Known for their musical experimentation, fashion, and stage presence, they are a leading figure of the Korean Wave and among the most influential K-pop girl groups of all time.

2NE1 rose to prominence with the release of their debut eponymous extended play (EP) that same year, which featured the singles "Fire" and "I Don't Care".

[2] In May 2008, reports began circulating in South Korea media about the potential lineup of YG Entertainment's upcoming girl group, then dubbed "female BigBang".

[16] The song was ranked number one on Cyworld's 2009 year-end popularity chart in January 2010, the third consecutive track by a YG group to top the annual list.

[29] A fifth track, "Don't Stop the Music", was released on November 26; the song, recorded as a "special gift for Thai fans", was also used in conjunction with the group's Yamaha Fiore endorsement.

[47] 2NE1 traveled to and performed at New York City's Times Square in December to accept the honor, where they were described as "an unparalleled presence in today's K-Pop scene".

2NE1 and the subgroup GD & TOP had been invited to play at the festival the previous year, but it was canceled due to the Japanese earthquake and tsunami disaster.

It included 15 shows in various countries throughout Asia and North America from July to December, attracting a total of 180,000 people, and was the first world tour by a K-pop girl group.

[65][66] On March 21, in an Elle interview, CL confirmed that the group had not yet planned an album for the United States but wanted to produce more songs in English.

[97] It was reported the following month that 2NE1's earnings for the first half of 2014 totaled ₩27.5 billion (US$23.4 million), placing the group among South Korea's highest-earning entertainers.

[99] Dara re-established her acting career, starring in web dramas such as Dr.Ian, We Broke Up, and KBS's Missing You; Minzy opened the Millennium Dance Academy.

[111][112] In 2021, Minzy and CL revealed that they were not informed of 2NE1's disbandment beforehand, contradicting YG's public statement that the decision had been made after "long discussions" with the remaining members.

[124] 2NE1 has been featured in numerous advertisements and promotional campaigns throughout their career, endorsing multinational corporations such as Intel, Nikon, Adidas, Samsung, LG, Etude House, Singtel, Nintendo, Fila, among others.

[128] In 2012, 2NE1 were highlighted as one of the first emerging global CF stars representing South Korea with their worldwide endorsement campaigns of Adidas and Intel, with contracts worth over ₩1 billion each.

[129] In early May 2013, the website "2NE1Loves.com" was launched with videos of the members; the project was later revealed as a "2NE1 Loves Shinsegae" endorsement for a department store and for Chrome Hearts.

[130][131] 2NE1's songs have been used in various advertisements; "Lollipop" for the LG Cyon phone, "Try to Follow Me" for Samsung's Corby Folder,[21][5] and "Don't Stop the Music" for the Yamaha Fiore.

[134] Beginning in July of that year, multiple fansites of 2NE1 raised around ₩20 million as part of Tree Planet Korea's "Star Forest Project" in efforts to prevent desertification and minimize food shortages in Africa.

[136] Each member of the group has been described as distinct in voice quality, image and fashion style;[137] Park Bom cited Beyoncé and Mariah Carey as her main influences for their strong vocals and powerful performances and listed hip hop and R&B as her favorite musical genres.

[138] Minzy cited Michael Jackson and Rihanna,[139] and group leader CL called producer Teddy Park and American entertainers Madonna and Lauryn Hill her role models.

[143] Their debut single was noted as a catchy hip-hop and electropop number that utilized instrumentations of synthesizers and reggae styles, possessing "loads of attitude"[144] and strong, sophisticated energy.

[151] The trot-infused Eurodance single "I Love You" was described as "a perfect summation of pop's present and future", integrating traditional and modern musical elements with pulsating synths and ghostly background vocals.

[153] In their final studio album, Crush (2014), Fuse commented on its composition and the group's knack for genre-melding, "opening with the title track that blends Indian tabla drums and switchboard-button buzzing, followed by the reggae/trap-hybrid single "Come Back Home".

[156][157] On their 2012 New Evolution Global Tour, the shows featured an array of costume designs and incorporated stages that were transformed into a theme park, a club, a sporting arena, a fantasy world with giant inflatable props, conveyor belts, and a video wall simulating a roller coaster.

[160] Jeff Benjamin wrote for Billboard that "A few short years ago, it would have been unthinkable that a Korean girl group would have been able to fill up an East Coast arena.

Their style for "Pretty Boy" included print leopard pants, while they opted for simpler outfits for "I Don't Care" (black-and-white ensembles), showcasing a more-youthful choreography and offering a "unique charm".

[165][166][156] Carolina Malis from South China Morning Post said that "[2NE1] constantly defied the traditional Korean female stereotype by embracing daring, colourful and audacious looks that helped make bold make-up a viral beauty trend.

[174] In a consumer survey researching trends in the Singaporean fashion market in 2013, the group was ranked first among female K-pop artists whose style most wanted to imitate.

"[181] 2NE1 has influenced or inspired numerous artists including (G)I-dle,[182] Aespa,[183] Blackpink,[184] Twice,[185] Mamamoo,[186] Babymonster,[187] Jeremy Scott,[188] Diplo,[189] Chungha,[190] Ailee,[191] Jeon Somi,[192] Choi Ye-na,[193] Oh My Girl's Seunghee,[194] Choi Yoo-jung,[195] Kiss of Life,[196] Woo!ah!,[197] Lapillus,[198] Secret Number,[199] Chocolat,[200] Dal Shabet,[201] Stellar,[202] Young Posse,[203] Momoland's Jane,[204] Loona's Vivi,[205] Itzy's Lia,[206] Hot Issue's Hyeongshin,[207] Billlie's Tsuki,[208] WJSN's Dayoung,[209] TripleS's Kim Na-kyoung[210] and Xinyu,[211] and Fifty Fifty's Sio.

[227] Following the quartet's disbandment in late 2016, the editor-in-chief of webzine Idology wrote that the group established a new image of Korean female idols and went the farthest, creating a K-pop fandom abroad.

[238] In November 2012, 2NE1 received the Prime Minister Commendation at Korean Popular Culture and Arts Awards, an honor bestowed in recognition of public service and/or excellence in a given field.