CL (rapper)

Lee Chae-rin (born February 26, 1991), better known by her stage name CL, is a South Korean rapper, singer, and songwriter. Born in Seoul, South Korea, she spent much of her early life in Japan and France. She rose to fame as a member and leader of the girl group 2NE1, which debuted in 2009 under YG Entertainment. 2NE1 became one of the most popular South Korean girl groups worldwide and one of the best-selling girl groups. CL made her solo debut with the single "The Baddest Female" in May 2013, followed by her second solo track "MTBD" in February 2014. In 2015, amid 2NE1's hiatus, CL pursued a solo career with the release of the single "Hello Bitches" (2015). Her English-language single "Lifted", released in 2016, made her the first female Korean solo artist to place on the Billboard Hot 100, and the third Korean artist overall to do so. In November 2016, YG announced 2NE1's disbandment while confirming CL would remain signed to the label. She left YG in December 2019 and then released an EP In the Name of Love (2019), consisting of six tracks. Her debut studio album, Alpha, was released in October 2021. CL ranked 2nd and 25th on the readers polls for Time's 100 Most Influential People in the World in 2015 and 2016, respectively. She appeared on the 2019 Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list; she was named one of the best girl group members of all time by The Guardian. She is recognized as a style icon by numerous publications worldwide.