| Alpha | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Digital cover | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 20, 2021 | |||
| Length | 34:39 | |||
| Language |
| |||
| Label | ||||
| Producer |
| |||
| CL chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Alpha | ||||
| ||||
Alpha is the debut studio album by South Korean rapper and singer CL. It was released on October 20, 2021, through her self-managed label Very Cherry and Sony. Alpha marks CL's first full-length album as a solo artist since her career debut in 2009. The album was preceded by the release of several singles, including "Spicy" and "Lover Like Me".
Well known as a member and leader of K-pop group 2NE1, CL left her longtime label YG Entertainment after 12 years in December 2019. [2] Shortly after departing from the label, she released her first project extended play In the Name of Love as an independent artist. A shift from her traditional urban image, the record explored a variety of musical styles from alternative R&B, tropical dance, rap, and ballads. [3] [4] In September 2020, CL released the music video for the intro to her upcoming full-length album Alpha, titled "Post Up". [5] Subsequently, it was announced that album would be preceded with the release of the songs "Hwa" and "5 Star". [6]
At the same time, CL had originally intended for her full-length debut record to be released on November 30, 2020; however, it was later announced that the album's release would be postponed to the first half of 2021 in order to make further improvements. [7] On August 13, it was announced that CL would release her album Alpha in October 2021. [8] The first single "Spicy" was first released on August 24, [9] while the second single "Lover Like Me" was released on September 29. [10] "Tie a Cherry" was released in conjunction with Alpha on October 20. [11]
Writing for Billboard , Owen Meyers asserted that the release of Alpha "embraces her status as an outlier of the international pop scene, with hooky pop-R&B hybrids, avant-garde electronic touches and distorted, speaker-busting hip-hop that stand apart from the glossy acts for which she helped paved the way." [12] In her May 2021 cover story for Allure , the magazine explained that album's meaning is twofold: "It’s about the alpha-female character she embodies, but it also suggests a new beginning", and added that "the songs will fill out CL’s superlative branding with personal flavor." [13] [14] Upon the album's release, CL said that "I didn’t have any features on this album because I wanted [to introduce] all the different characters of CL". [15]
Identified as CL's return to the global stage, Tim Chan of Rolling Stone regarded the hip-hop track "Hwa" as a "sassy kiss-off" and a "declaration of independence". An "identity peace song"—as CL describes, the title embodies multiple meanings in both Korean and Chinese, including themes of fire, flower, change, and wealth. [16] [17] Stylistically, "Hwa" interpolates chants, slinky synths, and snappy snares into a booming bass line. [16] The musical styles of "5 Star" heavily contrasts its counterpart; it is characterized as a slow-jam love-filled number that primarily features the singer's soft vocals in both Korean and English, and contains greater influences from pop music. The song's lyrical content revolves around love and the rollercoaster of emotions felt during a romantic relationship. [18]
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| NME |   [19] |
| NPR | (positive) [20] |
| The Quietus | (positive) [21] |
| Rolling Stone |  [22] |
| Uproxx | (favorable) [23] |
NME 's Carmen Chin gave Alpha a four out of five rating, where she complimented the album's musical styles, experimentation, and vocal delivery. Christina Lee from NPR said that "Years after she introduced herself as 'the Baddest Female,' she maintains her role as an 언니 (eonni), or the older sister, of this cross-cultural moment in today's pop music." [20] Writing for Rolling Stone , Krstine Kwak wrote that although the themes presented in the album were comparable to CL's previous releases, "sonically, these tracks show a new side to her range, with a bigger focus on vocals, storytelling, and lyricism, adding to the rap capabilities she's shown over the years. Alpha solidifies a fresh start that won’t leave her old fans in the dust." [22]
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beats Per Minute | Top 50 Songs of 2021 (for "Spicy") | 37 | [24] |
