OMONA THEY DID(N'T)!

write up by yeeun kim

Unnie. GZB. Cherry. Those who follow musician CL will know that these are just a few signature words to describe the K-pop veteran. And those who grew up with her music, like myself, will know just how much of a trailblazer the former 2NE1 leader has been in the Korean music scene.

As a high schooler in the 2010s, I would fill my iPod Touch playlist with almost all of 2NE1’s releases. Amid a K-pop world where women were – and still are, for the most part – portrayed by the male gaze, it was refreshing to see an all-girl group championing female power with tracks like “FIRE” and “I AM THE BEST.” Fast forward to 2013, the group’s leader CL, whose real name is Lee Chae-rin, went solo with her debut single “The Baddest Female,” a key part of her identity to this day.

The past couple of years have marked a new era in CL’s artistry. In late 2019, she released some of her first singles as an independent artist since leaving her previous label YG Entertainment. She shortly followed up with hits like “+HWA+,”“+5 STAR+” and “SPICY.” And after some minor delays, last August, CL gifted fans with her first physical solo album, ALPHA.

( at the end of the day, i think the most important thing is to listen to your gut )

( photoshoot )

source: HYPEBAE, hypebae.com

( radio performance + ssap possible interview )

source: M2, KBS Cool FM, 이게될까?

Momoka and Miku discuss their experiences as Japanese idols living in Korea.
Momoka is 21 (intl age) and has been in Korea since at least 2019, working as a backup dancer while trianing.
Miku is 19 (intl age) and was signed via a video audition.
The two previously attended the same dance academy in Japan, so they were friends before they became trainees. They both joined PinkFantasy in 2021 as guest members.

- Momoka got into kpop via a 2ne1 concert in Japan. When they were promoting 'Poison', their promotions overlapped with Minzy promoting 'Teamo', and Momoka almost cried when she met Minzy. Miku is also clearly very happy about this.
- Similarly, Miku's mum took her to a Bigbang concert that piqued her interest.
- Momoka had been to Korea before coming as a trainee. Miku hadn't and was so scared because she didn't know Korean that Momoka says she came out of the airport crying. She was particularly distressed because she'd left her second phone that had translation features on the plane and the staff at the airport had only spoken Korean and English, so getting through immigration had been very stressful for her. The two girls can laugh about it now though.
- Momoka says the highlights of living in Korea are the amount of free side dishes she gets and how awesome delivery services are.
- They both miss taking baths! They only have a shower in the dorm.

source: Mydoll Entertainment