New Evolution Global Tour


New Evolution Global Tour was the second concert tour by South Korean girl group 2NE1. It saw shows in 15 shows across 7 countries in Asia and North America spanning from July to December 2012. The tour marked the first world tour by a Korean girl group, while its show at the Prudential Center in Newark marked the first time a Korean artist held a solo arena concert in the United States.
The tour received critical acclaim from music critics, who praised the production, the group's energy, and performance. It attracted approximately 180,000 attendees in total. YG Entertainment released a live album DVD of the Seoul concerts in December 2012, followed by a Japanese version of the Yokohama concerts in March 2013.

Background

The New Evolution Global Tour was officially announced on June 13, 2012 through the YG Family website. Marking the first world tour by a Korean girl group, the announcement revealed that the group would hold concerts throughout Asia, North America and Europe.
The tour kicked off at the Olympics Gymnastics Stadium in Seoul on July 28 and 29, following the group's "I Love You" promotions. The tour was originally set to conclude on December 8 in Kuala Lumpur, however the concert was cancelled due to unresolved technical issues and ended instead on December 1 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Production

Three-time winner of the MTV [Video Music Awards|MTV Video Music Award] for MTV [Video Music Award for Best Choreography|Best Choreography], Travis Payne, served as the main director for production and choreography, along with Divinity Roxx and Michael Cotten. Beatrice Chia-Richmond served as the creative director and concert organizer.
The stages were transformed into a theme park, a club, a sporting arena, and a fantasy world which incorporated use of giant inflatable props, conveyor belts, and a video wall—where it simulated a rollercoaster ride during CL and Minzy's performance of "Please Don't Go". The tour costumes were designed by long-time fashion collaborator Jeremy Scott.

Critical reception

The tour received critical acclaim from music critics. Jon Caramanica of The New York Times ranked the concert at the Prudential Center in New Jersey number two in their list of the best concerts of the year, deeming 2012 "the year K-pop arrived" in the form of arena shows into the United States. Reviewing the same concert, Jeff Benjamin of Billboard remarked that "This important show is the latest in a series of happenings that have allowed 2NE1 to emerge as one of the leaders of the K-pop movement in America."
Writing for The Korea Times, Kwaak Je-yup praised the group's vocals, energy, and choreography, and commented that the production of the concert was "consistently excellent". SSTV stated that tour were some of the best concerts among any girl group, while Newsis commented the tour was reminiscent of a summer rock festival and "the performance was more complete than anything else". My Daily wrote that the tour "raised the quality of domestic concerts to a new level".

Commercial performance

2NE1 became the first K-pop group to be listed on the Billboard Boxscore list, placing at number 29 with their Los Angeles concert with a total of $653,716 in revenue. In Taipei, the show grossed NT$28.9 million in revenue.

Set list

Main set
  1. "I Am the Best"
  2. "Fire"
  3. "Clap Your Hands"
  4. "I Don't Care"
  5. "Don't Stop the Music"
  6. Club DJ
  7. "Don't Cry" and "Bom song)|You and I]"
  8. "Try to Follow Me"
  9. "Please Don't Go"
  10. "Pretty Boy"
  11. Dance
  12. "Kiss"
  13. "It Hurts (Slow)"
  14. "Lonely"
  15. "In the Club"
  16. "Stay Together"
  17. "I Love You"
  18. "Ugly"
  19. "Let's Go Party"
  20. "Scream"
  21. "Hate You"
  22. "Go Away"
  23. "Can't Nobody"
Encore
  2. "I Don't Care"
  3. "I Am the Best"

Personnel

Broadcast and recordings

2012 2NE1 Global Tour: New Evolution is the second live album of South Korean girl group 2NE1. The album was released on December 4, 2012, by YG Entertainment. The live album sold 10,613 copies in South Korea, while in Japan, it sold 6,000 copies.
The album was recorded during the group's first world tour New Evolution during their Seoul dates on July 28 and 29 at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena.

Track listing