[Interview] 2NE1′s CL Reveals How She and Teddy Came Up With ′The Baddest Female′

2NE1′s CL has burst out with her own solo track, appropriately titled The Baddest Female.

The song is all about the CL everyone knows, the one that always sets the stage on fire with her hot charisma and stage manners. YG Entertainment producer Teddy, who watched up close as the trainee poured all his efforts in the song. Every part of the song was written by Teddy, and it fit CL perfectly like a piece of fittingly sized clothing.

How exactly did CL′s The Baddest Female come into being? CL opened up on the production of the song in an interview with enews held on June 3.

Where did the words ′The Baddest Female′ come from?

"I was just chatting with Teddy sunbae (senior) last year when we came up with the title ′The Baddest Female′. We just joked it would be fun if I could go solo and use ′The Baddest Female′ as the title of my song, but he actually wrote me The Baddest Female for my solo. I′m so happy and it′s the best thing ever."

The title is one that CL had come to take a liking to. Many of her autographs showed how she used the words ′The Baddest Female′ by writing them down beside her autograph.

A rep from YG Entertainment commented, "′The Baddest′ isn′t grammatically correct, but it′s cooler than saying anything′s just ′bad′, and we thought it was a word that expresses CL well as she uses it so often."

Where did the concepts and styles come from?

The concept of the song also came out of that chat with Teddy mentioned earlier. Teddy has often equated CL to hip-hop. CL also likes hip-hop herself, and she′s always wanted to perform the genre before the public. After her solo was confirmed, CL joined Teddy at the studio to hold endless talks about her concept.

"I practically lived in the studio," she said, proving just how much work she had put into the concept.

The hip-hop piece that Teddy came up with got a big thumbs up from CL herself. She was able to express her own solo colors, and also fit perfectly in the resultant music video and styles. Her teamwork with her staff also helped her fill her song with images only CL could put on.

"It didn′t feel like I was working while preparing this album. I just enjoyed it, like the way I did before. Once it was decided I would release a solo song, I got together with Teddy sunbae, stylist Yang Seung Ho and music video director Hyun Suk to talk things over at the studio. The concept was decided on in an easygoing talk, and I did what I′ve always wanted to do solo. I wanted it to be good because it would be my own album. I think that′s why I was able to bear through 15 outfits for the music video."

What did CL want to say through ′The Baddest Female′?

CL is not really a feminist, but she did want to show two different sides to herself with her new album. Rather than look pretty, she wanted to be ′cool′. She also wanted to express the strength of Asian women through music.

She was a warrior, who could fill the stage with her own brand of coolness even without any artificial makeup or concepts. Her fellow members all agree to this.

"Rather than be sexy, I want to be cool. I′m so thankful that people have been saying I′m a cool girl. I asked [Park] Bom and [San]dara unni (big sister) how they found my performance, and they told me ′of course it′s great′. Dara unni especially claimed to be the head of my fanclub, and continued to show support for me on Twitter. I′m also thankful for the supportive messages from G-Dragon sunbaenim and Taeyang sunbaenim."

CL also emphasized that she wanted to break through the Asian stereotype. Asian women are often taken to be fragile and beautiful, but she wanted to show how they could also be powerful and charismatic.

"What I felt when I met Jeremy Scott and when I was in international school is that there is a certain rigid stereotype surrounding Asian women. At times it′s good, but I wanted to break through the mold that says Asian women are usually feminine, quiet and shy."

Jeremy Scott, who put together CL′s wardrobe, was said to have told CL, "I didn′t know there were women like you in Asia."

He was seemingly surprised at how CL liked hip-hop and was very stylish.

Will.i.am, who performed with CL at the 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards, also exclaimed at the time that he was surprised there were girls like CL.

Just like she did then, CL again wanted to show that there are women beyond cool in Asia.

Photo credit: YG Entertainment

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