2NE1 - To Anyone

This is the first real review I've posted in awhile lol. I want to start getting back to doing these, but I really don't have the time to do many. This one took me almost a week to sit through all the tracks and write my thoughts. I really wish that YG would have had the group come back this year instead of just CL. CL needs to stay over in the US and work on gaining connections and collaborating with other artists until her label thinks she can release a song and gain some attention. Releasing in both Korea & the USA is just going to be a recipe for disaster if they're expecting it to be a hit in the States.

To Anyone is the girls' first album, released all the way back in 2010! The fact that it's been over 5 years is just mindblowing to me because this album is the first thing of K-pop I landed upon that drew me in. Now, I am pretty sick of this album as a whole, so I might end up being harsher on the songs because of it, so please, bear with me.

Track #1, Can't Nobody: Ahhh memories. This is the video that did it. I had heard of K-pop before this, and had listened to the Wonder Girls' Nobody before (actually saw them in concert like 2 years prior to this album), but I never dug any deeper. Then I came across this. I really liked Lady Gaga at that time, and this sounded very much like her music but with more attitude. The song really caught my attention because of it's electropop sound and infectious beat. Nowadays, I could probably do without listening to this again, but I won't deny that this is probably the best song they've ever done. Most people call I Am The Best that (which is also great), but Can't Nobody is in a whole other level. That final chorus is one of the best things to come out of music anyway and still sounds fresh today. It's too bad that it's so autotuned. I didn't care about that five years ago, but today it makes a lot of the song sound pretty dated, even for K-pop. 5/5

Track #2, Go Away: This song is probably the one that has aged the best on the album. It's not overly autotuned (when compared to other songs on the album) and it's a more poppy dance song. It's songs like this that really made 2NE1 stand out among the crowd. An anthemic breakup song with a catchy hook as opposed to a love song for the bazillionth time. 5/5

Track #3, Clap Your Hands: You know, I really thought that it would be difficult listening to this album again because of me being sick of it, but I find myself jamming to everything so far lol. I thought this of all songs I would have wanted to change, but nope. I guess that's the hallmark of a fantastic album. Even when you don't care to listen to it anymore on a regular basis, you still love the songs when hearing them. This song and Can't Nobody are the same style of song. In fact, I think if you smashed Can't Nobody & Fire together, this song is exactly what you'd get. The rap in the bridge is kind of annoying though. It just sounds very shouty and out of place with the rest of the song. 4.5/5.

Track #4, I'm Busy: This song deserved to be one of the ones that received a video. I think it's better than Clap Your Hands and it still has that unmistakable 2NE1 sound that the rest of the album has. I guess it's possible they didn't do a video for this one because it has swear words in the lyrics. Not sure if the Korean broadcast standards care about English swear words though. Although I love this song and album, I'm only on track 4 and I do feel a little tired of it. Their upbeat songs do all sound very similar on this album, and although they are very good, I can understand how this album could be difficult to get into for someone not sold on 2NE1 because they are very similar. 4.5/5.

Track #5, It Hurts (Slow): I believe that 2NE1 truly shines during slower songs like this. Sure their upbeat songs are my favorites and they're a lot of fun, but you can't get a grasp on just how talented the girls are from an overly autotuned track. Even group weak links like Bom (she might be the main vocalist, but she seems to struggle a lot with singing) and Dara (who is actually quite good, she just has a different type of voice than the other three), sound incredible in this song. This song is such a lovely piano led ballad that even a ballad hater like me enjoys listening to it. 5/5.

Track #6, Love Is Ouch: With how solid I find this album, it's difficult to pick out a 100% favorite song. Out of all the tracks, I think this is the best one. It's a midtempo/ballad like Go Away, yet it sounds different than the majority of the album. It's too bad that this song was relegated to album track status. The piano line & the underlying electro music is a winning combination. 5/5.

Track #7, You & I: This is Bom's solo song on the album. Personally, I really dislike Bom's vocals. She's got a really distinct tone and I don't think she's as bad as people say (although she seems to struggle live), but her voice just isn't pleasing to me. However, I do love this song. It's such a pretty song and flows very well after Love Is Ayaya. It's a good song for her voice. Not too much room for oversinging on her part. It really sounds like a good mix between Go Away & It Hurts. 4/5.

Track #8, Please Don't Go: This is CL & Minzy's duet song on the album. Even though CL & Minzy are the "hiphop" girls in 2NE1, this isn't a rap or hiphop song at all. Actually it sounds like a popper version of the rest of the album while still keeping the pulsing beats. I have a love/hate relationship with this song. I'm not a huge fan of the rapped verses anymore, but the chorus is one of the best on the album. I just wish CL wouldn't go the rap route since her singing voice is so much better. 4/5.

Track #9, Kiss: This is Dara's solo song on the album. It's interesting how this is my favorite of the unit/solos on the album. I like how it's more poppy like the chorus of Please Don't Go & sticks with that instead of trying to be all "bad girl" like the rest of the CD. Even CL's rap works super well with the song. 4.5/5.

Track #10, Try To Follow Me: When they say 2010 in the very beginning it's still mindblowing to me. Of all of the promoted tracks on this album, I think this song aged the worst. It's still fun to listen to, but kind of grating by the end because of how repetitive it is. 3.5/5.

Track #10, I Don't Care (Reggae Mix): Remix of a song from their first mini album.

Track #11, Can't Nobody (English Version): Just like it says, English version of the first track.

I tried to be harsh but just couldn't lol. With this album, yes, some of it has aged kind of badly, but it's still a wonderful album. I'll say it's not as awesome as I'm making it out to be (memory bias all over this review but I tried lol), but it's still a solid pop album from what's (imo) the peak years of K-pop. 4.5/5.