When the discourse of K-pop is brought up, 2ne1 instantly turns heads. They are among the second generation groups that made the K-pop industry what it is today. The group is deemed to have “paved the way” for the newer generations of idols with their immense influence on not just the genre itself but on its fans as well.
2ne1, who rose to fame in early 2009, is a hallmark name in the Kpop industry. Debuting under YG Entertainment, the quartet has conquered the world with their epic dance performances and killer vocals.
On May 6, 2009, its hit single, “FIRE,” instantly became an iconic anthem worldwide. There was not a single place in Cebu (from plazas to malls) that didn’t have the song blasting at the highest volume possible.
The group’s hold on Cebuanos was evident back then in the way fans also imitated their fashion style and aura.
2ne1’s success continued to grow over the years and showed no signs of slowing down. However, in 2016, YG Entertainment disbanded the girl group due to complications among group members.
2ne1’s main dancer, Minzy, decided to leave in 2016, prior to the actual disbandment of the group to focus on herself. The remaining three members wanted to go on and stage a comeback but YG Entertainment apparently “gave up on them” as some fans claimed. Even the group’s leader, CL, was disheartened to find out on the news that her group was disbanded after a two-year hiatus.
Years following the group’s disbandment, its members still maintained close contact with each other. They are often seen supporting each other by attending their member’s events for moral support which just proves their tight-knit relationship in front of the cameras was not simply for show but because they saw each other as sisters.
Just recently, in CL’s Coachella stage, under her new label 88rising’s “Head in the Clouds” show, Blackjacks (2ne1 fans) and non-Blackjacks everywhere were able to witness a monumental event of the girl group’s reunion after seven long years.
The screams of the crowd were almost deafening as the girl group performed their song, “I AM THE BEST,” sporting their iconic outfits as an ensemble. Hearing “nega che chalaga,” in CL’s strong vocals took veteran Kpop stans back to the good old days of the peak of second generation Kpop. The unexpected reunion threw the crowd into pandemonium, and 2ne1 themselves were so hyped to be performing after seven long years, that Dara even lost her shoe in the process.
2ne1 joins BLACKPINK, who was their junior group in YG Entertainment, as the only Kpop acts to have ever performed in Coachella. However, 2ne1 definitely takes the cake for being the first disbanded girl group to have ever staged such a legendary comeback.