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Music

CL Takes NYC in Her Video for "Lifted"

The 2NE1 singer continues to strike out on her own with this big brash Big Apple video. Shouts out to Method Man and brown bagged 40s.

There she is! Back in November we premiered CL's trap-hat-tastic "Hello Bitches." Fresh from her collaboration with Diplo, Riff Raff, and OG Maco, it was another bold step for the world-conquering 2NE1 singer as she continues to stride out on her own. Now the 25-year-old is back with another solo cut and it's clear her eyes are still firmly set on a Stateside takeover. Below is the premiere of her video for "Lifted" directed by music vid veteran Dave Myers, who's shot with everyone from Britney to JLo to Jay Z to Missy and more. Sonically it's a little M.I.A., a little Iggy, it's brash and swaggy. Decked out in an eye-popping collision of threads by HBA, Moschino, Vetement, Lynn Ban, and Yohji Yamamoto, and topped off with stacks of gold, CL's stomping around New York like she owns it. She's hanging out on fire escapes, rolling with her crew on the basketball court, brown bagged 40s in the air, grinding on the East River promenade, on an overpass, on a cloud. Standard. Oh and there goes Method Man!

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Still no word on when the full length is going to drop but in the meantime, we grabbed the Korean phenom for a very quick chat and you can watch the video below.

Noisey: This video was shot in New York and the song is clearly steeped in American culture here. Can you tell us a bit about the inspiration behind the song and who were the producers you worked with?

CL: This song was made a few years back on New Years Day. I was in the studio with my producer Teddy randomly and we decided to make music. We started watching music videos of Wu-Tang on YouTube and “Method Man” came on. I went in the booth with the lyrics and started humming this melody which ended up becoming “Lifted.”

What was the experience of shooting in NYC like? it looked like a good time


It was amazing! I’ve been a fan of Dave Meyers and his music videos. Everything about this shoot was in the moment. We brought out kids we knew last minute. We walked around the city with a camera. Even the scene on the bridge was unplanned. We filmed at a lot of iconic places in NY that I grew up seeing in videos so it was fun. Working with Method Man was such an honor. I love his music even though I didn’t grow up in his era.

What's your favorite thing about NYC?

I’m a city girl from Seoul City where I grew up to Tokyo & Paris. NY is definitely one of my favorites. Love the culture, people, attitude and music, art, and fashion. I love the youth culture and I love the food.

When is the best time to listen to this song?

It can go with anything like when you’re chilling in the car or partying. It gets me in a good mood and has a positive energy.

How long does it take you to finish a 40?

It depends on my mood.