2NE1 was THE template for 'girl crush' concept K-pop — leader CL (
李彩琳) later became the first Korean female soloist to chart in the US. They disbanded in November 2016 during the THAAD-era K-pop crackdown in China. Their surprise 2022 Coachella reunion was heavily dissected on Chinese K-pop communities as the spiritual ancestor moment for later groups like BLACKPINK.
