When you talk about the girl groups that flipped the K-pop game on its head, 2NE1 is always at the top of the list. Under YG Entertainment, the quartet of CL, Bom, Dara, and Minzy made a disruptive entrance into the scene. Their debut track Fire wasn’t just a song — it was a statement. Soon after, I Don’t Care took over the charts, establishing 2NE1 as the go-to example of what it means to be bold, edgy, and unapologetically different. That same era, they clinched the “Song of the Year” award at Mnet Asian Music Awards — an accolade tracked by Mnet’s own records, locking in their influence early in their career.
For Rora of BABYMONSTER, 2NE1 is more than a legendary name — it’s the playbook she studies. In an official introductory video released by YG Entertainment, Rora laid it out: 2NE1, and CL especially, set the bar for what it means to own the stage with unshakable confidence. CL’s prowess wasn’t just recognized in Korea. Time Magazine, one of the most respected publications in the U.S., once dubbed her the “Lady Gaga of Asia,” a nod to her powerhouse performances and global appeal.
This admiration isn’t just lip service. At BABYMONSTER’s debut showcase hosted at YG HQ, Rora revealed that she regularly watches 2NE1 performances to learn how to “command the spotlight and feed off the crowd’s energy” — an insight detailed by Herald Pop, a respected Korean entertainment outlet.
But the influence goes beyond performance. CL, often praised by Vogue US as a “fashion chameleon,” paved the way for idols to mix high fashion with street style and still look fly doing it. That influence is stamped all over Rora’s aesthetic, as Sports Seoul analyzed in their coverage of K-pop’s new wave, noting that “Rora embodies the YG creative DNA that 2NE1 carved out with no boundaries.”
Naver, Korea’s top online platform, featured Rora in a deep-dive profiling idols shaped by 2NE1’s trailblazing legacy. The comparisons aren’t fan fiction — in her pre-debut cover of Scars to Your Beautiful, Rora’s vocal edge and stage aura echoed CL’s distinct energy, making the lineage clear to even the casual listener.
Even though 2NE1 officially wrapped up their activities years ago — confirmed by YG Entertainment — their legacy is anything but past tense. For Rora, channeling the spirit of 2NE1 isn’t some throwback — it’s her strategy to thrive in a K-pop industry that’s more cutthroat and dynamic than ever. It’s a world where you either go big or get benched, and Rora’s not here to sit on the sidelines.
