CL is back with producer Teddy, whose label team co-wrote KPop Demon Hunters' Oscar-winning "Golden." She told Billboard the deal started as a pitch for a new 2NE1 single that never happened.
Two weeks after "in talks," it's official.
THEBLACKLABEL announced that CL, the former leader of 2NE1, has signed an exclusive contract with the agency, Soompi reported Thursday, Nov. 12. The label said she's aiming to release a new song in November. It didn't give a title or date, and November has 18 days left.
The label said CL is starting "a new journey" built on her trust in producer Teddy, who founded THEBLACKLABEL and wrote most of 2NE1's hits. It added that she's preparing to meet fans around the world.
We reported on Oct. 29 that the label had confirmed talks with CL. Now there's a contract and a deadline.
Why did CL sign with THEBLACKLABEL?
It started as a 2NE1 idea. CL told Billboard in an exclusive interview Thursday that she wanted a new single for the group's 15th anniversary reunion tour. The members decided to tour first and record later.
By the end of the tour, she said, Teddy felt like "the perfect one to go to" for a new 2NE1 song. She asked him without telling her bandmates first, in case it went south.
Then plans changed. Park Bom stepped away from group activities in August 2025 to focus on her health, according to her agency, and the other members turned to solo work.
"Health first, above everything," CL told Billboard. So she made it a solo project instead, calling it "full circle." The songs came first. The label deal came later.
Who is on THEBLACKLABEL?
A lot of names families will know from the radio, or from their kids' Netflix queue.
Teddy and co-founder Kush, plus in-house producers 24 and IDO, were among the writers of "Golden" from KPop Demon Hunters. The song hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Grammy for best song written for visual media and the Oscar for best original song, Billboard noted.
ROSE of BLACKPINK, whose Bruno Mars duet "APT." peaked at No. 3 on the Hot 100
Taeyang of BIGBANG, Jeon Somi, girl group MEOVV and co-ed group ALLDAY PROJECT
Actors Park Bogum and Im Siwan of Squid Game, on the management side
So CL's new song comes out of the same studio crew that co-wrote an Oscar-winning cartoon anthem. No pressure.
What has CL done with Teddy before?
Pretty much the whole 2NE1 catalog. Teddy wrote and produced "I Am the Best" (2011), the first song by a K-pop group to reach No. 1 on Billboard's World Digital Songs chart, plus "Come Back Home," "Lonely" and "Fire," Billboard reported.
He also co-wrote and produced "Lifted," CL's 2016 solo single. It reached No. 94 on the Hot 100 and made her the first female Korean soloist to chart there. They hadn't worked together since.
"It's like I worked with him last week," CL said of the reunion.
Why did CL leave YG Entertainment?
To learn the business side. CL left YG in 2019 after more than a decade and started her own label, Very Cherry. She released her album Alpha in 2021.
"I wanted to learn the music business side of things," she told Billboard. Very Cherry is staying in the picture as a partner on this project, she said.
Is 2NE1 getting back together?
They already did, for a while. CL surprised fans by bringing 2NE1 out during her Coachella set in 2022. YG announced an official 15th anniversary reunion in July 2024, and the Welcome Back Tour opened in Seoul that October.
The tour went across Asia and reportedly drew more than 258,000 fans, Billboard said, before a sold-out two-night finale at Seoul's KSPO Dome in April 2025.
A new 2NE1 song isn't on the schedule. CL's solo track is.
When is CL's new song coming out?
Sometime in November, per THEBLACKLABEL. No title or date yet. Billboard also mentioned a highly anticipated CL performance at the 2026 MAMA Awards.
CL said both fan bases now feel united, 2NE1's Blackjacks and her solo fans, the GZBs. "It all came naturally," she said.
Article compiled and written by Kambrea Pratt (editor-in-chief), Derek Gibbs (beat editor) and the Pirates & Princesses newsroom. Pirates & Princesses is part of WebReef Media.
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Hat Tips:
Soompi (Nov. 12, 2026), THEBLACKLABEL's statement, the November release plan and the label roster
Billboard (Nov. 12, 2026), CL's interview, the 2NE1 backstory, chart history, THEBLACKLABEL's "Golden" credits and the MAMA mention
Korea Daily (Nov. 12, 2026), the agency's support pledge and the 2024 anniversary concert
Soompi (Oct. 28, 2026), the earlier "in talks" statement
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