2NE1 Reunite on Coachella’s Main Stage
Hit-making South Korean girl group 2NE1 has officially reunited on the Coachella main stage for the first time since disbanding six years ago. Following a solo mini set by leader CL, the four members teamed up to perform their 2011 track “I Am the Best.”
Speculation that there may be a surprise reunion arose shortly after the announcement from a now-edited Weibo post by the official account of management company and record label 88rising that mentioned and tagged 2NE1 alongside the group’s former leader CL as part of the lineup for its Head in the Clouds Forever showcase. To add fuel to the fire, a member of former member Park Bom’s staff shared that he was in L.A., and bandmate Dara, who tweets and shares content on a daily basis, had been M.I.A. for about a week.
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The final 2NE1 performance was at the Mnet Asian Music Awards in 2015, where CL brought out the group as part of her solo set, similar to what happened tonight. At Coachella on Saturday, CL performed solo singles including “Spicy,” from recent album Alpha, and 2015’s “Hello Bitches.” For the finale, fellow members Park Bom, Dara, and Minzy came onstage, and the four performed “I Am the Best.” See complete footage above.
The group debuted under YG Entertainment in 2009 and found success early on. The four were pioneers in experimenting with sounds and looks that were new to K-pop at the time. In 2012, they became the first K-pop girl group to embark on a world tour. Their final album, Crush, was featured as one of Rolling Stone’s 20 Best Pop Albums of 2014.
Each member has been keeping busy since their breakup, with television appearances in Korea and various solo projects. In more recent years, the members have shared more regular meet-ups and have often teased the idea of getting back together.
