Vocally, 2NE1 are very, VERY strong, if not for one girl - Sandara. I don't care if all you andara fans start crawling out of nowhere and attacking me but even since she was here (in the Philippines), I hated her guts. But we'll get to that later.
Back to my point. If my standards are Idol group standards, aka as long as you can hold a melody it's fine, then they're way ahead of everyone else. But you see, according to everyone, they're not just any old idol group - they're 2NE1. And because they're not like everyone else, I won't treat them like everyone else.
You cannot deny that no matter how popular 2NE1 get and no matter how much I hate hearing their songs everywhere.I.go, they know how to perform. The recorded arrangements of their singles may be as boring as hell (I'm talking to you, I Don't Care) but the minute they have a big awards show or music festival to attend, the re-arrangement or remix will just blow you away. Fans eagerly await the next re-working of their favorite hits and they get the 'critical acclaim' (if there is such a thing in kpop) from musicians and everyone's happy. YG knows how to one, make a hit, and two, make a musically outstanding performance arrangement of said hit. Even if I'm not the biggest fan of rap, I gotta commend YG and 2NE1 for their performances. Gah. Now how I wish DBSK were as creative with their live performances.
2NE1 are more than just singers, they're performers. Performing is beyond singing - a performer not only knows how to sing, but knows how to make people listen. To be able to be performers at this early in their career just makes me want to worship them. lol. I swear, every time I hear a new re-arrangement it makes me love these girls even more.
But wait. Let's get the terms straight first. There are people who can't sing but are performers - you have to watch them to appreciate them as artists. There are people who can sing their head off but don't necessarily know how to put on a show - you don't have to watch them to know they're good, you can just listen. Then there are people who can sing AND put on a show - that's 2NE1.
All these constant re-workings show their versatility as singers and as a band, which is probably one of the most important things to possess if you're a pop singer - people expect you to be able to sing your head off in every possible way and 2NE1 can do that.
I don't have to talk about how good they work as a group anymore because they're beyond just being able to work as a group - they're at a point where all they have to do now is develop the voices they already have *ahem* and do some more decent a capella work *ahem*.
EDIT: I didn't think I had to say this anymore but with the influx of comments here and on Twitter, I guess I have to. 2NE1 are a vocal group, they sing and make MUSIC - that's their job. I'm evaluating them as singers and not members - I don't care one bit if they're funny or they're nice in person, if they can't sing they don't deserve to be in the band for the sole reason that 2NE1 is a MUSICAL group. If a member doesn't have a voice he/she should just go into acting or modeling or something - not singing. I hope that clarifies things.
THE SINGLES
FIRE
(2009)
I DON'T CARE
(2009)
Now, this 10-minute performance at the controversial MAMAs late last year pretty much sums everything up - YG knows how to put on a show, 2NE1 knows how to sing, etc. Hahah.
Sandara
Gah. Let's get her out of the way already. I don't like Sandara, never have, never will - she's the token pretty face in the band that doesn't really contribute anything outstanding musically. I hated her guts when she was here in the Philippines (not because she's Korean, I'm not a racist. lol.) because one, she was annoying, two ABS-CBN (that's a TV channel) was giving her so much publicity she clearly didn't deserve and three, she couldn't sing or act. There you have it. Although I do think she's improved since then, I still don't think her vocal abilities are up to par with the rest of the group. Her voice is weak, it's shrill, it's too thin in the bad way and she can't push. I don't necessarily like it when you push your voice to much but in this case she just can't. And I think it's all a matter of personal taste - I don't like her voice. If Sandara was in an 'OK if can hold a melody' band, then she'd be pretty good, actually. But 2NE1 aren't one of those bands, they're supposed to have outstanding talent. To a certain extent I've seen/heard worse but compared to her band mates, Sandara fails miserably.
Park Bom
Park Bom is supposedly 'the voice' of 2NE1 - she's the one with the big vocals and she's the one who gets most of the prominent melodic parts on songs. I do think she has a gorgeous, gorgeous voice but the more you think about it, the plain-er her voice gets. Every single girl group that has come and gone has 'the big voice', people think it's so special to have a voice like that but it's not, anymore. Don't get me wrong, I think Park Bom's voice is gorgeous, it's just that I don't think she should be getting more publicity for her voice than Minzy or CL. But the girl does know how to sing her head of properly - I gotta hand it to her.
