Brits React To 2NE1

As you may have heard by now, 2NE1 recently got some air time on British radio. Unofficially debuting on BBC Radio 1, the biggest radio station in the country, 2NE1 was introduced via their latest track I Love You.

Some will have you believe that it was all sunshine and that Britannia is the new stronghold for Blackjack sentiment, but the actual response was less than forthcoming.  

The full audio is here beginning at 28:16, but if you're too lazy to listen or can't understand the British accents then here's a massive transcription:

Edith Bowman: Peter, it's over to you for some South Korean madness.

Peter Robinson: Right. 

EB: I say madness. It's just, it's you know. It's your choice. 

PR: And it is sanity. Personified. Basically at some point in the next 12 or 18 months, a Korean girl band is gonna be massive around the world.  

EB: Okay. 

PR: There are a few of them who are kind of on the brink of it. There's this band called Girls' Generation, another one called 4Minute. But there's this band, 2ne1, who... They might be the ones to do it. Partly cause will.i.am is working with them on an English language album--

EB: OH NOOOOOO, NOT WILL.I.AAAAAAM!! 

PR: The thing with will.i.am right, he does 2 good songs every 18 months. That is, that is his thing. 

EB: He needs a holiday! Can he not? Just go away for a little while! 

PR: He's very busy with Tyler James. And hats. 

PR: Anyway. So this 2NE1 track, it kind of appeared online last week, and I think it just sounds brilliant. It's kind of, it's quite kind of relaxed but there's a lot going on in it. It feels like kind of like after every verse and after every bridge and every chorus, it kind of opens a door to another bit of the song. Um, it keeps progressing all the way through. There's a great rap bit towards the end, it's basically... good. 

EB: Right. Cause a lot of Western music does really well, you know, in Japan, in South Korea and China and stuff. We haven't really heard that flip where something's come over here and done really well. 

PR: Not really, no. And I mean it's really interesting, because like KPop in Korea and JPop in Japan and stuff, it's a whole different world and a whole different set of popstars. And some of the sounds that come out would make the more adventurous stuff on our charts sound like Ed Sheeran.

EB: Well if anyone's been to Tokyo, you know, in terms of the gadgets you can get your hands on, then no wonder will.i.am really loves a gadget. Um so this song, so what're they called? Cause it's spelled 2-N-E-1, so To Anyone. And then someone call... People call them 21 as well.  

PR: Yeah. 

EB: It's a bit confusing. *laughs* 

PR: *laughs* Let's just call them 21. 

EB: First rule of thumb: If you're a foreign band, get your name right so everyone around the world can say it. So To Anyone, 21. And it's called "I Love You. Um, they sing in English and in Korean. 

PR: Yep. 

EB: Yep. Can you translate for us? 

PR: It's actually about you. 

EB: Amazing, thanks. 

PR: They said it's a love song to you. 

[SONG PLAYS] 

EB: 2NE1, I Love You. Emma says, "Look at SNSD, Girls' Generation, too. They're pretty good." Do you know them too? 

PR: No. 

EB: No? Okay. Here we go, Emma! YES. On it.  

EB: Jack says, "They sound like a slightly odd version of The Saturdays." 

EB: Adam says, "Worst song I've heard. Deserves to be in Butlins Hill." Round of-- *laughs* 

EB: Josh says, "I have no idea what they're saying but I LOVE IT." 

EB: Martin says, "Wow, this was crap. Asiavision song contest." 

EB: Whitenice(?) says, "Love a bit of KPop." 

[RANDOM KPOP (THE ACTUAL BAND) DISCUSSION] 

Orlando (of the Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs): I think it's super cool to bring in a KPop track. I think that's wicked. I will never ever listen to that again, BUT I would like to see the video. One thing that did come out to me was that like... They really meant it, right. It was pop they really mean. And I reckon if... I'd like to see them perform it, and I love the massive rap, kind of bonkers bit at the end. And uh... Yeah, it was a pretty complicated song as far as pop music. 

EB: You were paying particular attention to the lyrics as well. 

O: Well I thought I heard something about chicken jerky... But i think there isn't such thing as chicken jerky. *laughs* 

PR: Well actually, I'm looking at my Twitter feed here and Shawn Rowis said, "I'm making up my own lyrics: "Going to rehab eating jerk chicken every day."  

EB: YES!   

O: SEE! I said something about rehab and jerked chicken! Thank you. 

PR: Incredible. 

O: Wicked. 

EB: Well it sounds like you can appreciate the elements of pop that it's trying to achieve with that. 

PR: The attitude I appreciate. I can't give anyone any points for going into the studio and producing music like that. I think it's like building a house out of Lego.

That my friends, is the real unscripted responses from Real British People, adults at that, when introduced to 2NE1 for the first time. Out of the 6 texts they chose to air, 2 were positive, 2 were downright negative, 1 was neutral-ish (depending on how that person or Britain view The Saturdays, a British girl group), and 1 was a SONE. LOL


As you can tell, the majority of the DJs didn't really like the song. One was an obvious Blackjack, but the other two expressed confusion and slight disdain for them. At least they gave some rationalizations for their opinions rather than the usual "2NE1 ARE TALENTLESS UGLIES" or "SNSD >>> 2NE1" arguments the usual KPop fangirl will give.


But Blackjacks inevitably raged at how these people didn't immediately spread their legs and beg for the YG cock.

I don't even need to point out the mindbending stupidity of some of these comments, that shit writes itself. 

Still, it won't stop me sobbing uncontrollably with laughter at how these fangirls accuse the entire UK, home of legends like The Beatles, The Who and The Rolling Stones (essentially the progenitors of modern rock), of being tasteless morons with no ear for music.