CLASS OF HER OWN

KNOWN FOR HER FEARLESSNESS AND ATTITUDE-PACKED ANTHEMS, K-POP'S OG ICON CL GETS CONFRONTATIONALLY RAW AND UP-CLOSE WITH L'OFFICIEL SINGAPORE

- IAN LEE

On a sweltering afternoon, I'm seated on the outdoor balcony of K-pop icon CL's room at the Raffles Hotel Singapore. As I am about to pose my second interview question, she notices that I'm beginning to perspire and interjects: "Is it too warm here? Are you sure? Are you sure? We should go in." For one of the most famous figures in K-pop, Lee Chae-rin, better known by her stage name CL, comes across as surprisingly laidback and thoughtful. The star, who was the leader and main rapper of the record-breaking girl group 2NE1, was in Singapore for Cartier's recent Panthère-themed exhibition event, Into the Wild. To say that the past 15 months have been a whirlwind of a comeback for CL is almost an understatement. In September 2021, she became the first K-pop female musician to attend the Met Gala in New York, and a month later, CL unleashed her long-awaited full-length solo album, Alpha. Just months ago, the artist surprised 2NE1 fans everywhere by bringing her former bandmates on the Coachella stage to perform their anthem, I am the Best. Yes, this is the same K-pop queen who warmly asked her team to get me a chair (and some tissue) for the interview to continue indoors.

Welcome to Singapore, CL! You're here for Cartier's Into the Wild. Tell us about a recent time when you went wild for something.

Thank you! Well, you know me (laughs). Keeping a wild side - I think everyone has that inside. And for me, it's when I'm on stage that I can be as wild as possible. And that's my favourite thing to do.

Congratulations on the one-year anniversary of your album, Alpha. Looking back, how do you feel about it as a body of work?