Minzy
Minzy's the youngest - SHE'S MY AGE. And so for her to be able to sing like that, all my dreams of ever being a pop star (no matter how small they are) have been thrown away. Minzy was actually the first voice in 2NE1 that really caught my ear - I like smooth vocals, Minzy has smooth vocals. It just works. The thing with Minzy is that her voice may be thin but she has this nice, deep timbre - something you don't usually hear in a smooth voice. I love Minzy's vocals, I really do - I just have one tiny little problem with them. Nothing big though. There are times when she doesn't deliver. It's not that she can't sing or she doesn't have a voice, she does, it's pretty damn good, it's just that she's not that consistent yet. Take her age into consideration - once again, SHE IS MY AGE. I can't sing and dance at the same time like that. She can. She just needs more practice and her voice needs to grow. Once that's done gah, she'll be even more brilliant than she already is.
(she's the one with short hair.)
CL
The girl I was most surprised with was CL. During their Fire days CL was being pushed as the rapper and the leader but then I Don't Care came around and she sang. Shet. This girl can sing. I was sucked in. Not only can she sing, she can sing pretty damn good. And no matter how much I think Park Bom's voice is perfect for singing your head off, CL's got something that's made me like her more than Bom. But we'll get to that later.
CL's voice is like Minzy + Bom - she has the power and deep timbre that Bom has but she also has a smoothness to her vocals. That's like the perfect combination. Gah.
It took time for me to choose my favorite voice in 2NE1 and it too time for all the right reasons - Bom, Minzy and CL all have their own styles, their own niches and they have different voices. Ranking them would be really hard. But there was one thing that CL does better than all the others - perform.
CL knows how to sell a song, no matter how crap or good or boring, CL knows how to sell it. She raps, she sings, she prances around stage and it all seems so natural to her. That's the whole point of being a singer and having a voice in pop music - you have to be able to sell whatever song your record label gives you, bad or good. CL does it the best and she does it with so much conviction you'd think she wrote the songs they perform. No matter how crazy her wardrobe gets (at times) or how annoying Fire was (for me), CL sold it because that's what you do when you're a singer.
(She's the one in pig tails.)
Now, there's something I have to do. *goes and hides under a rock for what she said about Sandara*
Hehe finally read your comment on Dara lol anyway I was expecting worse lol but anyway your criticism were very tame hehe. The thing about Bom is for me is that she sounds best when she doesn't try to hit the high notes because it tends to sound squeaky when she does hit it. Minji is just dope I'm really waiting until she sings like a slow R&B number to showcase her awesomeness. Cl what else do people need to know about her she performs sings raps in top notch quality and I agree she does know how to sell a song.
ReplyDeleteHey. I was tired of waiting [JaeBum back lol j/k] xDDD
ReplyDeleteHey, don't say such a thing about Dara, ok? u_u xDDD Kidding. In fact, I'm a huge fan of all 2NE1 and I don't have a favourite... I know that she can't sing well at the time.
BUT if [like you said] Victoria and SulLi can be decent someday... I though the same about Sandara... And Sandy's voice is more listen-able to me than anyone [but Luna] from f(x).
I fell in love with Bommie's voice when I heard them cover Take A Bowl [Rihanna, I guess xD]. Her voice sound gorgeous to me *-*.
But since Please Don't Go came out I can't ignore CL&Minzy [in fact, I didn't ignore them before, but... xD].
Man, I almost cried when I heard CL's voice in the "...staaay". Yeah, I cry when I hear pretty voices... So what? u_ú [secret: I cried when I saw Davichi singin' 8282 xD].
Minzy in "my mind is out of control" just shake her head like crazy and her voice still. the. same.
To me, CL is the best, since she cans rap, sing, dance and be confident at the stage. Minzy is not to far from this :D
Bom just needs to have more "stage presence" xD
And Dara needs... Well, she needs to be a singer LOL, but it's ok... I love her. She is a entertainer and I believe that she will be able to sing someday *-*
A opinion is a opinion. You gave yours, I'll give mine [xD]:
I don't think I Don't Care and Fire are boring songs. It's not your style thoug ''/ You know? I can't heard Gee, Chu~ or Abracadabra... It gimme headaches lol Why? Cuz its not my style.
