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2NE1 Couldn’t Say Goodbye Without One More Billboard Achievement

By Stacey Cole
Published on: 01:45 PST, Feb 11, 2017

2NE1 may have just released their farewell single, but they are not waving goodbye to their fans without one more achievement, according to Billboard. The girl group’s final single titled “Goodbye” debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart.

2NE1, a South Korean girl band founded in 2009, has bittersweet news for its fans, as the girls have just topped the Billboard chart following the news of their disbandment. “Goodbye” sold 5,000 downloads in the U.S. in its debut week, as estimated by Nielsen Music.

This is 2NE1’s final song in the wake of their disbandment, which was announced shortly after their fourth member Minzy left the band comprised of CL, Dara, and Bom, in April last year.

This is not the first time 2NE1 has topped the chart, as the girl group achieved the same honor with its 2011’s single “I Am the Best,” which is considered to be the most popular single by 2NE1. The 2011 single topped the chart for one week in 2014 and then once again in 2015 due to radio plays in the U.S.

Interestingly, 2NE1 is the first K-pop artist other than Psy to top the Billboard chart (remember the Korean singer with sunglasses who took the global entertainment industry by storm in 2012 with his hit song and video “Gangnam Style”?).

The week ending on January 26, became 2NE1’s second-largest debut week, as it was their hit song “I Love You” that became a sensation back in 2012, scoring more than 5,000 downloads in the U.S.

In terms of the amount of sales, it’s 2NE1’s signature single “I Am the Best” that leads the pack with more than 6,000 downloads back in 2014, when it became part of a popular Microsoft commercial.

Ending the history of 2NE1 with a No. 1 Billboard topper is a great way to say goodbye. But Billboard will probably still see 2NE1 ladies pop up in its charts in the near future, as CL is actively working on her debut solo album, while Gong Minzy, who basically became the reason for the 2NE1 split, is expected to release her solo music this year.

Speaking of Minzy, it turns out the remaining 2NE1 trio – CL, Dara, and Bom – left her out in the cold, according to Billboard. In what seems like retaliation for her departure from the band, the three girls didn’t even inform Minzy that they were working on 2NE1’s farewell song, let alone invited her to participate!

On January 19, Minzy took to Instagram to express her disappointment that the 2NE1 trio didn’t tell her anything about the goodbye song. She is, however, featured in the official promo picture for the single, so at least they didn’t hurt her feelings there.

Minzy wrote in her Instagram post that it’s “a shame” that she had to find out that 2NE1 was releasing their farewell single through a news article.

“This is very unfortunate as I was previously a member of the group 2NE1.”

Leaving 2NE1, Minzy cited the end of her contract with YG Entertainment as the reason for her departure. While the remaining 2NE1 girls seemed ready to continue working together as a trio, YG Entertainment disbanded the girl group in November.

In early January, the 2NE1 trio released an announcement promising their fans to release one final farewell single to “express how sorry they are.” In her Instagram post, Minzy also thanked her fans for all the support her former band has received over the years.

Minzy’s post was uploaded in both the Korean and English versions and featured hashtags, “#2NE1,” “#Fourever” and “#Goodbye.”

[Featured Image by Richard Vogel/AP Images]

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