2NE1 was loved by Blackjacks from all over the world and their fandom got bigger. 2011 and 2012 were definitely remembered as the golden years of 2NE1’s career.
They started off as a real sensation in Korea, and they progressed within amazing grace, earning accolade after accolade. Read more about their amazing beginnings below:
2NE1’s Journey: The Powerful Debut
2NE1’s Journey: Blazing Popularity
The girls made their long-awaited Japanese debut with “Go Away” in March 2011. The single was released as a ringtone and it debuted at the 24th position on the Oricon chart. The song was even used as the theme song for Japanese television program “Mezamashi TV”.
Unfortunately, their Japanese promotions were short-lived due to the Tohoku earthquake. It affected their plans and delayed their promotions.
YG had confidence in the quality and production of 2NE1’s upcoming 2nd mini album “2NE1 (2011)”. Hence, individual tracks were released as singles every 3 weeks before the full album dropped in July. It includes a new solo track titled “Don’t Cry” from Park Bom. Park Bom’s solo song was the first on the list to be released.
This mini album was the birth of one of 2NE1’s most iconic hit songs “I Am The Best”. The song’s addictive tune and empowering lyrics helped it go viral. Till today, it is still one of the most popular songs recognized by K-pop fans internationally.
“I Am The Best” reached number one on the Billboard’s world digital songs chart, had over 3.4 million digital downloads, and was crowned as the “Song of the Year” at 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards. 2NE1 won countless trophies and awards just with this mini album.
Following the success of the mini album, 2NE1 announced their first concert tour “NOLZA!” at the Olympic Hall in the Chamsil Olympic Park in Seoul. “NOLZA!” derive from the word “Let’s Play” in korean. It is the slogan that 2NE1 used as a cheer prior to every performance. It was an interesting yet meaningful concept to name their first concert after their slogan.
The 3 day concert held from 26th to 28th August was fully sold out and it attracted an attendance of 10,000 audiences. The concert vibe was spectacular and Blackjacks finally had the chance to party away with 2NE1.
Big Bang members, GD & TOP and Taeyang, also guest-performed during the concert. Taeyang had a solo dance stage and he performed “Look Only At Me” with Minzy. GD&TOP performed their popular song “Knock Out”. What a pleasant surprise to lucky fans who were able to witness the amazing stages.
The girls started gearing up for their Japanese promotions again after successfully wrapping up “NOLZA!” in Seoul. They re-recorded their “2NE1 (2011)” album in Japanese and renamed it “Nolza”. The album peaked number 1 in Oricon weekly charts and sold over 48,000 copies.
2NE1’s “NOLZA” concert tour in Japan visited 3 cities, and had more than 70,000 Blackjacks attend to show support for their favorite girls. Both the album promotions and the concert tour in Japan ended with a satisfying bang.
Working hard and striving non-stop to maintain their international recognition, 2NE1 released their 1st full length Japanese album “Collection” in March 2012. The album compiles their Korean discography and a new original Japanese track “Scream”.
2NE1 concluded their Japanese promotions after performing at the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards Japan. They also won the “Best New Artist Video” award for “I Am The Best”. The period spent in Japan was indeed enriching and fulfilling.
2NE1 embarked on their first global tour “New Evolution” and it included 2 cities in the United States, Newark and Los Angeles. The first stop of the tour began in Seoul before they traveled to the United States and completed the rest of the stops in Asia.
The girls visited 9 cities and put up 16 stunning shows for Blackjacks. Singapore was the last stop to conclude their 5-month long global tour.
2011 and 2012 were busy years for the girls. They were hitting milestones that were beyond imagination, and hence, these two years were marked as the golden years of their career. Sparkling like diamonds, the girls grew nearer to their dream with every step they took.
Where one journeys, one would reach the peak. How high did you think 2NE1 went during their most popular time? Read on to find out more!