But you were correctly when you said "to me" xD.
Bye~~~
I'll waiting your next review n_n
I just want to start off saying that I respect your opinion & I'm not attacking you in anyway but I'd just like to give my own opinion too...
ReplyDeleteWithin 2NE1 Dara is definitely the weakest in terms of vocals (I agree with you on that - she's admitted it countless times how thankful she is to the other girls for their support) but when it comes to performing she's one of the best (in my opinion) & when it comes to comparison against other girl groups Dara is no where near the bottom - & she definitely has room to grow. Dara has also had the shortest trainee period compared to the other girls, not counting her time in the Philippines - in my opinion the Philippines doesn't nurture & grow their talents as well as Korea does, even though they do have workshops I think they just have too many talents to put as much time into cultivating individual talents like Korean talent companies do.
What Dara lacks in vocals I think she makes up for in personality and her performances. When it comes to performing Dara seems to come alive. I think her past experiences in the Philippines helped her with this.
Outside of 2NE1's music Dara has had the most exposure, her personality really shines. When it comes to interviews CL - as the leader naturally talks on behalf of the group but she also seems to depend on Dara to help her out too... plus I can only speculate that it's because Minzy & Bom are just shy & reserved or they just let the other 2 handle the most part of interviews..
Of all the members I think Dara will be the most successful when it comes to variety (she's even said that she would love opportunities to participate), we've already seen her 4D personality on 2NE1tv & her me2day updates.
When you think of 2NE1 as a whole though you cannot deny that if you take out any of the 4 members 2NE1 would just not be 2NE1. They all add their own individuality that make 2NE1 so great & lovable and my (& probably yours too) favourite Kpop Idol Girl Group.
in terms of vocals I'd say..
1 - CL
2 - Minzy
3 - Bom
4 - Dara
for performance
1 - Dara
2 - CL
3 - Minzy
4 - Bom
for personality
1 - Dara
2 - CL
3 - Bom
4 - Minzy
growth potential
1 - Minzy
2 - Dara
3 - CL
4 - Bom
these are my own opinions so please don't hate. I know not everyone will think the same as me & i respect that so please respect my opinion too.
I am a CL convert after watching this performance. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9sOkE4aTgpA
ReplyDeleteHow can you not be blown away by her talent? *Salute CL* Give Minzy some time and she will shine oh-so-bright too :)
I don't know why but I got not much love for Sandara too. Park Bom's You & I sealed the deal for me, that song is beautiful and melodic~
I don't see how anyone could possibly argue against your comments on Sandara. And by that I mean your critiques of her voice. It's mediocre. As you pointed out, the other three members shine so brightly that it only makes her flaws stand out even more. It's distracting at times.
ReplyDeleteIt seems people like her because she was big in the Philippines, is pretty, and funny. All great things but they have nothing to do with actual talent. I have to say she has improved performance wise but her voice is just painful to listen to at times. Especially live.
Bom has a great voice even if it it has lost some of its power in the last few year. It doesn't help that she runs out of breath very easily. But when push comes to shove, she delivers. What she needs to work on is stage presence. It seems she suffers from a very strong case of stage freight *This is the only thing I could come up with as a way of explanation*. When she's performing with the other girls, she gets lost in the crowd and you don't really notice it but it became painfully obvious when she does her solo work. She looked terrified and confused on stage which made me, the viewer, uncomfortable.
Minji is unbelievable, especially when you consider her age. To me, her voice is actually the most consistent out of all the members.
She can hit those notes, she can rap, she can dance, and she has an endless amount of charm on stage. Girl's got it going on.
CL is another one who just never disappoints. Definitely one of the best idol rappers, who has so much potential to continue growing. She's just so smooth and versatile while spittin' those rhymes. Her singing voice is quite soulful.
CL has the rare ability of making the audience directly connect with the music and the performance. She knows how to draw you in and make you feel whatever it is the song is trying to convey. This is why people have been so in awe of her charisma and stage presence. You can't fake that. She lives and breathes music and it shows.
Honestly, when it comes to the maknaes I have difficulty coming up with anything they need to work on that hasn't been already pointed out. They're that good.
