The 2NE1 leader could join the producer behind some of the group’s biggest hits, seven years after leaving YG Entertainment.
CL is discussing an exclusive contract with THEBLACKLABEL, raising the possibility of a new chapter with Teddy, the producer whose work helped shape 2NE1’s sound. The label confirmed that negotiations are underway, although a completed agreement has not been announced.
The potential move comes approximately seven years after CL ended her exclusive contract with YG Entertainment in 2019. Since then, she has developed her independent career through Very Cherry, releasing her first full-length solo album, “ALPHA,” in 2021. Joining THEBLACKLABEL would bring that experience into a company led by a collaborator who has known her since her earliest years in 2NE1.
Why a Reunion With Teddy Matters
CL debuted with 2NE1 under YG Entertainment in 2009, becoming the group’s leader and rapper as its music established a distinctive place in K-pop. Songs including “Fire,” “I Don’t Care,” “I Am the Best” and “Can’t Nobody” became central to the group’s identity, with Teddy playing a major role in its production.
Their creative connection also extended into CL’s individual releases. Teddy worked on her debut solo single, “The Baddest Female,” giving the possible agency move a history that reaches beyond their shared association with YG.
That background explains the significance of the discussions: CL would be entering a different company after years of independent work, while potentially reconnecting with a producer involved in both her group career and her emergence as a solo performer.
CL’s Independent Chapter Remains Part of the Story
After leaving YG, CL built a team around Very Cherry and released “ALPHA,” a project that gave her room to establish her own musical direction. In a 2021 written interview with CBS No Cut News, she explained that she wanted to understand how every part of the work operated and hoped her approach could encourage other artists from idol groups.
She also described Very Cherry as a core team whose members understood her and shared a similar direction. Those comments provide useful context for the current talks, showing how actively she has approached the organization of her career since leaving her former agency.
A possible agreement with THEBLACKLABEL would therefore follow an independent period in which she expanded her role beyond performing and recording. The details of how any new arrangement would work have not been disclosed.
New Music Reported, but Contract Talks Continue
News1 reported on October 28 that CL had recently finished filming a music video for a new song, adding a separate point of interest around her next release. That report did not establish that the project would be released through THEBLACKLABEL, and the label’s confirmation concerns ongoing contract discussions.
THEBLACKLABEL’s roster includes fellow YG alumni Taeyang and Rosé, alongside Jeon Somi, MEOVV and ALLDAY PROJECT. A finalized agreement would place CL among artists whose careers span established solo work and newer group projects.
For now, the confirmed development is the negotiation itself. Whether CL and Teddy will begin a new working chapter under the same label depends on the outcome of those talks.
Editor’s Note: YG Entertainment’s original May 2013 announcement for “The Baddest Female” credits Teddy with lyrics, composition and arrangement, with CL also participating in the lyrics. This documents their collaboration beyond 2NE1’s group releases. The “seven years” referenced in coverage measures the period since CL’s 2019 departure from YG; it should not be read as confirmation that the two have had no contact or creative interaction during that time.