Biography

박봄 _(Ko) / Bom _(RKS) , 24 Mar 1984, in Seoul, South Korea), is main vocalist 2NE1 (girl group). 박봄 is ’Spring’ _(RKS), her birth season & though Korean born, to date, she has mostly lived in Maryland, USA.

Starting in 2006, Park recorded with labelmates BIG BANG, Lexy, and Masta Wu. She debuted with 2NE1 in 2009 as the main vocalist. The group’s debut album, 2NE1, would be the third best selling album of 2009 in Korea. For the band’s next album, Park sang her first solo single You and I. It reached number one on the Gaon Chart, the national music chart of Korea. The song would be later released on 2NE1’s next album, To Anyone, which went on to sell over 120,000 copies.

When discovered by a famous singer in a karaoke bar (whilst singing one of her songs), her parents declined an offer of mentorship & sent her back to the USA. There, she was supported by her late aunt, encouraging her to follow her dreams, also accompanying her to casting calls / auditions. She enrolled in Lesley University (to major in psychology) however, she quit in the second year, to follow her aim to become a singer.

With here aunt support, she enrolled at Berklee College of Music - enraging her parents. Upon her returned to Korea, she began sending tapes to YG Entertainment & participating in their auditions - they rejected her for three years, considering her aesthetically ‘plain’.

Park was also hired as the Hyori look-alike for Lee Hyori’s last Anycall commercial film, prompting her to record her own version of Anystar, with G-Dragon replacing Lee Junki with his own version of lines. Gummy also provided the background vocals for the single. Anystar was supposed to be included in her solo album but the plan was not put through because she was put in girl group 2NE1 in 2009.

Sites: En.Wikipedia & Ko.Wikipedia.