South Korean girl band 2NE1 reunited at Coachella on Saturday (16 April) for their first live performance since the “Queens of K-pop” disbanded in 2016.
2NE1 members joined former bandmate CL on the main Coachella stage after her solo set, to perform seminal, 2010 hit “I am the best” together on day two of the free-spirited, glitzy Californian music festival.
CL’s performance was part of a special showcase by record-label 88rising at Coachella this year.
Since 2015, 88rising have been working with artists and creators from across Asia and, tonight, the LA-based company brought in the big boys and girls for an 80 minute extravaganza with an epic list of names as well as a troupe of dancers and multi-layered stage.
A mini version of 88rising’s own hugely successful Head in the Clouds festival, their debut Coachella show was the perfect potted variety show – with spots from Chinese superstar Jackson Wang, Thai rapper Milli, South Korean singer songwriter Bibi and Jakarta-born Taylor Swift co-signed singer Niki as well as Indonesian rappers Rich Brian and Warren Hue.
Fans were thrilled to watch 2NE1 perform together for the first time in six years, with one calling the group a “true phenomenal quartet that raised a generation of b****** and baddies”.
Only the second K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella after Blackpink, 2NE1’s last performance together, before Coachella, was at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in December 2015 when CL brought her fellow bandmates out as part of a solo set – like she did on Saturday night.
Celebrating their performance tonight, one fan tweeted: “Despite their reunion after six years and four months, 2NE1 reproduces the heyday of being called the best K-pop girl group with the best performance [at Coachella].”
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