2NE1 is the greatest K-Pop group the US will never get to know

The bad news first. 2NE1 disbanded in 2016. Trails of broken hearts and tears from die-hard fans called the blackjacks continue to flow as they reminisce of the glory days when this legendary group threw down powerful vocals and swag that redefined the 2nd generation of K-Pop.

Now, I’m not a K-Pop expert by any means. I’m just an average Asian American who’s been largely ignorant of K-Pop and Asian music in general until I saw a clip of BLACKPINK on Steven Colbert’s show. Over and over, I kept seeing the name ‘2NE1’ pop up in the comments comparing singing styles, dancing, and more between the two groups. And it wasn’t just on that video. You can find several comments about 2NE1 on pretty much any new girl group that’s debuted since 2016.

Finally, after a couple of weeks of seeing their names being mentioned everywhere, I had to see what was so special and why people kept talking about them. I pulled up 2NE1’s most popular music videos and decided to watch them all.

OH. MY. GAWD.

My mind temporarily imploded. I stopped blinking because I didn’t want to miss a millisecond of their videos. Have you ever gotten goosebumps when you listen to music that just makes time stand still? Never in my lifetime did I ever think K-Pop would do that to me. But these ladies -Minzy, CL, Dara, and Park Bom- completely encapsulated everything RuPaul taught us to look for: charisma, uniqueness, nerve, and talent. In Asian markets where manufactured cutesy innocence mixed with sexy yet demure dance moves continue to be all the rage, these ladies leaned in with the complete opposite. In my opinion, they outshine The Pussycat Dolls and The Spice Girls. 2NE1 would have done a much better Super Bowl half time show than Maroon 5.

As someone nearly a decade late to the 2NE1 fan club, I can’t help but kick my own ass for not discovering them sooner. Being late to the party by ten years sucks, but at least I’m here now, right?

Digging around, I discovered that 2NE1 did have a successful US tour and there were plans to break into the mainstream market. As label mates with PSY of “Gangnam Style” fame, they could have ridden the tidal wave of interest in Korean music in 2012. However, the anticipation never panned out.

Why would a talented K-Pop group with so much popularity all around the world barely get any mainstream promotions here in the US? Perhaps it was a different time in 2012. Maybe the music labels in America weren’t ready to promote a band that didn’t fit either Asian or American beauty standards and fashion. Blackjacks passionately debate many theories and pointed the finger at their management, YG Entertainment. Some blamed Park Bom’s drug scandal that rocked the K-Pop world. Some blamed CL for pursuing her career as a solo artist in the states and leaving her group behind. People said Dara, known for her aesthetics, preferred acting gigs over singing, and Minzy, the youngest and probably the most well-rounded member of the all, was suffering from severe mental health issues which led her to leave the group. Others say the Korean government wasn’t happy with their image which didn’t align with Korea’s wholesome image they wanted to export overseas. We’ll never truly know unless the group breaks their nondisclosure agreement and speak out.

The one thing that stuck out to me is that aspiring Asian American entertainers may have a greater chance of becoming a headlining entertainer overseas than in the US. Here, you might go viral with a cover song or a viral dance, but there’s very little in terms of opportunities to leverage it into a full-fledged career. Asian teens are leaving the comforts of their home countries to join grueling K-Pop hit factories with a 1/10,000+ chance of making a debut. CL and Park Bom both lived in America for many years before moving to Korea for a shot in the entertainment business. It’s a reverse export and it makes me wonder how many US citizens are exporting themselves to another country for a better opportunity doing what they love? How odd it must feel to know you are a rockstar overseas but be unknown and unappreciated in your own country. The point is that these ladies were good enough and dare I say much better than a lot of girl groups we have been spoonfed to listen to. In the land of opportunity, there haven’t been many chances for Asians to diversify the music scene on US soil. As a result, we lose out on getting to know amazing talents like 2NE1. However, we are starting to see a shift with the rise and dominance of BTS and a few other groups finally finding success. And this is where they make the real money. Have these K-Pop hit factories finally found the right formula for American success? It’s too soon to tell, but the future looks interesting.

There is a bit of good news. Just because 2NE1 is no longer a group doesn’t mean you can’t catch these four ladies hustling and making a life after disbandment.

• Park Bom has a new song coming out in March 2019. Can’t wait!
• CL is splitting her time between Korea and the US and is featured on The Black Eyed Peas latest single. Rumors are swirling that she may replace Fergie in the group. Please let it be true!
• Dara is acting and got an MC gig which she would be perfect for.
• Minzy went back to school to get a degree in theology, released a solo album, is singing Christian music, and started a new dance academy.

As a new fan that is grieving the disbandment of this amazing group just as I discovered them, I feel like it’s a shame that more Americans didn’t get a chance to see them perform or hear their music while they were still together. We have been robbed of greatness! Just knowing we’ll never see them on late night television or doing car karaoke and answering silly questions at Buzzfeed while holding puppies makes me melancholy for what could have been. We may never see a live performance like this ever again from these ladies. That just makes me appreciate getting to know these queens and their passionate fans over the past week (yes, it’s only been a week). Let's hail the lady rockstars of 2NE1 that paved the way for other Asian acts to do what they never got the chance to do here.

Until the day we’ll meet again, goodbye goodbye.