Ed - I know, right?
ReplyDeletenazakawasadako - Oh please, I can't stand those songs either! Hahah.
Erika-Rafaela - OK. I respect your opinion, thank you for taking time to visit my blog and thank you for actually reading my commentary, but I feel that I have to disagree with some of your points.
I live in the Philippines, I know what happens in the industry here and I will tell you straight out that there are people here who have more talent than a lot of mediocre idol groups. I personally have a lot of hatred for the music that's coming out and we don't have any decent idol groups here but this is the country I come from and my father makes a living out of the good side of the music industry so I feel like I have the need to defend it.
It doesn't matter where you're 'trained', where you grew up or who the hell signed you to a record deal - if you have talent, you have talent. Same goes if you don't - no matter how good your mentors are, if you can't sing they will never be able to turn you into a fantastic singer. You can turn a bad voice into a competent voice by teaching it technique but you can never get a fantastic voice out of a bad one because YOU ARE BORN WITH IT. You're born with a voice, it's either good or bad. Some people are even born with technique but most good voices learn it. Sandara doesn't even have a good voice, the most she can become is a competent voice but in 2NE1, I believe you can't just have a competent voice.
Why can I say this? Because I know my stuff - my grandmother was the Philippines' top choral conductor, I grew up learning music from her and my father is one of the most sought-after record producers, I learned all the technical terms and how to listen to pop music from him.
And another thing, I don't care how much personality she has on stage, that comes secondary to vocals. Vocals vocals VOCALS. This is the music and the music alone. Like I said on the post, who the hell in music cares if you're nice or if you're funny or if you're hard to work with - if you're a good musician you're a good musician. End of story. I'm critiquing the MUSIC here, their VOCALS, how they work on stage is purely in a musical way. If I wanted to review how they answered interview questions with charisma or how funny their Me2Day posts are, I wouldn't have done it on my MUSIC BLOG.
rcLoy - Gah. She's brilliant.
xharshmanx - AMENNNNNNNN. Hahah.
totally can understand your point of view & agree in terms of vocals. I think I forgot half way through that your blog was about their vocal ability & it just became a rant on just Dara in general & how some netizens think her unworthy, when she does bring something to the group - but a greater part of it is not her vocal ability. But even though her vocals aren't as amazing as CL/Minzy/Bom the way YG/Teddy/GD produce it makes it work for 2NE1's tracks...
ReplyDeleteoh & I forgot to add the I LOVE WHEN 2NE1 do covers of english songs. they kill the competition!
2NE1 is consistently my favorite KPop group, as with every video I see of them, I like them more and more. Bommy has such a great voice, and I think with a few more years of training, she will be truly killer. Right now, I think she pushes a bit hard to get that big rich sound, so if she gets to a point where it appears a bit more effortless, she will be undeniable. With that said, CL is the cutest little thing I've ever seen.
ReplyDeleteThese girls know how to put on a show. I sincerely hope they try for an International release, perhaps when they have a full record's worth of material.
Also may I add that sometimes listening to them via the CD version sometimes doesn't due them justice lol because IMO the CD sounds good but when the perform their songs it blows the CD version out of the water! I mean I think that's why I like the group not because there songs are always great or perfect but how they are able to portray their music even better than that of the studio version.
ReplyDeleteOne last thing probably one of their best Please don't go performances eva http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0IAwjOJrGfU not too much glitz or glamor just performing
ReplyDeleteI stumbled on your blog as I was searching 2NE1 album reviews. My addiction to 2NE1 is not yet a month old and already I feel it growing to unwanted proportions. Discovering your blog does not bode well for my plans of my KPOP fandom to be a temporary phenomenon.
ReplyDeleteFirst I've got to commend you on the spot-on distinction you gave 2NE1 (as performers AND singers) and the need to escalate expectations based on that distinction.
Ditto on the assessment of the girls' singing abilities.
I'm certain you've listened to G-Dragon's album and while I'm far from a Dara apologist, I must say that I found their collaboration, Hello to be an irresistible guilty pleasure. The fun, sunny and light vocals from both singers is the very definition of pop. I think its a good use of Dara's somewhat limited range not to mention a passable cover of her tendency to border on shrill.
WORD. I'm here!! hahaha.
