Biography of CL

CL, also known as Lee Chae-rin, is a South Korean rapper, singer, and songwriter. She was a former member of the girl group ‘2NE1’. She released a number of singles with the group, including ‘If I Were You’, ‘Crush’, ‘Lollipop’, ‘I Don’t Care’, ‘The Leaders’ and ‘Baby I Miss You’. She has contributed as a featured artist in many songs, including ‘Hot Issue’, ‘What’, ‘The Leaders’, ‘Dirty Vibe’, ‘Kiss’ and ‘Surrender’. She has also launched several solo singles, such as ‘Please Don’t Go’, ‘The Baddest Female’, ‘Hello Bitches’, ‘Lifted’, and ‘Doctor Pepper’, among others.

CL is a talented songwriter and has written several songs to date. She won the ‘20’s Style Award’ at the MNET 20’s Choice Awards and was named ‘Hottest Female Star of 2013’ by ‘MYX Philippines’. Additionally, she won the ‘Top Female Artist’ title at the ‘YinYueTai V-Chart Awards’.

Early Life and Education

Career and Achievements

She started her career as the leader and main rapper of the K-pop group 2NE1. The group debuted on 17 May 2009, with the single ‘Fire’ on ‘SBS’s The Music Trend. Then they released the lead track from their debut EP, 2NE1, titled ‘I Don’t Care’. This song was a major hit and was given many honours including the ‘Song of the Year’ prize at the 2009 ‘Mnet Asian Music Awards’.

For the song ‘The Leaders’ in August 2009, CL collaborated with Teddy Park and G-Dragon. Following this, she teamed up with Minzy, a member of ‘2NE1’, to create ‘Please Don’t Go’. This song was released soon after ‘The Leaders’ and showcased her versatility as a musician.

In May 2013, CL made her debut as a solo artist with the release of the single ‘The Baddest Female’. She then contributed to 2NE1’s second album, ‘Crush’, where she was involved in the co-composition and writing of several tracks on the album, including ‘Crush’, ‘Baby I Miss You’, and ‘If I Were You’. The album was released in March 2014 and was highly anticipated by fans of ‘2NE1’ and ‘CL’.

Additionally, she was also featured on labelmate Psy’s single ‘Daddy’, which marked another important moment in her career. The song made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, which tracks the most popular songs in the United States, at number 97.

In 2016 she released the single ‘Lifted’, which quickly rose to popularity on iTunes’ Hip-Hop/Rap chart, reaching number 21 just three hours after its release. ‘Lifted’ reached its highest point on the ‘Billboard Hot 100 chart’, at number 94, giving her the first entry on the chart as a solo performer and also making her the first South Korean female soloist to be featured on the chart.

She was then featured on the song ‘Surrender’, by Lil Yachty. She also contributed a single, ‘No Better Feelin’ to the soundtrack of ‘My Little Pony: The Movie,’ which was released in 2017.

CL made a notable appearance at the closing ceremony of the 2018 Winter Olympics, where she entertained the crowd with captivating performances of ‘The Baddest Female’ and the popular ‘2NE1’ song ‘I Am the Best’. Her performance was well received and was later ranked as the 8th best Olympic live music performance of all time by the Olympics channel. In October of the same year, she collaborated with the ‘Black Eyed Peas’ to create the track ‘Dopeness’, along with an accompanying music video.

In 2019, CL parted ways with YG Entertainment. Following this, she released her digital solo EP ‘In the Name of Love’. In 2020, she released the music video for the song ‘Post Up, which was intended to be the intro track for her next album. In the same year, she launched two new singles, ‘Hwa’ and ‘5 Star’, both of which were co-written by her former labelmate Tablo.

In February 2021, she released the song ‘Wish You Were Here’ as a moving tribute to her mother who had recently passed away from a heart attack. This release was a poignant and emotional moment for CL.

In June of the same year, she made a guest appearance on the popular TV series ‘Dave’. In July 2021, she signed with the agency ‘Konnect Entertainment’, marking a new chapter in her career.

In October 2021, she released her highly anticipated album ‘Alpha’. The first digital single ‘Spicy’ from ‘Alpha’ was first released in August 2021, and it received widespread critical acclaim. In September, she became the first female K-pop musician to attend the prestigious ‘Met Gala’ in New York City, further solidifying her reputation as a talented and innovative artist. Just a few days later, she announced the release of ‘Lover Like Me’, the second digital single from Alpha. CL was recognized as ‘GQ Korea’s Woman of the Year’ in November 2022.

