2NE1 — 내가 제일 잘나가
“I Am The Best” is the title of the new 2NE1 single. Fitting, as 2NE1 may in fact be the best girl group in the world at this very moment. And this is taking into account that the above video is rather typical 2NE1. It’s flashy, sleek, and professional, but it’s not like we haven’t seen this type of look-book video from them time and again. Thankfully, a typical 2NE1 video is still worlds better than an amazing video by approximately 99% of other girl groups in the game right now*.
The song really goes off, sounding like a cross between their two biggest bangers “Fire” and “Can’t Nobody”. I love all the pomp and circumstance, from the massive opening beats to those dinky faux-horns announcing their arrival; arrogance has never sounded better. Bom’s vocal during the first verse especially is a bit like a peacock puffing up its chest and showing its feathers, while CL’s wild “RA-TA-TA-TA” chant sounds like the catchiest schoolyard taunt ever.
2NE1’s still untitled second mini-album is set to drop on July 21 (why the wait?), but for now check out what goes on in “I Am The Best”.
*Though, ladies, if you want to switch it up for your next MV, we will not be mad at you.
I think the “this MV looks like unused footage from every MV of theirs” comment, which has been the most common, is legitimate, but I still like this one most out of all of the ones they’ve done in this style (Fire, Try to Follow Me, Can’t Nobody, others?). To me, this actually represents a progression for them: for the bridge/end of “Can’t Nobody”, they slid through a spaceship and danced (unconvincingly, as with the rest of the dancing in that MV) in coordinating space-themed outfits; but this time, for the bridge/end of “I Am The Best” (2:40 on), they look like they’re dancing because they want to, and then they shoot their own name into their backdrop. Can’t get much more symbolic than that.
