K-pop has turned a corner in America. It's gone from an underground Internet sensation to a genuine influence. The South Korean rapper G-Dragon has collaborated with Diplo, Missy Elliott and Skrillex; now the all-female quartet 2NE1 is the latest to shoot for a mainstream U.S. pop presence. "Crush" has one foot in each country's pop music: K-pop's neon melodies, with sounds from America's trap and bass-music scenes. It's the most coherent LP to come out of this generation of K-pop.
2NE1 pulled a Beyoncé with this record, keeping it secret until release day (It worked. "Crush" sold 5,000 copies for K-pop's best debut in U.S. history on the Billboard 200). Singer-rapper-writer CL gets the album's best track in "MTBD," which is billed as a solo cut. It's an eerie, 808-destroying stomper as good as anything on rap radio in America right now. "Crush's" title track is a deliciously trashy electro-pop banger; "Come Back Home" tosses Atlanta trap drums, pop-reggae guitars and Robyn's bleary-eyed pleading into one song and makes it work. 2NE1's softer side is convincing too: "Happy" is just as catchy as Pharrell's single of the same title, and G-Dragon penned the regal ballad "Good to You."
Commercial smash or not, "Crush" is doing more important work than crossing over — it's ushering in K-pop's future, in America and everywhere.
Neither was Beyoncé's album.
We knew it existed, but we didn't know anything besides that.
2NE1s release was different, but their album been under wraps for years as well.
Neither was Beyoncé's album.
We knew it existed, but we didn't know anything besides that.
2NE1s release was different, but their album been under wraps for years as well.
except with CRUSH, we knew EXACTLY when it was coming out and each of the song titles...nothing really was secretive about it...
regardless, glad they're getting American press and praise
