2NE1 is working with will.i.am of Black Eyed Peas fame on a brand new, all English CD for their US debut. A prolific producer since as early as 1998, will.i.am's production credits include notable hip-hop artists Usher, Flo Rida, and Nicki Minaj as well as U2, Maria Carey, and Hillary Duff. He was named one of the top ten producers of 2010 by VIBE and graced the cover of GC South Africa in October 2011 with articles appearing in GQ Brazil and GQ Japan in April and October of the same year. This illustrates that he not only has connections and experience within the US, but is also well known overseas. Also this:
This collaboration is not without its detractors, however. Some fear, based off comments made by will.i.am during an interview on BaekJi Yeon's People Inside, that he is only interested in the fame of "discovering" 2NE1 and introducing them to America. Others question whether or not an American debut is something 2NE1 actually wants to do. Still others worry that the group's sound will be Americanized and will lose the edge so many fans enjoy.
The first of these assertions is rather ridiculous. Given his association with The Black Eyed Peas and his established international fame, not to mention the less than stellar track record of Korean acts in America, it is doubtful this collaboration will bring will.i.am any more attention than he already has. Still, with article titles like "Will.i.am Plans to Make 2NE1 Global Superstars" it is easy to see where these people are coming from.
As for whether or not 2NE1 wants to pursue international fame, the answer is clearly yes. In a televised interview on the BBC, team leader CL expressed her belief that "music has no language" as well as her desire to represent Asian women on a global scale. She is clearly elated that her music has spread to countries like Germany, Brazil, and Mexico, and yet still has her sights set even higher. Furthermore, this move was clearly planned since the group's infancy, as talks of this collaboration began before 2NE1 had even released their first full Korean album.
The last argument is probably the hardest to assuage. It's true that will.i.am talked about making "the right type of music" to make 2NE1 successful abroad. Many fans don't want to see 2NE1 simply singing Black Eyed Peas songs and I wholeheartedly agree. However, I would add to this the fact that will.i.am has worked with a number of varying styles of artists. What's more, with their hip-hop style, use of synth and techno elements, and lyrics about how cool they are, 2NE1 is not a far cry from will.i.am's comfort zone. As way of example, consider the music Minzy, the team's best dancer, chose to perform to on two separate occasions.
As for whether or not 2NE1 wants to pursue international fame, the answer is clearly yes. In a televised interview on the BBC, team leader CL expressed her belief that "music has no language" as well as her desire to represent Asian women on a global scale. She is clearly elated that her music has spread to countries like Germany, Brazil, and Mexico, and yet still has her sights set even higher. Furthermore, this move was clearly planned since the group's infancy, as talks of this collaboration began before 2NE1 had even released their first full Korean album.
The last argument is probably the hardest to assuage. It's true that will.i.am talked about making "the right type of music" to make 2NE1 successful abroad. Many fans don't want to see 2NE1 simply singing Black Eyed Peas songs and I wholeheartedly agree. However, I would add to this the fact that will.i.am has worked with a number of varying styles of artists. What's more, with their hip-hop style, use of synth and techno elements, and lyrics about how cool they are, 2NE1 is not a far cry from will.i.am's comfort zone. As way of example, consider the music Minzy, the team's best dancer, chose to perform to on two separate occasions.
Clearly this collaboration is a good fit for 2NE1 and will almost certainly boost their chances of success in America. There are other aspects of the group that will also help them.
Firstly, much like Girl's Generation, several members speak English well. In this case three of the four have, at the very least, conversational English ability. CL spent her formative years moving around a lot and learned Japanese, French, and English in addition to her native Korean. Bom lived in America for a number of years and was actually enrolled in Lesley University with a major in psychology before having a change of heart and transferring to Berklee College of Music. Dara moved to the Philippines at the age of 10 and, though she speaks with a bit of an accent, is clearly well versed in English. Only Minzy, the youngest member, seems to have no experience with the language outside of their music.
2NE1 has a sound that distinguishes them from many other K-pop artists and will likely fit well with what is popular in America now. Their choice to record an original English CD is similar to the route Boa took in 2009 and practically guarantees wider exposure, though doubtless at a greater cost than a repackaged Korean album. They have a positive message they wish to convey to the youth of Korea and that message can easily translate across borders, and has in fact already done so.
Ultimately, this group's success in America will depend on whether or not they can attract new fans through their music. While will.i.am's tweets and red carpet interviews will certainly give them the exposure previous attempts were lacking, I can't say with any certainty that it will be enough. If you'd like to hear more from this group, their self titled Korean album is available for download on iTunes and their official youtube channel (which includes videos in Korean, English, and Japanese) can be found here. My personal favorite is "Clap Your Hands".
The psychology major switches to Berklee College of Music, then goes through Kpop grind school and comes out mindlessly spitting gangsta rap?
ReplyDeleteThat might pass in Europe and of course Asia, but Americans will laugh their asses off on the floor.
DO YOU EVEN KNOW THE MEANING OF GANGSTA RAP??? learn the definitions before accusing moron!!! and Bom doesn't rap she is a Main Vocalist which means she sings the chorus and notes that require a strong voice! CL and Minzy rap and sing and they are far from gangsta! and mindless victims of mainstream crap like yourself won't give them a chance! 80% of others will! and seriously do you even know what euro music sounds like? they are famous cause they have talent unlike every other american artist! not to mention they won an american MTV award!!!
DeleteWTF? You are clearly talking about Bom.. but guess what? Bom DOESN'T RAP. SO YOUR ARGUMENT IS COMPLETELY INVALID. Also, CL and Minzy rap... and they go hard. Don't hate dude. They can rap really well. Americans like Kesha's talking/rapping style (which is utter bullshit imo)... so I'm pretty sure they'll be fine with them rapping.
Delete"they are famous cause they have talent unlike every other american artist!"
DeleteReally? Now who is being biased and unfair and ridiculous? Keep in mind where Hip-hop, Rnb, house music, techno, electro, pop, rock n roll, jazz, blues, go-go, disco, and many other musical styles came from. America doesn't just have the best talent, America creates new styles and idioms for the rest of world imitate and add on to.