ReplyDeleteI'm a blackjack but I agree with you about Sandara's voice. Sigh.
Bom has a great voice and her breathing isn't that good during her "Fire" days. Ppl often thought that she's lipsyncing when she's singing. But then, during her "You & I" days.. things changed. She has more confident and her technique of singing is so much better now!
As for CL and Minhi, no comment. IMO their voice is FLAWLESS. Especially Minji's. Minji totally blew me away when she performed "I Don't Care" the Unplugged Version. I didn't expect the maknae of the group to have the best voice among the group members! As for CL, she's a rapper that can sing really well. xD
I AM MINJI AND BOM BIASED =D
I have been around your blog before, but then I bailed. When I come back to check out your blog lately, I must say, I'm impressed.
ReplyDeleteThe way you can say that you dislike an idol in a way that won't offend is just admirable.
Kudos for that.
Anyway, 2NE1 is 1 of my fave K-Pop female idol group. My 1st 2NE1 stan is Minzy. Then I went thru a girl-crush phase for CL. Since You & I, I'm in love with Bom <3.
& Dara is indeed my least fave in the group. It's not like I dislike her (though sometimes I think I do), I just don't care about her.
Prolly because I just can't figure out her role in 2NE1.
For eg, like you said, Bom is the 1 with the 'big voice'. Minzy undoubtedly the best dancer, and CL the best rapper. So Dara is.......? *still trying to figure it out*
However, I realized that she has a large fanbase in the Phillippines, the way Khun does in Thai. Makes me wonder whether I'm the 1 missing out on smthing.
I still have hope that one day Dara will catch my interest, though. :)
All in all, this is a good article. I like it when someone writes an article based on their opinion in a respectful way.
Kudos again.
Sorry for the long-ass comment LOL
dara is obviously the FACE OF THE GROUP. without her pretty face 2ne1 can't draw attentions from fanboys!!! THAT'S HER ROLE!!!
DeleteYeah yOu are right... Somehow Dara proves she's worth it when she released KISS.. Even though voice does suck she can sing now, like POP, Acoustic, & Reggae.. She can rap also but not charismatic rap, a normal rap.. ;) search at YOUTUBE 쌍박TV episode 1 part 3 dara and bom sang YOU and I.. She can sing somehow, improved a lot but she cant get to highest level where the 3 are...
DeleteGodbless!
Please dont think bad about comments
Hi once more XD !
ReplyDeleteLove your review about 2NE1 and got to agree with everything. but Bom kinda disappointed me with her lives.
Can't you do one review about WG ? XP I know they are not ... awesome vocally but I would like to know your view. I don't know a lot about pop music and actually I've only liked 3 girlsbd and 2boysbds of pop music (hu BB isn't ? so only 1 boysbd?) in my whole life XD; so it's really interesting to read your articles. Look forward TO your futur reviews =p (yea I made a mistake in my last post T.T)
I think you should publish a rankings list of individuals' voices (I'm guessing Miss Sandara will be at the bottom?).
ReplyDeleteFinally, a Filipino critique of 2NE1 without praising Sandara's vocals as something worthy enough for the group.
ReplyDeleteDon't get me wrong, I love every member of 2NE1 equally but I also know what my idols' flaws are. And Sandara has the looks and the 4D personality but she has the weakest voice out of the group. You can't deny that. Compare her voice to the rest of the group during live performances and it's quite easy to pick on the difference.
And lately, I've noticed the influx of Sandara stans in the net, mostly Filipino. I admit I like her during her SCQ days but if you asked me back then if I would consider her as a singer the answer is a 'NO'. Even today. She's passable, decent at some occasions but it's not to the point where her vocal skills are of the same height as of the other three.
For me, I don't really like 2NE1, I've tried listening to their songs but its as though whenever I listen to their voices I feel like tell them to shut up. Basically I find both their vocals and tunes rather annoying.
ReplyDeleteThe only time I can bear with their performances is when I mute it and even then I find myself laughing at them instead.
One thing I must agree is that they do have creativity, with their multiple performances and remixes.
I would like to disagree with one of the comments. I for one do not think the CL depends on Dara during interviews. She has been pretty competent in interviews and has been known to spit smart answers. I believe what CL would do was make sure everyone got to speak even if she was the official spokesperson or rep. If one would notice, Cl would nod to the others to speak, just that Bom or Minji were sometimes too shy.
