Music
5 CL Songs You Need to Know
From 2NE1 to collaborations with Skrillex and Diplo, CL is one of South Korea's biggest pop stars.
CL
© Kyle Seago
CL is one of the biggest stars on the K-pop scene and now she is conquering the U.S.
The 24-year-old South Korean singer and rapper, born Lee Chae-rin, got her start with the all-girl K-pop group 2NE1, which have consistently dominated their country's pop charts with songs like "I Am the Best," "Fire" and "Lollipop," and their high-gloss videos have a tendency to go extremely viral, such as this one below for "Come Back Home."
In preparation for Mad Decent Block Party, here are the South Korean star's five most essential tracks.
1. Uhm Jung-Hwa, CL and DISCO: "DJ"
One of CL's first song credits was as a rapper on Uhm Jung Hwa's song "DJ." This song was recorded about a year before she joined 2NE1. Watch a live performance of it below, and see how dangerous Chae-rin was on the microphone from day one.
2. 2NE1: "I Am the Best"
2NE1 have some huge singles that are insanely catchy. "I Am the Best," from their second EP, was produced by Teddy Park and released in 2011. It took the No. 1 spot in the South Korean charts and the video has been watched on YouTube more than 131 million times. This is one of those songs that, even if you think you have never heard it, you have heard it. It's everywhere.
3. CL: "The Baddest Female"
This non-album single, released in 2013, marked CL's big move as a solo artist. She came out super strong for her first solo tune, claiming to be "The Baddest Female." That's a bold statement, but one that she can back up.
4. Skrillex, Diplo, CL and G-Dragon: "Dirty Vibe"
5. Diplo, CL, Riff Raff and OG Maco: "Dr. Pepper"
If there was ever any doubt CL loves "Dr. Pepper," this song put those doubts to bed. She linked up once again with producer Diplo — not to mention fellow rappers Riff Raff and OG Maco — on this track released by Mad Decent in May. The video is just as wild as you'd expect.
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