THROWBACK #19: 2NE1- HATE YOU

Released: July 28th, 2011

One of my early favorite memories regarding 2NE1 was when I actively kept up with their steady release of singles for this album beginning in May, and lasting all the way till July, all of which compiled into 1 album. Every single had a music video, and that was reasonably justified, as each single had its own kind of charm. There was the powerful but somber Lonely, putting 2NE1's vocals onto a brand new spotlight. Then there was the powerful but energetic I Am The Best, which took the world by storm with its infectious bassline and the famous"naega jeil jal naga" chant. Then there was also Ugly, which did a wonderful job fusing rock and electronic elements together, but the song was more known for its heart-felt message lyrically. I have huge respect for each of those releases, but I felt like there was 1 particular single that just didn't seem to be within the cross-hairs of the public's interests. That single is Hate You, and it is a spectacular song to listen to, regardless of how the public views it.

Hate you oozes Electro-pop all around, with a couple of strings heard in the background, but the vocals themselves, the pace of them, and the steady use of layers are what impressed me the most. The tempo is quite within the moderate category, but I still felt that adrenaline rush through my veins as I was singing along to the lyrics. All of the vocal performances in each song section get progressively better and more aggressive, as some of their parts turn into hooks, along with the addition of layers, particular in Park Bom's part. Instrumental-wise, the keyboard chords do a great job in keeping the lively nature of the song, but the particular use of the violin in the latter half of the verse is outstanding, adding a little bit of a crescendo to properly close the song. The bridge, although a little bit repetitive, has a catchy-enough hook and leaves some space in the end for Park Bom to exhort the song's highest vocal notes.

Hate You is an under-appreciated treasure that deserves just as much attention as the others. Now that's only of course, from a musical perspective; it's most likely that the choice to give Hate You an animated music video (which ironically, is the title cover for the album) instead of a fancy sleek one might have lured people away from the true potential of the song. That doesn't take anything away from how great of a track Hate You is, as it deserves all the praise it can get as a classic electro-pop tune.

RATING: 7.7/10