bear knowing that they’re back together now, but that doesn’t make the pain any less real.

Verdict: TL;DR

I’m glad I did this! I knew almost nothing about 2NE1 before this deep dive, and I’m happy to say that that’s no longer the case. I learned a lot about each of the members: I rewatched Park Bom’s performances on Queendom, and I watched CL’s feature on Hot Ones, Dara’s interview from Dive Studios, and some episodes of Minzy’s B-T-S features. I didn’t actually intend to watch so much, but here we are, and I had a lot of fun. I don’t think I can call myself a Blackjack, but I think that casual fan seems fair. Who knows? Maybe by this time next year I’ll have a new stan card to laminate.

My Top 5 songs were Go Away, Ugly, Fire, Goodbye, and Gotta Be You with Don’t Cry as an honorable mention. 2NE1 gets a 9 out of 10 from me. I wasn’t expecting to like their discography so much, but I’m happy to report that every .25 of the rating was earned. For me, 2NE1 is what I wish F(x) had been: experimental, confident, and powerful, while not being afraid to peel back that confidence to show the vulnerability underneath. It was fascinating to go through their work from a retrospective look, where I could see so many of the hallmarks that would make BLACKPINK the most popular girl group in the world, echoes of their anthemic choruses in songs like Lovesick Girls and their confident hip-hop in songs like Whistle. 2NE1’s discography was so good, and I’m sad that it got cut short, but, well, I suppose that that’s the nature of the industry. But, I’m even happier that they’re back now, and excited to see what the members get up to next.

Next time, we’re onto a soloist and then a pretty popular girl group that I’m a little nervous to cover to be honest. Tschüss!