21 K-Pop Groups to Know (and Love)

2. 2NE1

Read as “21” or as “To Anyone” for this girl group. Yes, the puns have finally returned. It debuted in 2009 under YG Entertainment, the last of the three major music labels, as a foursome. However, this year, Minzy did not resign her contract with the label and will instead start solo activities soon with a new agency.

You’ve probably heard 2NE1’s biggest track already, though you probably didn’t know that that was what you were hearing. In 2014, the group’s song “I Am the Best” was actually featured in a Microsoft commercial for the Surface Pro 3, and if memory serves, that commercial was everywhere for a while. The group’s also collaborated with will.i.am for a song for Intel.

The “I Am the Best” video also exemplifies the group’s aesthetic, which boils down to “We’re the bosses. Any questions?”

One member, CL, has also had some solo activities, including the song “Lifted“, off of the EP of the same name.

If you’d like to hear more of 2NE1, start with songs like “Lollipop“, which just so happens to feature the last group on this list; “Gotta Be You“, another of the more recent releases from the group as a whole; and “Fire“, from the group’s first EP.