The surprise reunion of K-pop girl group 2ne1 was juxtaposed with the joint press conference of three presidential candidates, both of which happened last Sunday, April 17.
2ne1 members comprising CL, Park Bom, Dara and Minzy performed their 2011 hit song “I Am the Best” at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts in California on Saturday, April 16 (Sunday, April 17 in Manila time).
CL, who was also 2ne1’s former leader, was among the artists in the lineup of 88rising, an American music label, for its first Coachella showcase called “Head in the Clouds Forever.”
2NE1 pic.twitter.com/gWSOFoDGKd
— 88rising (@88rising) April 17, 2022
In the Philippines, another event was also given media attention—the presser of presidential bets Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso, former defense chief Norberto Gonzales and Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.
This was held at around noon at the grand ballroom of the Manila Peninsula Hotel in Makati City.
Other candidates present are vice presidential hopefuls Dr. Willie Ong and Senate President Tito Sotto.
Moreno, Gonzales and Lacson, who are all trailing behind in the recent election surveys, dedicated the conference to declare their unwillingness to withdraw from the race.
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Although not as popular as the former, the press conference was also much talked about on local Facebook and Twitter after it ended.
According to Get Day Trends, an archive map of Twitter trends, the names “2ne1,” “Dara” (Sandara Park) and other keywords related to their reunion still dominated the micro-blogging platform on Monday, April 18.
The group name “2ne1” garnered over two million tweets by then.
The keywords “Manila Pen” and “Isko” were also among Twitter Philippines’ trending topics.
How Filipinos reacted online
Due to the timing, some online users couldn’t help but juxtapose the 2ne1 reunion with the election-related event.
Some Filipino Blackjacks quipped that they will focus on their favorite girl group instead.
“’Wag niyo na pansinin yung press con that could’ve been an email. Waste of time. Yung 2ne1 na lang sa Coachella,” one user said.
Others also chided the presidential candidates in jest criticizing why they held a press conference on the same day as 2ne1’s performance.
“Who in their right mind will do a press con knowing that 2NE1 resurrection is live on Coachella?” one Twitter user shared.
“Ang malas nung mga nagpa press con. 2ne1 has the spotlight sa Philippines,” another user tweeted.
Performing together after seven years
The iconic four-piece debuted in 2009 under YG Entertainment.
They had since gathered a massive fanbase both in South Korea and overseas, including the Philippines and the United States.
They had also been topping music charts until they disbanded in 2016.
The last time 2ne1 performed together was in 2015 during CL’s performance at the Mnet Asian Music Awards.
Following their Coachella showcase, the internet was immediately caught in the frenzy of fans, collectively known as Blackjacks, who took to social media to express their emotions over the return of their beloved girl group.
Does it ever drive you crazy just how fast the night changes?
MAMA 2015 🤝 COACHELLA 2022#2NE1 pic.twitter.com/Lu9bJo645D
— 𝚂𝚃𝙰𝚁💫 (@NanJigeumDanger) April 17, 2022