| Genius | Genius's 50 Best Albums Of 2021 | 48 | [25] |
| Idology | Top 10 Albums of the Year | Placed | [26] |
| PopCrush | 25 Best Pop Albums of 2021 | Placed | [27] |
| Rolling Stone India | 10 Best K-Hip-Hop and R&B Albums of 2021 | 4 | [28] |
| South China Morning Post | 25 Best K-pop Albums of 2021 | 10 | [29] |
| The Quietus | Top 100 Tracks of 2021 (for "Spicy") | 64 | [30] |
| Uproxx | The Best Pop Albums of 2021 | Placed | [31] |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Producer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Spicy" | Baauer | 3:14 | |
| 2. | "Lover Like Me" |
|
| 2:58 |
| 3. | "Chuck" |
|
| 3:11 |
| 4. | "Xai" |
|
| 3:16 |
| 5. | "Let It" |
| Hong Ji-sang | 3:05 |
| 6. | "Tie a Cherry" |
|
| 3:10 |
| 7. | "Paradise" |
|
| 2:47 |
| 8. | "My Way" |
|
| 3:27 |
| 9. | "Siren" |
|
| 3:15 |
| 10. | "Hwa" |
|
| 2:56 |
| 11. | "5 Star" |
|
| 3:20 |
| Total length: | 34:39 | |||
Weekly charts
| Monthly charts
|
| Region | Date | Format(s) | Label(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Various | October 20, 2021 | Very Cherry | ||
| October 22, 2021 | CD | |||
| South Korea | February 11, 2022 | Vinyl | [38] |
Park Jung-hyun, also known as Lena Park, is an American-born South Korean singer who debuted in 1998 with the album, Piece. She is also widely known in South Korea as her nickname "national fairy" due to her petite body and powerful singing voice.
Uhm Jung-hwa is a South Korean singer, actress and dancer. Uhm is considered to be one of the most influential women in the Korean entertainment industry, finding success in both music and film. Her legacy and career reinventions have given her the nickname of "Korean Madonna".
Kim Tae-yeon, known mononymously as Taeyeon, is a South Korean singer. She debuted as a member of girl group Girls' Generation in August 2007, which went on to become one of the best-selling artists in South Korea and one of the most popular K-pop groups worldwide. She has since participated in other SM Entertainment projects, including Girls' Generation-TTS, SM the Ballad, Girls' Generation-Oh!GG, and the supergroup Got the Beat.
2NE1 was a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, which was active between 2009 and 2016. The group was composed of four members: Bom, CL, Dara, and Minzy. Known for breaking typical stereotypes of K-pop, musical experimentation, fashion, and stage presence, they are recognized for expanding girl group styles in the Korean music industry and have become one of the leading figures of the Korean wave.
Lee Chae-rin, better known by her stage name CL, is a South Korean rapper and singer. Born in Seoul, South Korea, she spent much of her early life in Japan and France. She debuted and rose to fame as the leader of the girl group 2NE1 in 2009, which went on to become one of the most popular South Korean girl groups worldwide. As a solo artist, CL made her debut with the single "The Baddest Female" in May 2013 and released the solo track "MTBD" in February 2014 as part of 2NE1's final studio album Crush.
Park Bom, previously known mononymously as Bom, is a South Korean singer. She is best known as a member of the South Korean girl group 2NE1.
Gong Min-ji, better known by her stage name Minzy, is a South Korean singer, rapper, and dancer. She debuted in 2009 as a member of South Korean girl group 2NE1, which became one of the best-selling girl groups worldwide before her departure in April 2016. She released her first solo EP, Minzy Work 01: "Uno", in April 2017. On November 20, 2020, Minzy made her debut in the Philippines with the Tagalog version of her single "Lovely".
Lee Ji-eun, also known by her stage name IU (아이유), is a South Korean singer-songwriter and actress. She signed with LOEN Entertainment in 2007 as a trainee and debuted as a singer at the age of fifteen with Lost and Found (2008), her first extended play (EP). Although her follow-up albums, Growing Up and IU...IM, brought mainstream success, it was only after the release of "Good Day", the lead single from her 2010 album Real, that she achieved national stardom. "Good Day" went on to spend five consecutive weeks at the top of South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart, and in 2019, it was ranked number one on Billboard's "100 Greatest K-Pop Songs of the 2010s" list.
Jessica Ho, better known by her stage name Jessi, is an American rapper and singer based in South Korea. She was born in New York, raised in New Jersey, and moved to South Korea at the age of 15.
