If you didn’t know, well, now you know: Korean music icon, and one time 2NE1 member, CL flips modes as effortlessly as a change of the channel.
For the lead off single for her long (long) awaited solo LP, ALPHA, she entered in pure rap mode, slicing right to the quick with the braggadocio of the prideful anthem for her home country, the careening, dominant “Spicy”, bringing none other than, sheesh, John Malkovich along for the ride. We’re still wrapping our heads around that one.
She’s not one to wait, however, at least not having been made to for years due to a faulty, mishandled push towards American markets. Now, she’s finally back to making music on her terms.
For the second single, and final prior to release, she’s dashed in another direction entirely, flexing her pop muscles with a tactful salvo. Compared to the open aggressiveness of “Spicy”, “Lover Like Me” practically glides, with CL displaying her equal strength for softer vocals. That doesn’t mean she’s dropped even an ounce of that famous attitude. We’ve heard countless break up songs, but few are as blunt as CL: “You miss my lovin’ – you miss my money.” It’s an instant, delightfully bitter, earworm.
Presumably whomever it was directed at has passed on to the next world, but for those of us lucky enough to still be breathing, check out the colorful, vibrant, and peerless video below.
