Sunday, June 15, 2014

Throwback: My Pulp Magazine Article April 2014 Issue


DO OR DIE WITH AN ATTITUDE:
2NE1 Kicks-Off AON World Tour in Seoul

By Anjie Blardony Ureta  (Originally published in Pulp Magazine, April 2014 issue) 







            They are the notorious bad girls of K-Pop, this gang of four. Not bad meaning bad but bad meaning good, you know. And for two nights in chilly, post-winter Seoul, the hottest place in the city was probably the Olympic Park SK Handball Arena whose stage virtually burst into flames as the fierce foursome 2NE1 kicked off their second world concert tour, All or Nothing, in a show that reminded everyone why they are considered one of the most phenomenal groups ever to storm out of Korea and into the global music scene.

            Living up to their girls-who-play-hard trademark, the group -- composed of Lee Chaerin (CL), Park Bom, Sandara Park and Gong Minzy -- entered the stage perched on a towering platform amidst a conflagration of fireworks, laser lights, spellbinding beats and that uniquely infectious exuberance which has long set their performances apart from the cute and sexy routines of their peers.

            As they chanted their familiar anthem -- “Nolza! Hey hey hey, nolza!” -- the impassioned quartet jumped, waved and shook their fists in the air, igniting a frenzied atmosphere as they summoned the feverish crowd to get up and party. Dutifully, their fans (known by the moniker “Blackjacks”) rallied and cheered, raising their winged light sticks towards heaven and thanking the music gods that the interminable wait for a comeback is finally over.

            All or Nothing comes after an extended and painful drought that saw the group releasing only two studio albums four years apart. Following the highly successful 2009 debut that catapulted them to the top tier of Korean girl groups, 2NE1 slayed music charts with their first full album, To Anyone, with its carrier singles Fire and I Don’t Care. In 2011, they made a triumphant return with a six-track mini that proved to be a treasure trove of hits, including the unsinkable I Am the Best, Can’t Nobody and Lonely. Before the year closed, they flew to New York City and were crowned MTV Iggy’s Best New Band in the World for their “unparalleled presence in the K-Pop music scene”. Basking in the afterglow of global recognition, the highly anticipated promise of second full album lingered in the air… Only for the excitement to be marred by a succession of postponements and delays that went on longer than anyone ever expected.

            Despite the lack of new material, the irrepressible quartet embarked on an ambitious world tour in 2012 – the first of its kind attempted by any Korean girl group – and played to packed venues around Asia and the US. Dubbed New Evolution, the tour enabled the girls to reach out to their international fans in a more intimate manner, temporarily sating the growing deprivation for new songs that was beginning to reach ravenous peaks.

            Homebound once more, last year saw the release of leader CL’s first solo track and three digital singles that foreshadowed the imminent transition of 2NE1 in both music and image. The temporary hiatus found the girls shedding off the frisky and aggressive persona everyone has been accustomed to and instead, putting on the more mature and even more powerful aura of full-grown women poised to enter their prime as musical artists.  

            Then somewhere amidst the growing excitement that mingled with equal doses of curiosity and skepticism, bam! News about a second world tour and the much-awaited second album scheduled for the first quarter of 2014 spread like wildfire and stoked the unflagging spirit of a patient fandom whose loyalty would prove to be richly rewarded.

            The new album, Crush, with its twin title tracks, Come Back Home and Gotta Be You, signaled the return of 2NE1 to their home sweet home: the top of the charts. Strategically revealed three days before the All or Nothing concert launch in Seoul, the album immediately zoomed up to the apex of Korea’s major music sites within hours of its digital release, achieving an all-kill before sundown. Remarkably, all ten songs in the album enjoyed an upper niche in the rankings. While waltzing the roof at home, Crush also rose rapidly overseas and landed on iTunes’ Top 100 albums in over 20 countries, where it continues to enjoy an impressive, upwardly mobile standing. Monitoring the album’s breakthrough success, US music channel Fuse described 2NE1 as “one of the driving forces in K-Pop’s international expansion” and gave Crush a clear shot at entering the Billboard charts if it continues its skyward sales trajectory.
           
            Against this heady and triumphant backdrop, the All or Nothing World Tour opened in Seoul last March 1 and 2. This early, a total of 15 shows have already been lined-up to cover 12 cities in Hong Kong, China, Taiwan, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and the Philippines, with negotiations still ongoing to meet the growing clamor for additional tour stops. 