The discography of South Korean rapper and singer CL consists of one studio album, one extended play and eighteen singles. Her debut solo single "The Baddest Female" peaked within the top five on the Gaon Digital Chart. Its follow up single "MTBD" was released in 2014, as part of 2NE1's final studio album Crush (2014). The standalone singles "Doctor Pepper" and "Hello Bitches" were released in 2015. In 2016, her first English-language single "Lifted" became the first entry by a solo female Korean artist to appear on the Billboard Hot 100. In 2019, she released the EP In the Name of Love, and five of its six tracks peaked within the top 15 on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart.
"4 Walls" is a song recorded by South Korean girl group f(x) for their fourth studio album of the same title. The song was written by Jam Factory's Lee Seu-ran, whilst the music was composed by LDN Noise, Tay Jasper, and Adrian McKinnon. It was released on October 27, 2015 as the lead single in conjunction with the release of the album through SM Entertainment, and marked the group's first single since the departure of Sulli in 2015. Musically, "4 Walls" is described as a dance-oriented tropical house song, incorporating stylistic elements from UK garage and deep house. It was released as the group's second double A-side CD single in Japan with a new track "Cowboy" on November 2, 2016.
Ahn Hye-jin, known professionally by her stage name Hwasa, is a South Korean singer, songwriter, and television personality. She rose to prominence as a member of the girl group Mamamoo in 2014. In February 2019, she made her solo debut with the song "Twit" which topped the Circle Digital Chart and won song of the year at the Gaon Chart Music Awards.
Roseanne Park, known mononymously as Rosé (Korean: 로제), is a Korean-New Zealand singer and dancer based in South Korea. Born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, Rosé signed with South Korean label YG Entertainment following a successful audition in 2012 and trained for four years before debuting as a member of the South Korean girl group Blackpink in August 2016.
"Solo" is the debut solo single by South Korean singer and rapper Jennie, a member of South Korean girl group Blackpink. Released on November 12, 2018, through YG and Interscope, the song was written and produced by Teddy and 24. Musically, "Solo" is a dance, pop, and hip hop song with EDM elements. Its lyrical content revolves around the theme of independence after a break-up.
María is the debut extended play by South Korean singer and Mamamoo member Hwasa. It was released on June 29, 2020, through RBW. The EP was supported by two singles: the lead single "Twit", which reached number one in South Korea, and the title track "María". For María, Hwasa recorded 5 new tracks including two collaborations: "Kidding" with rapper Zico and "I'm bad too" featuring DPR live. The album was co-written and produced by Hwasa alongside Park Woo-sang. She stated that the album "is like a diary that contains the emotions she felt as a 24-year-old".
"Twenty-Three" is a song recorded by South Korean singer-songwriter IU for the fifth extended play Chat-Shire. IU herself penned the lyrics of the song and co-composed it with its producers Lee Jong-hoon and Lee Chae-kyu. The song was released on October 23, 2015, in conjunction with the release of the album as the album's lead single. A dance track, the lyrics document IU's inner thoughts as she walks into her twenties.
"Lover Like Me" is a song by South Korean rapper and singer CL from her debut studio album Alpha (2021). It was released through Very Cherry on September 29, 2021, as the second single from the album. "Lover Like Me" was written by CL, Anne-Marie, Freedo, Nafla, Cleo Tighe, and Sarah Blanchard, whilst production was handled by Freedo and Nick Lee.
"Strawberry Moon" is a song by South Korean singer-songwriter IU. It was released on October 19, 2021, through EDAM Entertainment via Kakao M. "Strawberry Moon" was both written and composed by IU, with additional composition credits by Jonghoon Lee and Lee Chae-gyu.
XOXO is the debut studio album by Canadian-South Korean singer-songwriter Jeon Somi. It was released on October 29, 2021, by The Black Label and distributed through YG Plus and Interscope Records. The album consists of eight tracks and was supported by four singles: "Birthday", "What You Waiting For", "Dumb Dumb", and "XOXO". The album features a guest appearance by South Korean rapper and singer Giriboy.
Baek So-hyun, known professionally as Seori (Korean: 서리), is a South Korean singer-songwriter formerly under the label Atispaus. She made her solo debut on May 12, 2020, with the extended play ?Depacse Ohw.