Shortly after leaving YG in December 2019, she released her solo EP project In the Name of Love (2019), consisting of six tracks written during the three years since her previous single "Lifted".

The group then collaborated with label-mates BigBang for the song "Lollipop" on March 27, 2009, before appearing on SBS's The Music Trend for the first time on May 17, where they performed their debut single "Fire".

[10] In October 2014, it was announced that CL was planning to debut as a solo artist the following year in the United States, teaming up with Scooter Braun as her manager.

Alongside Shaiana, she was featured on Lil Yachty's song "Surrender", an exclusive track off the Target deluxe edition of his album Teenage Emotions, released on May 26, 2017.

[28][full citation needed] On December 4, shortly after leaving YG, she began releasing previously unreleased tracks for her digital solo EP project In the Name of Love for three consecutive weeks.

[36] On June 16, CL appeared in the first episode of the second season of the TV series Dave, where she played the role of herself collaborating with rapper Lil Dicky as he aspires to take over the K-pop industry.

[41] On September 13, she became the first K-pop female artist to attend the Met Gala in New York City, alongside Blackpink's Rosé, wearing a custom made hanbok-inspired denim dress designed by Alexander Wang.

[45] CL headlined the Tiger Remix festival in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam on New Years Eve 2023, which attracted an audience of 100,000 people.

Her debut solo single "The Baddest Female" in 2013 was characterized as "a clattering ego massage that channelled Atlanta hip-hop",[49] combining techno and dance elements with the catchphrase "Now do the unnie".

[50] Her next solo track, "MTBD", was included as part of 2NE1's second studio album Crush (2014) and fused the genres of EDM, hip-pop and bubblegum trap over a tense drum beat, low bass, and a unique synth sound.

[51] Billboard stated that: "The beat was trendy yet fresh, employing of-the-moment, trap-inspired breakdowns" and highlighted her "fierce and playful rap and singing style".

[58] Rolling Stone commented that "CL's rapping prowess is on full display", as she rides a "booming bass line and snappy snares".

An anomaly in the mainstream K-pop scene, as The Guardian describes, CL has been called "a bold and brash personality in a world of high-gloss uniformity".

[68] She holds connections with several internationally renowned designers, including Jeremy Scott, Marc Jacobs, and Karl Lagerfeld[66] and is often seen wearing and attending events for fashion houses such as Chanel, Saint Laurent, Fendi, Moschino, Givenchy, Balmain, and Alexander McQueen.

"[71] Her personal style has been described as resembling a tomboy-like aesthetic, commonly incorporating boots, biker jackets and sports caps with young menswear favorites such as Nasir Mazhar, Astrid Andersen and Sam MC.

[81][82] Daisy Jones of Dazed stated that "her fashion status extends far beyond an avalanche of labels and designer name-checks – like Rihanna, she's an effortless risk-taker, with her eyes firmly facing the future.

"[68] Appearing on Time magazine's readers polls for Most Influential People in the World for two consecutive years, CL ranked 2nd place in 2015 (behind only Vladimir Putin) and 25th in 2016.

[89] In recognition of her stage presence and duality, The Guardian ranked her as the 19th best girl group member of all time in October 2019, and was only one of the two Korean artists to have been mentioned.

[78] In March 2021, she was the only Korean musician selected as part of Google's Women's History Month campaign, attributing to her unique color and "role in heralding the beginning of the golden age of K-pop".

[94] Artists who have cited her as an influence or inspiration include Blackpink's Lisa,[95] Loona's Hyunjin,[96] (G)I-dle's Soyeon,[97] Chungha,[98] Aespa's Giselle,[99] GFriend's SinB,[100] Secret Number's Jinny,[101] Hot Issue's Hyeongshin,[102] Lorde,[103] Billlie's Moon Sua,[104] WJSN's Exy,[105] and Oh My Girl's Jiho.

[110] The following year, she appeared alongside actor Lee Dong-wook in advertisements for Cass Light Beer, a company who has attracted attention with its TV commercials, and featured the pair in a "Cyber Dance Battle" in a space and Arctic themed environment.

[111][112] In 2014, CL landed endorsement deals with Glacéau's Vitamin Water,[113] KGB Lemon Vodka,[114] and appeared alongside bandmate Minzy and Winner in Adidas's #allinfordance advertising campaign.

[115] In February of that year, CL was named the face of Maybelline New York and subsequently appeared in multiple commercials for their cosmetic products.

[119][120] In 2017, she joined the likes of Karlie Kloss, Candace Parker, and Hannah Bronfman in Adidas's "Here to Create" movement; an official from the company cited her representation of creativeness and inspiration as the reason for her selection.

[123] Upon appearing as an advertisement model for Taco Bell in February 2021, CL became the first female solo artist from South Korea to feature in a television commercial in the United States.

[130] In 2016, CL became a muse for Alexander Wang; Monica Kim of Vogue deemed her a prime example of "unapologetic approach to life" and a "fearless take on hair and makeup that celebrates individuality".

[135] The outfit that she wore for her 2022 We The Fest performance, which was designed by Harry Halim, was later showcased in the contemporary fashion exhibition at the Asian Civilisations Museum in Singapore.