The self-proclaimed "Baddest Female in Korea," and leader of popular kpop group 2NE1, Lee Chae Rin (CL), 22, has made her solo debut with single entitled, (take a wild guess) Baddest Female!
CL is the third member of the group to release solo material. After the success of Dara and Bom, needless to say anticipation was high to see what the fearless leader had up her sleeves.
The single Baddest Female, has been warmly received thus far, as it topped all of Korea's real time music charts. This isn't much of a surprise since it's an achievable feat by most of the major acts from "The Big 3" companies, regardless if the song is actually "good' or not. So without further ado, let's take a look at the Baddest Female.
This was definitely not what I was expecting. I knew the song would be somewhere in the realm of hip hop, but a full-on attempt at a gangster rap song and video to match was a sideswipe, and borderline cheese fest. The overall feel and flow reeks of Nicki Minaj and lots of "American" elements, causing it to lack in originality.
SONG AND LYRICS
Lyrically, it's your standard run of the mill female rap song about self pride, having looks that could kill, and of course, being a bad girl, with lots of repetition. The most awkward point in the song was the explanation of what she meant by "bad." Honestly, who thought she bad by being a criminal or something? In its entirety, the lyrics lacked and left you wanting something a bit more. I found this disappointing because in an interview earlier in the year, CL had stated it was important for her to release solo music and she has "so much she wants to say." She also wanted it to be just about her apart from fellow group members. So I was expecting a song that would tell more about who CL, the individual, was as a person and artist. I also would have liked to hear some vocals on track, because it would have shown her versatility as both a singer and rapper.
As for the music, it was a pretty decent hip hop beat you could bop to. However, the dubstep/reggae beat towards the end of the song was cringe worthy and kind of ruined it for me.
VIDEO AND STYLING
In standard YG fashion, the video's production quality is high and luxury is present throughout. The aim was to entertain and be visually pleasing.
Whether or not you liked the song, you'd have to admit CL is absolutely gorgeous in the video. I think this is the most attractive she's looked thus far. Her hair and makeup is flawless, and her outfits are sexy and chic, with a bit of a playful side. I especially love the first dance sequence outfit as well as the one worn in the final segment of the video.
What threw things off were the parts with the over the top gangster look, complete with a gold grill, saggy pants, over-sized jewelry, fake tattoos, and headbands. It came off as "wannabe" and made it seem like she's trying too hard to be street. I much rather have CL as a seductive diva than as a rachet hoodrat.
CONCLUSION
I find that I keep saying the same thing with much of the 2NE1 releases as of late: all flash with little substance. You always find yourself thoroughly entertained with their visual concepts but feel like something is missing from the song itself. I was really hoping things would be different with CL and she would raise the bar. I guess we'll have to see what the group as a whole will have to offer when they return in near future.
Song: 2.5 out of 5
Overall: 3 out of 5
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