2NE1 Dump Sex Appeal for Bad-Girl Image

Girl band 2NE1 distinguish themselves from other manufactured combos like Girls' Generation and the Wonder Girls with a concept that abandons sex appeal for baggy hip hop pants and studded bracelet instead of miniskirts. It is girls, not boys, who go mad for the "bad girls." The band consists of four girls -- 25-year-olds Sandara Park and Park Bom, 18-year-old Chae Lee, and 15-year-old Kong Min-ji.

"When we go to open studios where fans come and watch us perform, our fans are mostly girls. It feels good because they seem to like our confident and bold image,"  Sandara Park says. "But we are slowly trying to look a bit more feminine on stage. The biggest challenge comes from the fact that all four of us feel awkward at the idea of wearing a skirt."

All four members of 2NE1 had long years of training before making a debut. "When we were exhausted after long and intensive training sessions, all four of us used to run along the Han River together at night. It would be a lie to say it was easy to wait for so long," Park Bom says.

The group's name is a combination of 21st century and the initials of "new evolution." It represents their ambition to captivate audiences through constant transformation.

(Source: Chosun )