Impact and Influence

Her influence extends beyond music into the fashion industry. She is regarded as a style icon and a fashion industry figure. She has been known to experiment with a variety of fashion trends and styles throughout her career. ‘Vogue’ magazine called her “affinity for loud, larger-than-life clothes” and “catnip for photographers during Fashion Week”. She often combines clothes from luxury fashion houses with streetwear. The magazine also stated that, “while most front row attendees show up in something from the corresponding brand, CL chooses something that complements not just the aesthetic of the house, but also perfectly encapsulates her own ‘baddest female’ reputation”.

CL was ranked 2nd on Time’s ‘Most Influential People’ list in 2015 and the first female K-pop idol on ‘Hype Beast’s 100 Innovators’ and ‘BoF 500’ lists in 2016. She was also listed among ‘Nordstrom’s 15 Most Stylish Female Icons’ and ‘Forbes’ 30 Under 30 most influential Asian celebrities’ in entertainment and sports. In 2019, ‘The Guardian’ ranked her ’19th Best Girl Group Member’ and international publications referred to her as the ‘K-pop Queen’.

Discography

• Korean–Studio albums
  Alpha (2021)
• Project albums
  In The Name Of Love (2019)
• Digital singles
  The Baddest Female (2013)
  Hello Bitches (2015)
  +Hwa+ (2020)
  Wish You Were Here (2021)
  Spicy (2021)
  Spicy (Remix) (2021)
  Lover Like Me (2021)
• Collaborations
  Please Don’t Go (with Minzy) (2009)
• Features
  BIGBANG – Intro (Hot Issue) (2007)
  Uhm Jung Hwa – DJ (2008)
  YMGA – What (with YG Family, DJ Wreckx and G-Dragon) (2008)
  G-Dragon – The Leaders (with Teddy) (2009)
  Dara – Kiss (2009)
  PSY – Daddy (2015)
  DPR IAN – No Blueberries (with DPR LIVE) (2020)
  Epik High – Rosario (with Zico) (2021)
• OSTs
  아기상어 올리와 윌리엄 OST (Special Track) ( 해초 스웩 ) (2022)
• English–Digital singles
  Lifted (2016)
  Wish You Were Here (2021)
• Collaborations
  Doctor Pepper (with Diplo, Riff Raff and OG Maco) (2015)
• Features
  Skrillex – Dirty Vibe (with Diplo and G-Dragon) (2014)
  Lil Yachty – Surrender (2017)
  Black Eyed Peas – Dopeness (2018)
  PKCZ – Cut It Up (with Afrojack) (2019)
• OSTs
  My Little Pony Movie OST (No Better Feelin) (2017)

Personal Life

CL is currently single and has never publicly confirmed any romantic relationships. Although, she has been rumoured to have been involved with several male celebrities in the past. In spite of her strong and confident image, she is actually quite reserved in her personal life and developed her confidence through dance. In terms of relationships, she tends to seek out partners who are good communicators, which is the opposite of her own introverted personality.

Net Worth and Lifestyle

CL’s net worth is calculated as $8 million.

Awards

• Korea First Brand Awards 2022
  Hip-Hop Artist (2022)
• Asia Artist Awards 2021
  Female Solo Singer Popularity Award (2021)
• Asian Pop Music Awards 2021
  Top 20 Albums of the Year (Overseas) – ‘Alpha’ (2021)
  Top 20 Songs of the Year (Overseas) – ‘Lover Like Me’ (2021)
  Record of the Year (Overseas) – ‘Lover Like Me’ (2021)
• Asian Pop Music Awards 2020
  Most Outstanding Song of the Year – ‘Hwa’ (2020)
• People’s Choice Awards 2019
  The Most Inspiring Asian Woman (2019)
• Philippine K-pop Awards 2014
  Hottest Female Star (2014)
• V Chart Awards 2014
  Top Female Artist (Korean) (2014)
• Mnet 20’s Choice Awards 2013
  20’s Style Award (2013)
• Mnet Asian Music Awards 2013
  Best Dance Performance – Female Solo – ‘The Baddest Female’ (2013)
• Philippine K-pop Awards 2013
  Hottest Female Star (2013)