CL releases her first English song “Lifted”. (Photo : Getty Images/Jemal Countess )
K-pop rapper, singer and songwriter CL has officially made her solo comeback on American soil. The music video featuring her new single "Lifted" has been posted on YouTube as on midnight of Aug. 18.
The new song is produced by YG Entertainment's Teddy Park and co-written with CL and Asher Roth. On the other hand, her music video is directed by Dave Meyers, who has made music videos for big names in Hollywood such as Jay Z, Katy Perry, Rihanna, and many more.
South Korean entertainment news website Soompi has revealed that the single also has samples from Wu-Tang Clan's "Method Man". The man himself even has a cameo appearance in CL's "Lifted" music video.
According to Billboard, "Lifted" became a trending topic on Twitter immediately after it was released. Based on the responses in social media, her fans were divided and had mixed reactions. Some praised CL's new song, while others decried her change of style "to appeal to American audiences".
On a positive note, her latest single has made to the top 20 iTunes' Hip-Hop/Rap chart just three hours after the video was posted on YouTube.
CL was first known as the lead rapper of South Korean four-female girl group introduced by YG Entertainment in 2009, 2NE1. The group has been widely received locally and internationally.
Last April, 2NE1 made headlines due to the departure of the youngest member, Minzy. YG Entertainment confirmed the news and apologized to fans who had been waiting for the group's comeback after their last song "Crush" was released in 2014.
As of the moment, 2NE1 is on a long hiatus.
CL's solo career began with the release of her song "The Baddest Female" in 2013. A year later, it has been reported she signed with Scooter Braun, manager of well-known artists such as Justin Bieber, Carly Rae Jepsen and Tori Kelly.
According to an article by The Jakarta Post, Braun noticed CL in 2007 performance on SBS' year-end music program "Gayo Daejeon".
Her global following has been growing since then.
Last year, CL received international recognition at DJ Diplo's Mad Decent Block Party.
In addition, she was featured as a potential figure in TIME magazine's world's most influential people last March.
Watch CL's latest music video "Lifted" below.
