MEAWW.COM / ENTERTAINMENT / MUSIC

'Post Up' from 2NE1's CL: Release date, tracks and what to expect from the K-pop idol's comeback release

As one of the most anticipated comebacks of the year, CL's return is sure to set a few hearts on fire

After a long period of silence, 2NE1's Lee Chae-rin (CL) is all set to return with a bang. Through a series of teasers released over the last few days, CL has been building up to an official announcement of some sort. And as of September 10, that announcement has arrived in the form of a post that features the singer's silhouette backdropping the words 'Post Up'. It appears K-pop's favorite 'GZB' is back.

Here's everything you need to know about CL's highly-anticipated comeback.

Release Date

CL's latest teaser revealed that the singer's upcoming project 'Post Up' will drop on September 14 at 1 pm KST / September 13 at 9 pm PST.

CL has been dropping teaser after teaser for her comeback after staying mum on her plans for the last few months. The first teaser stated, "GZBz! I got something fun for you guyz starting tomorrow," with the singer signing off as with her cherry emoji. The term 'GZB' stems from the Korean slang 'gizibe', which was once a derogatory term used against women in South Korea but has since been reclaimed. Now, the word translates to 'b****' and is used colloquially as an endearing way to refer to one's friends. CL's use of the word has helped popularize it internationally as a Korean word for the "baddest female."

Background and Concept

CL debuted as the leader and main rapper of 2NE1 alongside members Park Bom, Sandara Park or 'Dara', and Gong Min-ji or 'Minzy'. Initially marketed as a sister group of sorts to labelmates Big Bang, 2NE1 soon charted a course for themselves as one of the most popular, successful, and influential K-pop groups of all time. Unfortunately, despite their success, the group was seemingly benched by their label YG Entertainment and forced into a hiatus. The official reason given for the group's lack of activities was Bom's 'drug scandal' that saw her accused of smuggling drugs into the country, only for it to turn out to be prescription medications that she was on for mental health reasons back in 2010.

She was cleared of charges, but when the incident resurfaced in 2014, they proved to be impossible to shake, and Bom's contract was suspended. The remaining members, including CL, began to explore independent ventures. Dara went back into acting, Minzy opened up a dance academy before eventually departing the label for good, and CL attempted to break into the US market with the release of her single 'Hello B*****s' off her scheduled 2016 EP 'Lifted'. That EP did not materialize.

2NE1's disbandment was made official in 2016 with the release of their final song 'Goodbye', and in 2019, CL finally broke away from YG Entertainment and released an EP herself. Titled 'In The Name of Love,' the release included six tracks the singer had penned while awaiting a comeback, none of which were approved for release. Each song was accompanied by the date it was originally completed, serving as a diary of sorts of what the singer had been up to in the years following the group's initial hiatus.

CL's comeback EP gave fans a glimpse of what was to come for the singer. Musically and lyrically sound, 'In The Name of Love' allayed fears that they wouldn't get to see CL's return to form anytime soon. As one of the K-pop artists that helped set trends that continue to be followed today, CL's comeback is bound to be quite an epic journey.

Tracklist and Lyrics

Over the course of several teasers, CL has shared a mix of what appears to be lyrics and song titles. Accompanying intro videos give listeners a very brief glimpse into the upcoming release's sound and what visuals we can expect to see from CL.

The apparent lyrics shared include "If life is a game, the mission is to level up," "Even if I fall nine times, I'll get up 10," "Honey, world is mine ain't no running from it," and "2NE1 my past, my forever blessing." Additionally, CL dropped her trademark statement with a twist, stating "I go by the name of, you already know," and "C.H.A.E.L.I.N that's me, we stay fly."

Each of the teasers was tagged 'Intro', leading many to presume this is the intro track to an upcoming release. A full tracklist is not available yet, but other posts such as one captioned 'Who Do You Love?' and another labeled 'CL' are possible titles for new songs from the singer.