K-Pop News Weekly Top 3: CL Discusses 2NE1 Breakup, Lunar New Year, Girl Group Ranking
Check out what stories were on K-pop fans' lips this week.
CL Addresses 2NE1 Break Up Rumors
The leader of YG Entertainment’s popular girl group 2NE1 revealed in an interview that 2NE1 has no plans to disband.
CL was interviewed by Complex Magazine, where she discussed her solo debut into the American music market, and what she hoped to achieve. The interviewer brought about laughter from CL when the singer was asked whether her solo ventures meant that the group was likely to disband.
The clarification came after several months of rumors about the four-member girl group and months of solo activities from several of the members.
Korean Media Ranks Top Girl Groups
Sports Chosun, a Korean media outlet, ranked popular Korean girl groups, and determined that SM Entertainment’s Girls’ Generation and YG Entertainment’s 2NE1 remained the two most popular female idol groups in South Korea. Starship Entertainment’s Sistar followed closely behind, showing tremendous increase from previous years, thanks to hits like “Touch My Body” and “I Swear.”
Girls’ Day, A Pink, AOA, Secret, f(x), KARA, and 4MINUTE also were highly positioned in the ranking. Trend group EXID also appeared on the list, along with multiple other girl groups. Several rookie groups, which had debuted in 2014, also appeared on the ranking.
K-pop Stars Celebrate Lunar New Year
This week’s Lunar New Year celebrations resulted in special television events, including the annual Idol Athletic Championships. Korean celebrities also left messages of well-wishes to their fans, with several idols and idol groups donning the traditional Korean hanbok to send fans regards for the upcoming year.
Due to the holiday, some idol groups performed at overseas Lunar New Year events, while other weekly programs were cancelled, such as music award shows.