2NE1 is a four-member South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment in 2009. The name, pronounced to anyone or twenty one, combines the phrases "21st century" and "new evolution.The band consists of CL, Minzy, Dara, and Bom.
First appearing in "Lollipop", a commercial campaign with Big Bang for LG Electronics, 2NE1's debut single "Fire" was released on May 6, 2009. Since then, the group has released two eponymous extended plays, 2NE1 (2009) and 2NE1 (2011), and one studio album, To Anyone. Their first EP spawned the number-one single "I Don't Care", which won them the "Song of the Year" award at the 2009 Mnet Asian Music Awards. Their follow-up singles, such as "Go Away", "Lonely" and "I Am the Best" were similarly successful, with "I Am the Best" winning 2NE1 their second "Song of the Year" award in 2011.
2NE1 officially debuted in Japan in September 2011 with a Japanese version of their second extended play as Nolza. Since then, the group has released one studio album, Collection, and two physical singles in Japan. In 2012, The New York Times named 2NE1's performance at the Prudential Center in New Jersey as one of the "Best Concerts of 2012".In October 2012, Zack Greenburg of Forbes Magazine noted that 2NE1 has sold 27 million digital downloads.
