[Exclusive] 2NE1 “Hate You” Preview

Just three weeks after releasing their latest smash hit single, “I Am The Best,” 2NE1 is back at it again for another round of promotions with the follow-up track, “Hate You.”  If “I Am The Best” was 2NE1 doing what they are best at—heavy electronic instruments, powerful beats, and fierce lyrics—“Hate You” is a rather toned-down version of it. With softer beats and catchy melodies, albeit with their trademark swagger, “Hate You” is somewhat similar to the tunes of their previous hit track, “I Don’t Care.” (Although many would argue there’s less anger and violence in the latter).

“Hate You” starts with what sounds like a synthesized keyboard that you hear in the teaser audio. CL kicks it off with her ferocious first verse, “Nun jungmal jaesoo up ssuh,” which roughly translates to “You bring bad luck,” or more literally, “You’re a piece of sh*t.” Her first part, which turns out to be the repeating chorus line, goes on to express her disdain for her ex-boyfriend, as it smoothly jumps to her next verse (also heard in the teaser) “Hate you eh eh eh eh eh…I’m fine living without you.” This whole chorus part by CL is predominantly heard throughout the track, repeating a total of four times, and it quickly catches onto your ears.

After the chorus, “Hate You” follows a quite standard route with Minzy and Park Bom coming in before CL’s hook again, which is followed by Dara and Park Bom’s lines later. Unlike “I Am The Best,” which almost sounded disjointed for its sporadic use of different elements, “Hate You” comes as straightforward, almost too simple, for its repetitive sound—although Teddy does a magical job in turning both tracks into harmonious works of art.

It’s increasingly become a normality of 2NE1 these days, but “Hate You” doesn’t involve any rap in it, as opposed to the group’s earlier tracks. There’s no climax part per se either, nor much variation, except for the break down at the end, and despite its vengeful lyrics and up tempo vocals, the pattern is pretty simple compared to 2NE1’s previous tracks—making you wonder how YG Entertainment initially came up with such a violent title, “F*** You,” for this track.

Yet 2NE1 does a perfect job in making “Hate You” a powerful and engaging track for the mainstream audience. Its repetitive lines stick the title into your head from the get go and throughout the song till the very end. The prevailing melody is addicting, edgy, and catchy with a memorable chorus that keeps spinning in your head— and it’s so captivating that you will find yourself repeating this track all summer.

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