ReplyDeleteTotally agree with your review, altho CL also still got a room to improve. We are only seeing a tip of what else she can do. Same thing for Minji. Please Don't Go showed that CL and Minji tag team was like a power house! Bom needs confidence when she performs. Her solo performance for You & I showed that area she lacked as a performer. She has good vocals so she just needs more confidence performing and learning to own the performance.
Dara, we should at least be honest enough to admit what her talents are, and truthfully her strongest points lie in the area outside of singing. Just like what Lea Salonga said, "if you can't sing, don't be a singer". I like Dara for all the improvements she's had and for really working hard to get to where she is now, but as you pointed out, we are talking about musicians/singers here not who is the most determined. I have to give it to Dara tho, she knows she's not a singer, I just wonder why she even ventured into that field.
Good to know that not all Filipinos are blinded with Dara. There is HOPE after all.
i am i huge blackjack, but i really appreciated you opinions on 2ne1's vocals. They are very good performers, which is something that alot of girl groups lack these days (*ahem* KARA *ahem* snsd). 2ne1 (with the exception of Dara) actually use their "big girl" voices when the perform (unlike other girl groups who are barely audible *ahem* KARA).
ReplyDeleteDara: i agree with you she's not that great when she comes to singing. I could go on about how she has a funny and colourful personality, but this is about singing and performing. She's very quiet when she performs live, you can barely hear her!. her vocals are so thin and weak, but i think there is always room for improvement.
Bom: i think her vocals are very good and her voice is so unique: it sounds like two people coming together as one when she sings. Its not the best voice i ever heard, but its still very good. Performance wise, she needs to be more confident. The things that she lacks while performing is capturing the audience. To be able to sing like that recorded and live is amazing
Minzy: i agree her voice has a nice, smooth, deep timbre to it, but i think she still needs to improve her vocals. Performance wise, i just love watching her sing and dance. She is quite consisent, which is very good.
CL: i love CL!!! her vocals are very good, which most people don't expect out of rappers. Most rappers can't sing or they have an average voice, but dayum this girl can sing. Its not as good as Bom's, but the reason why it can sound better than Bom's is because CL has confidence and Charisma. CL knows how to perform and capture an audience.
Vocal in order.
Bom
CL
Minzy
Dara
Performances in order
CL
Minzy
Dara
Bom
Performance (Vocally wise)
CL
Minzy
BOM
Dara
I think you get most of it right, and I respect your opinion, but I don't quite understand why you don't like 2NE1's music. They're a breath of fresh air in a market that's full of cutesy-cut out stars that really can't sing. I think I can say quite confidently that 2NE1 is one of the few girl groups in Korea that actually bursts with raw talent (which is why their live performances rock!). They definitely have some room to grow- they all have their pitfalls, but they're good. They're mad good actually, especially for their market.
ReplyDeleteAs far as the individual group goes, I quite agree with you:
CL is most definitely a born performer, she lives through the music, you can tell it's in her, just bursting out as she performs, and although she's a talented rapper, I don't think she's one of the best singers in the group. Her voice is a bit distinct- it's slightly raw and doesn't quite blend sometimes. I'd rate her vocal singing talent 3rd after Bom and Minzy respectively. In Korea, it is ESSENTIAL to be an entertainer- We can quite tell that she adopts an alter ego on stage (which is fine) but looses it right after she steps down from the performance space- so it makes us wonder, who is CL?
BOM's the vocal boss of the group, but lack's confidence, stage presence, charisma, and performing prowess- at least 50% of what a successful musician needs- and that's why she's in a group, and not a solo star.
MINZY is quite the hidden gem here- she is quite the complete package With the convenience of her age and her current experience, she’s got the most potential for growth and promise from this group. She's definitely got a long career ahead of her.
And then there's DARA, who is not a musician, but she's an entertainer. But what Dara lacks in vocal ability, she makes up for in entertaining ability. Dara loves the camera and the Camera loves Dara. She’s possesses a natural aura that captivates you—if their voices were muted, she’d be one of the few to draw you in—she’s got such an energy brimming with charisma that you’d want to know “Who is Dara?”
