CL (rapper)
Lee Chae-rin, better known by her stage name CL, is a South Korean rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born in Seoul, South Korea, she spent much of her early life in Japan and France. She rose to fame as a member and leader of the girl group 2NE1, who debuted in 2009 under YG Entertainment. They became one of the most popular South Korean girl groups worldwide and one of the best-selling girl groups. As a solo artist, CL made her debut with the single "The Baddest Female" in May 2013 and released the solo track "MTBD" in February 2014 as part of 2NE1's final studio album Crush.
Following the group's hiatus at the turn of 2015, CL pursued a solo career with the release of the singles "Hello Bitches" and "Lifted". The latter single led CL to become the first female Korean solo artist to place in the Billboard Hot 100, and the third Korean artist overall to do so. In November 2016, YG announced the disbanding of 2NE1 after a hiatus of nearly two years, and CL subsequently remained on the label. Shortly after leaving YG in December 2019, she released her solo EP project In the Name of Love, consisting of six tracks written during the three years since her previous single "Lifted". Her debut studio album, Alpha, was released in October 2021. After 2NE1 reformed in July 2024, CL resumed group activities under the umbrella of YG Entertainment.
CL ranked 2nd and 25th on the readers polls for Times 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2015 and 2016, respectively. She appeared on the Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list and was named amongst the best girl group members of all time by The Guardian. Outside the field of music, she is recognized as a style icon by numerous publications worldwide.
Life and career
1991–2008: Early life and career beginnings
Lee Chae-rin was born in Seoul, South Korea on February 26, 1991, but spent most of her childhood living in Paris, Tsukuba, and Tokyo. When she was 13, she moved to Paris alone where she studied for two years. She recalled that, "Culturally, I'm not 100 percent Korean. I'm very mixed, and very open." When she was 15, CL auditioned to join South Korean record label YG Entertainment. Her first feature on a song was Big Bang's "Intro " in 2007. Later that year, Lee performed for the first time on stage at Seoul Broadcasting System's Gayo Daejeon alongside her label mates. Her first credited appearance in a song was in 2008, with Uhm Jung-hwa's "DJ," in which she rapped.2009–2013: Debut with 2NE1 and solo career beginnings
Lee took on the stage name 'CL' and was appointed the leader and main rapper of 2NE1, alongside Bom, Sandara Park and Minzy. The group then collaborated with label-mates BigBang for the song "Lollipop" on March 27, 2009, before appearing on SBS's The Music Trend for the first time on May 17, where they performed their debut single "Fire". 2NE1 achieved significant success with their number-one single "I Don't Care" from their first extended play, 2NE1, which won them the "Song of the Year" accolade at the 2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards, making them the first rookie group to win a prize the same year they debuted.In August 2009, she collaborated with label-mates G-Dragon and Teddy Park of 1TYM for the single "The Leaders", featured on G-Dragon's first solo album, Heartbreaker. The same month, after the group finished "I Don't Care" promotions, CL collaborated with fellow member Minzy for "Please Don't Go," which charted at number six on the Gaon Chart by the end of November. Her first solo single, "The Baddest Female", was released on May 28, 2013. For 2NE1's second album Crush, CL wrote the lyrics and co-composed the music for the tracks "Crush", "If I Were You", and "Baby I Miss You". She also wrote the lyrics for her solo track "MTBD", as well as the track "Scream".
2014–2018: Stand-alone singles and featured appearances
In October 2014, it was announced that CL was planning to debut as a solo artist the following year in the United States, teaming up with Scooter Braun as her manager. In May 2015, she featured on Diplo's single "Doctor Pepper", alongside Riff Raff and OG Maco. In November 2015, CL released her first single "Hello Bitches", as a teaser for her planned EP Lifted. She was also featured on labelmate Psy's single "Daddy". The song debuted at number 97 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning her first entry on the chart.The single, "Lifted" was released on August 19, 2016. The song appeared in the Top 30 of iTunes' Hip-Hop/Rap chart within three hours of being released, peaking at number 21. It incorporates samples of Wu-Tang Clan's 1993 track "Method Man", and had the rapper himself appear in the accompanying music video. Time magazine referred to her as one of the biggest stars in Asia, and called her the "Future of K-pop in America". "Lifted" went on to peak at number 94 on the Billboard Hot 100, earning her her first entry as a solo artist and her second overall, and making her the first female South Korean solo artist to appear on the chart. On October 29, 2016, CL kicked off her first North American tour, the Hello Bitches Tour, at New York City's Hammerstein Ballroom. With the sold-out performance, she became the first K-pop female artist to hold a solo concert in the city. The tour visited other cities in the United States and Canada before concluding in Toronto on November 14.
