MUSIC | ‘K-pop’ band 2NE1 ends world tour in town

South Korean group 2NE1 have just travelled across 10 countries, and will finish their second world-tour, “All or Nothing,” at The Venetian Macao’s Cotai Arena today. The four-member girl band returns to Macau for a performance that will feature not only their former hit singles but also songs from their new album.
2NE1 were the first Korean girl group to embark on a world tour, comprising over 10 destinations including the United States.
In their first world tour, in 2012, the New York Times named their performance in New Jersey one of the year’s best concerts. “We try to do our best and enjoy every single show. The New Jersey show was 2NE1’s debut performance in the US and we were very excited and expectant. We were of course happy to have such a good review. We hope more people attend our shows,” they said in an email interview with the Macau Daily Times.
2NE1 (pronounced “twenty-one” or “to anyone”) “is a girl group which fits the Destiny’s Child or Spice Girls mould, but it also incorporates plenty of rapping and some reggae for good measure, as well as production that’s indebted to arena-size dance music,” wrote Jon Caramanica in a New York Times review of 2NE1’s US concert in 2012.
“Like most contemporary K-pop, the group borrows from plenty of American and European styles but manages not to carry any fingerprints – the mix of styles is K-pop’s signature aesthetic,” he added.
For The Venetian performance, 2NE1 promises a show where “four members will express themselves together” “This is the final show of the ‘All or Nothing’ tour. We’ve prepared it and have gathered many ideas, so that we’ll have no regrets after the show,” they added.
2NE1 includes performers CL, Dara, Bom and Minzy, who rose to fame back in 2009 with the electronic-influenced debut single “Fire.” They wanted to develop an image involving unique fashion and superb vocal skills – something that could not only highlight their band’s features, but also distinguish them from other girl groups in the K-pop scene.
“CL is the spark plug, rapping with attitude and singing with bluster and seeking the spotlight most aggressively,” said the New York Times review.
They are not only known for their music, but also for their fashion sense. From glittery basketball jerseys to psychedelic leggings, which can be seen in their elaborate dance performances, the audience is bound to see much more than a musical performance by four girls.
Their secret to success, they said, is “obviously the music.” “With very good music, demonstrating the four members’ abilities, we have been able to achieve great success,” they assured.
Influences come from everywhere. And they are not only influenced by other musicians or certain music genres, but also by the whole world and daily life. “[Inspiration] can be found in beautiful nature or good music, or a good movie. Or sometimes it comes up in conversation between friends, or even when we have some tasty food,” they said.
They say that their music cannot be defined, because they are not committed to just one specific genre. “2NE1’s music is just 2NE1!”
Together with PSY and BIG
BANG, 2NE1 dominated the Billboard’s ‘2013 Biggest-Selling K-pop Songs.’ Their top three songs, “I Am The Best,” “Lollipop,” and “Lonely” have accumulated more than 150 million views on YouTube, according to a press release.
With the “All or Nothing” tour, the South Korean group performed in 10 countries, including Malaysia, Singapore, Japan and the Philippines. 2NE1 will be performing at 8:30p.m.