| A scene from CL's American debut single music video "Lifted" / Courtesy of YG Entertainment |
By Kim Jae-heun
| A promotional poster for CL's new single "Lifted" released last Friday / Courtesy of YG Entertainment |
It has been only a year since the singer, 25, topped global music streaming site Spotify with her promotional track "Hello Bitches," written by YG Entertainment's main producer, Teddy of 1TYM.
This time, CL returned more prepared than ever and ready to hit the U.S. market. "Lifted" bases its tune on the legendary 1990s hip-hop group Wu Tang Clan's "Method Man."
Teddy took overall control of CL's debut single and American rapper Asher Roth co-produced the song while CL wrote the lyrics. Popular American director Dave Meyers filmed her new single's music video and American talent manager Scooter Braun, who discovered Justin Bieber and helped Psy debut in the U.S., was in charge of the singer's promotional activities.
After the song was released on many international music-distributing services, including Apple Music, iTunes and Google Play, last Thursday, it ranked 14 on iTunes' Top 40 Hip Hop Chart and topped international iTunes charts in Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam.
America's high-profile weekly magazine Time shed light on CL's debut in the Western market and the country's influential daily news outlet USA Today introduced the Korean singer as "the most prominent K-pop star," praising her achievement of hitting 4 million views on YouTube with her "Lifted" music video. Popular teenage fashion magazine Teen Vogue also posted 10 reasons why young trendsetters have to note CL, who they said would take over the Psy syndrome in the American market. The song further moved on to be nominated as "Best of the Week" by American Apple Music, which is a weekly report that picks the world's most popular song.
Nonetheless, the singer seems to struggle in breaking into the mainstream of the American music industry. CL failed to break the record of her group's album "Crush" that ranked 61st on American Billboard's main album chart in 2014 -- the highest achievement by any Korean singers so far.
It is also doubtful whether the female rapper has enough potential to become a global celebrity like Psy as she has not yet appeared on any American TV shows. Psy appeared on NBC's "Today Show," "Saturday Night Live" and the "Ellen DeGeneres Show" after he made his unprecedented debut with world sensation "Gangnam Style" on YouTube.
YG Entertainment founder Yang Hyun-suk recently said in an interview with local media that he would not mind too much CL's achievements in the United States and would cheer for her as a fan himself.
"After CL's debut date in America was released, people are talking about her achievements there, but I want her to get recognized for her music and music video by the local fans and even outsiders," he said.
"America is a big market and I hope CL does not feel too burdened on her rankings with the new single."