File:Ivanka Trump after the 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony 2.jpg|thumb|upright|CL with Kim Jung-sook, Moon Jae-in, and Ivanka Trump at the 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony in Pyeongchang County.
Alongside Shaiana, she was featured on Lil Yachty's song "Surrender", an exclusive track off the Target deluxe edition of his album Teenage Emotions, released on May 26, 2017. CL also recorded a single for the original soundtrack of My Little Pony: The Movie soundtrack, entitled "No Better Feelin'", released on September 22, 2017. On January 4, 2018, it was reported she would make her Hollywood debut as an actress in Peter Berg's film Mile 22 which starred Mark Wahlberg. On February 25, 2018, CL performed at the 2018 Winter Olympics closing ceremony at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium, performing parts of "The Baddest Female" and the 2NE1 global hit "I Am the Best". During the closing ceremony, she met with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, First Lady Kim Jung-sook, Exo, and Ivanka Trump, daughter of US President Donald Trump. In July of the same year, the Olympics channel included CL's performance in their list of Top 10 Olympic Live Music Performances of All Time, ranking her at number 8. In October, CL collaborated with the Black Eyed Peas on the track "Dopeness" along with an accompanying music video.
2019–present: Departure from YG Entertainment, ''In the Name of Love'' and ''Alpha''
On November 8, 2019, YG Entertainment announced that CL did not renew her contract with the company and left the label. On December 4, shortly after leaving YG, she began releasing previously unreleased tracks for her digital solo EP project In the Name of Love for three consecutive weeks. On September 12, 2020, CL announced that she had been working on a new album that would be released later that year. Two days later, she released the music video for the song "Post Up", which would serve as the intro track for her upcoming album. On October 29, she released two singles—"Hwa" and "5 Star"—which were co-written by former labelmate Tablo. At the same time, CL announced that her first full-length album Alpha would be released on November 30. However, on November 16, she announced that she had decided to postpone the album release until early 2021, stating that while preparing the album she had developed new ideas.On February 26, 2021, CL released "Wish You Were Here", which coincided with her 30th birthday, released as a tribute to her mother who had died days prior on February 10 due to a heart attack. On June 16, CL appeared in the first episode of the second season of the TV series Dave, where she played the role of herself collaborating with rapper Lil Dicky as he aspires to take over the K-pop industry. On July 10, 2021, CL signed a domestic management contract with Konnect Entertainment in order to manage her activities in Korea. Two weeks later, domestic publications reported that CL would make her comeback in mid-August. It was later announced that CL would release her album Alpha on October 20, 2021. The digital single "Spicy" was first released on August 24. On September 13, she became the first K-pop female artist to attend the Met Gala in New York City, alongside Blackpink's Rosé, wearing a custom made hanbok-inspired denim dress designed by Alexander Wang. Four days later, CL announced that Alpha
Artistry
Musical style
CL's discography utilizes various genres including hip hop, dance, and electronic styles, as well as integrating a variety of other genres. Her debut solo single "The Baddest Female" in 2013 was characterized as "a clattering ego massage that channelled Atlanta hip-hop", combining techno and dance elements with the catchphrase "Now do the unnie". The track jumps from a hip-hop beat to an electronica-infused build-up to the dubstep breakdown during the bridge. Her next solo track, "MTBD", was included as part of 2NE1's second studio album Crush and fused the genres of EDM, hip-pop and bubblegum trap over a tense drum beat, low bass, and a unique synth sound. Billboard stated that: "The beat was trendy yet fresh, employing of-the-moment, trap-inspired breakdowns" and highlighted her "fierce and playful rap and singing style". Fuse TV compared it to the musical styles of DJ Snake's "Turn Down for What", and deemed "MTBD" an upgraded version of the track.CL continued to pursue hip-hop and electronic styles with the release of "Hello Bitches" in 2015, which featured instrumentations of synthesizers, a heavy 808 bassline, and a strong trap hip-hop beat as the main axis. Her 2016 English-language single "Lifted" marked her entry into reggae fusion, and was characterized as a relatively minimal breezy tropical hip-hop track. Following a period of inactivity, CL released the project EP In the Name of Love in December 2019. Featuring six tracks, Billboard noted that the EP " a bit of herself, and her past, through its reflective tunes." Stylistically, the record explores a variety of music genres from R&B to rap and tropical dance. In October 2020, CL released the track "Hwa", which references the national flower of South Korea. Rolling Stone commented that "CL's rapping prowess is on full display", as she rides a "booming bass line and snappy snares". The song reflects her individuality, referencing themes of fire, wealth, flower and change. In the track "5 Star", it contrasts the styles of "Hwa" with its love-filled lyrics and channels a more pop vibe.