That's what made her famous in the Phillipines, and that's what makes her famous in 2NE1. To be a musician you just have to appeal to your audience. I don't have a fave member, but to say Dara doesn' belong in 2NE1 simply because of vocal ability (esp in the specific industry) isn't quite accurate. She can sing, but not just as much as her band mates.
And that's the other 50% of a successful musician that some of the members lack off-stage. It's interest. Korea thrives on interesting musicians, and 1/2 of 2NE1 has got that, while the other half doesn't.
All together, each member of 2NE1 balances the other out—for various reasons, they all deserve to be a part of the group, none of them have the complete ‘X-Factor package’, and they all feed off and learn from one another. Especially in the market they cater to.
Maybe we should consider that different asian countries have different kinds of appreciation of singing prowess like japan and korea they tend to get okay with voices that is shrilly and some what with cutesy attitude unlike philippines and indonesia where they more appreciate singers with diva like/screaming charice like voices.
ReplyDeleteCL's skills & style will be accepted globally, while the others will remain regionally. Like "korean awesome", "japan cute", "indonesia doll" and whatnot.
ReplyDeleteAnd thats why she's the leader, the man with the most package X)
no bashing the other member here, just stating my opinion and personal favorite. Ta-dah!
Okay, Ive got to say this although u praised them highly, i dont think they deserve it. Even with collabs and title songs, they still can be identified as weak compared to other groups.
ReplyDeleteSure they have the power in vocals to make their voice bounce from wall to wall but do they have range? No i dont really think so.
Sandara- she has no vocal abilities besides bringing that scratchy, annoying hisses u hear from little 5 yr olds when they talk.
Bom- She has a powerful, voice but its really plain(like u said)and it is only used for same purposes in each song/same tone or voice which does not show any vocal range from her besides the usual
Minzy- powerful and deep but she really isnt smooth, she cracks and loses emotion if she is not dancing, which kind of makes me say that her title should just be dancer
CL- she can put on performance and powerful vocals but its annoyong when she sings, it sounds like sh is trying to change tones but she cant do them because she blends them with her usual voice and it comes out as screeching and to me she is just rapper
sorry to BJs but they arnt as good as everyone say they r
See, the thing is, people get really opinionated about 2ne1 because of the way YGE basically advertised them in kpop. They're supposed to have the singing live abilities of BEG yet have the attitude and musical style of BIGBANG. Then you have to add in how SK (and Japan) is lightyears behind in feminism, self-expression, and social consciousness.
ReplyDeleteYES that's a bad combo. BUT 2ne1 has lived up to it. all of it. IDC, GOAWAY, HATEYOU, ITHURTS, LONELY, FIRE, & UGLY have proved 2NE1 doesn't do a 180 with their "concept" (as in the typical kpop clothes & physical image). Instead, 2NE1's style from song to song is shown in the song itself (r&b, electropop, dancepop, hippop, acoustic/alternative, rock). their concept is in their music!
I think all these other commentators need to take all these into consideration. 2NE1 has more to live up to their names than the other big names (SNSD, WG, BEG, KARA) IN FACT, in less than three years, they have pushed ahead of the other 2009artists to rank amidst the girlgroupleaders --- SNSD, WG, BEG YET maintaining good consistent vocals (AS a group) beyond SNSD & WG.
let's be fair here. "/" means at the same level.
ReplyDelete__________________________________________________
PERFORMANCE (aka stage presence)
CL (by a mile. one of the best in kpop)
Minzy
Dara/Bom
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SINGING VOICE
(the vocal cords you're born with)
Bom
Minzy
Cl
Dara
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MENTAL VOCAL TALENT
(knowing your pitch, singing a note the way it ought to be, being pitchperfect, singing a scale properly, note:not the same as singing voice. ex: Both LadyGaga & KatyPerry have extraordinary MentalVocalTalent but Gaga is known for her SingingVoice & Consistency)
CL / Bom
Minzy
Dara
___________________________________________________
CONSISTENCY
(a good singer has to be consistent. watch lonely & ithurts live. don't be biased -- they don't even dance)
CL
bom / minzy
dara
___________________________________________________
FACE
(dont deny it. it's kpop so it counts)
Dara
bom / minzy / cl
____________________________________________________
BODY
bom (legs chest)
CL (chest) / Minzy (butt)
dara (face doesn't count so she is a twig)
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DANCE
minzy
cl (fierce. stage presence counts)
dara
bom (sloppy)
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STABILITY
(singing while dancing)
CL (doesn't miss notes.a gaga in her right)
Bom (good but gets wheezy. notes are accurate)
minzy (sloppy at times --- CAN"TNOBODY. doesn't seem to notice)
dara (notes become very inaccurate & inconsistent. doesn't seem to notice)
_____________________________________________________
SALESMAN
(they have to sell their music even if they might not like it OR didn't write it)
CL (she acts as if she BELIEVES in every song's message & can go protesting for whatever cause)
Minzy / Dara (both bring the right attitude)
bom (she looks deep in thought. prob focusing on singing accurately. only sold me ITHURTS live with her crying sad voice.
