CL is opening a new chapter in her solo career with “ICONIC,” her first single under THEBLACKLABEL, arriving November 20. The release reunites her with producer Teddy for the first time in a decade and sets the stage for a new musical era following her recent signing with the agency.
The announcement came with an 11-second teaser featuring gothic-style lettering animated against a black background. The letters gradually form the word “ICONIC” before the video transitions to CL’s logo and THEBLACKLABEL branding. Although the preview offers no audio from the upcoming track, it confirms the title and release date of her first official release with the company.
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The single also marks a significant reunion between CL and Teddy, the producer and songwriter who helped shape 2NE1’s signature sound. Their previous collaborations include some of the group’s defining tracks, such as “Fire” and “I Am the Best.” Their last collaboration dates back to “LIFTED,” CL’s 2016 solo release, making “ICONIC” their first new project together in ten years.
CL has also revealed plans to introduce her new music at the 2026 MAMA Awards, making the ceremony the intended location for her first performance of the material. In a recent interview, she described the upcoming song as something that explores a perspective currently missing from K-pop, while touching on an emotion familiar to a broad audience.
“It tells a story that no one in K-POP is telling right now, which makes it a really fun song. It’s a feeling everyone has gone through and felt at least once. So part of it is me saying, ‘let me say it for you’,” she explained.
The singer added that she had wanted her first stage for the song to take place at MAMA from the beginning, with the team developing the release around that plan.
THEBLACKLABEL confirmed CL’s signing on November 13, welcoming her through an announcement published in both Korean and English. The move marks her first major agency partnership since leaving YG Entertainment in December 2019 and establishing her independent label, Very Cherry.
Since departing YG, CL has continued developing her solo identity on her own terms. She released the six-track EP In the Name of Love in December 2019 before unveiling her debut studio album ALPHA in 2021, featuring singles including “Spicy,” “Lover Like Me” and “Tie a Cherry.” Her solo career began with “The Baddest Female” in 2013, followed by “MTBD” and the English-language single “LIFTED,” which made her the first Korean female solo artist to enter the Billboard Hot 100.
Photo: THE BLACKLABEL
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