            On both days, concert-goers milled around the venue as early as 1 p.m. to line up for tickets and merchandise, visit fan club stalls for giveaways, and basically just hang out together to “spazz” and rejoice at the return of their favorite girl group. When the gates finally opened an hour before the 6pm show, the excitement became even more palpable. Before long, the arena was filled with fans of all ages, many of whom were armed with light sticks, sign boards, and posters, while others carried with them gifts and trinkets that they could toss onstage or personally hand over to the girls if they got lucky.

            As the lights dimmed and the familiar thumping of the first song, Crush, filled the air, the crowd broke out in piercing howl of thunderous applause, with all their pent-up excitement breaking loose after a long and tedious wait. They were not disappointed as CL, Bom, Dara and Minzy swaggered defiantly onstage in their shimmering gold and black tailored outfits, grim and determined to prove once again why 2NE1 has gained a rock-solid reputation of raising the standards in fashion, professionalism, musical quality, and level of live performance in such highly competitive industry.

            Reminiscent of their early hits, the opening song (which was composed by team leader CL) is an electro-pop dance tune that immediately set the mood for the evening’s high-octane party. Immediately noticeable is how the four girls have blossomed into charismatic young women who are ready, now more than ever, to take on the world. Those who came expecting to see the same perky little ladies with bubblegum colored hair and furry frocks from their New Evolution days might be disappointed, but only in the best possible way. With their well-toned physiques and edgy styling, all four cut an awesome and commanding presence onstage that went exceptionally well with the tougher, wilder and sexier image they intended to project, which was obviously well-received by the audience.

            In terms of visuals, most conspicuous was the coming of age of the group’s maknae (youngest), Minzy, who became a full-pledged adult last year. The unrivalled dancing machine sizzled with her signature chest-popping, body waves and daring splits, particularly for her solo routine in Fire, all the while donning costumes that showed a lot more skin than she was previously allowed to.  The deceivingly fragile-looking Dara, meanwhile, revealed what could have been her best kept secret so far: eye-catching sculpted abs which became a hot topic on social media even while the concert was still in progress. On the other hand, with a cascade of long dark hair complementing her legendary legs and statuesque figure, main vocalist Park Bom gave off an enigmatic air despite her distinctively quirky, lovable personality. And CL, whose golden mane flew across the stage with fierce abandon, proved to be the “baddest female” indeed as she went through her routines with red-hot sensuality that belied her icy smirk and brazen attitude. (Be forewarned: her steamy solo stage for MTBD threatens to leave the faint and the weak of heart with exactly what the title suggests – a mental breakdown.)

            Living up to the All or Nothing theme, the girls played onstage with a “do or die” intensity that saw them moving seamlessly through genre-bending tracks that ran the gamut from electronic and hip-hop, to pop, reggae, rock and R & B, usually resulting in unique musical hybrids not usually associated with K-Pop. Ably supported by a six-member band that has also played with K-Pop superstars and fellow YG artists, Big Bang, one of the more interesting numbers was their head-banging version of I Don’t Care, simply because it was totally unexpected and out of the box.

            Definitely a concert highlight was their explosive performance of the new album’s main track, Come Back Home, with its rousing choreography and spellbinding lighting effects that were in complete contrast to the relaxed, acoustic melancholy of its unplugged version, which featured Dara playing the guitar alongside band member, Justin Lyons. 


            Sexy met sassy in a remixed version of I Love You, which featured a special portion where four lucky guys from the audience were brought up onstage to receive a “lap dance” from each member. Far from being a scandalous affair, the spot turned out to be cheeky and playful at best, leaving the audience cheering wildly as they rooted for the stunned male subjects with unconcealed envy.

            Unlike their first world tour, All or Nothing relied less on imposing sets and breathtaking special effects, choosing to focus more on the much-enhanced musical abilities of all four members. Even Bom, who is known for her forceful and robust vocals, presented a new dimension to her singing, adding more warmth and texture to her signature high notes, even venturing into a softer falsetto particularly in Gotta Be You.

            The dynamic tandem of Travis Payne and Stacey Walker, who previously worked with 2NE1 in their New Evolution concerts, reprise their roles as concert directors and main choreographers for AON


        With a 23-song set list that introduced some of their new songs alongside their more established monster hits, All or Nothing captures the best of 2NE1’s musical spirit, while at the same time allowing the girls to grow, explore new discoveries and constantly improve in their manifold abilities as performers. What is most significant in this concert is how each member has evolved not only in personality and looks, but more importantly in musical prowess, as their distinctly unique voices soared in impeccable harmony, finally liberated by songs that truly depict the inner musings of their hearts as women and artists in transition.

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