_____________________________________________________
RAPPING
(cuz it's YG & kpop songs usually has rap)
CL (mad flow. best in girl-idol-kpop-groups besides BEG's rapper)
Minzy (she's like the taeyang to gd&top. has flow but not as strong as cl)
Dara (brings the attitude)
Bom (way below. cant rap to save her life)
in my own opinion no one should ever say that dara cant sing i love every memeber in 2ne1 for their own ways of singing when it comes to dara singed lonely in unplugged versions (2) she's definetly not in autone or lipsyn and i like how the way her voice soundedlike so refreshing,soothing,smooth and airy voice
ReplyDeletedara is not a bad singer all she need is more on her vocal improvments and yes she did improve
and also i watched ugly unplugged version there i see a prove that dara improved her vocal ability when i first heard her sing i know that she has really talent and
antikpop fangirl haters who bashed dara for her own vocal ability werer so mean i know that they are along wrong
dara has i really talent because of the three videos i watched that defintely makes say yes she can sing and it's proven
2 unplugged version of lonely
1 unplugged version of ugly
dara is just as talented as cl,minzy and bom
Personally I like Boms voice the best :D to me it is special and no one sings like her, the sound of her voice is amazing!!!!! BOM HWAITING!!!
ReplyDeleteI like CL and Dara's voices too, but to me they can't compare to Bom :3
And i have to agree with you on Dara.... But I think the sound of her voice is really delicate, and sounds nice. If you listen to UGLY by 2NE1 the bridge i think that is really good, for her of course :D
and i read somewhere that teddy (the one who makes their songs) likes Daras voice the best... I can be wrong but i feel like i've read it somewhere :D
well at least they have some fashion sense,like those harem pants.
ReplyDeleteSomehow I ended up here. This is a really good review of their vocal abilities. With regard to Dara, I have to agree that she has the least vocal talent but I actually find her voice really attractive. It's been 3 years since this review maybe you can do another one when they release their new album. :)
ReplyDeleteoh god, finally i found someone who said that sandara cant sing :D
ReplyDeletemy friends are love 2ne1, because they're different. they are not as girly as another girlgroups, and they have 'strong' image. but they dont pay attention at dara's voice because they are too biased -_- i'm so hapy i found this article. keep writing!
p.s: i'm waiting for your review about exo's ranking vocal. ehehe
Here is my opinion
ReplyDelete4. Dara- She can sing but she hardly tries. She did improve but only shows it in some songs.
3. Bom- Very bad technique, sings from her throat all the time. Don't get me wrong I love Bom but she has to learn how to not strain and sing the properway just listen to her carefully. The reason why she is 3rd is because Dara dosen't try but bom tries.
2. Cl- Her technique is average but this year she is controlling her voice more. She strains sometimes but I still pefer her rapping sometimes. Nice improvement.
1. Minzy- She is #1 because her voice gives me the chills, good technique, control and for her age she is excellent but has to fix little things. Hey I'm worse then Cl but I know where to sing from and how to fix people's singing problems.
Overall 2ne1 has good vocals but should really teach Bom the right way to sing or she can have vocal damage abd I know she has a unique voice but it is sill true
go dara nyahahahahaha it's a pity tha people who are so talented but underachieved are so envious of a girl who is mini talented but because she works hard was able to acieve the success she has today, just proves that in life talent alone is not enough.
ReplyDelete