Chaerin was born in Seoul, South Korea. In her childhood, she traveled frequently with her family, because of her father's occupation. She spent much of her youth in Japan, France and USA. When she came back to Korea, she barely knew any Korean, but said in an interview shown on 2NE1 TV that she is now most comfortable speaking Korean. CL was raised as a Roman Catholic. CL became a YG Trainee in late 2006, contributing to various Big Bang albums, officially part of the YG family in late 2007, and debuted (with 2NE1) in 2009. She is fluent in Korean and English.
During her time with 2NE1, CL released her first solo track The Baddest Female on May 28 as a digital-only single. The single was announced as Bad Girl on May 23 but changed due to the similarly titled single Bad Girls releasing by 이효리. Her second solo track MTBD (an acronym for MenTal BreakDown) was released in 2014, which was released physically on the Korean version of 2NE1's Crush. Originally the song incorporated chanted verses of the Quran, but due to accusations of blasphemy these have been removed. In 2016, the song was used in the fifth episode of the TV show Lucifer.
In 2014, it was announced CL planned on solo debuting in the USA, teaming up with Scooter Braun as her manager. In May 2015, CL featured on the song Doctor Pepper by the American producer Diplo. I November 2015, CL released her third solo track Hello Bitches, and the same month featured on PSY's song Daddy. Then in August 2016, CL released the single Lifted which incorporated samples from Wu-Tang Clan's Method Man. In October 2016, CL kicked of her first North American tour.
In 2017, CL featured on Lil Yachty's track Surrender alongside Shaiana, which was released as a bonus track of the Deluxe Edition of the album Teenage Emotions. In 2017, CL also recorded the song No Better Feelin for the soundtrack of My Little Pony: The Movie. In 2018, CL made her Hollywood debut with her role in the movie Mile 22. In February 2018, CL performed in the Winter Olympics closing ceremony at Pyeongchang Olympic Stadium performing The Baddest Female and 2NE1's hit-song I Am The Best. Later in 2018, CL collaborated with Black Eyed Peas' track Dopeness.
On November 8, 2019, YG announced that CL had not renewed her contract with YG entertainment. On December 4, CL began releasing tracks for her digital solo EP In The Name Of Love. In September 12, 2020, CL announced that she had been working on a solo album that would be released later that year. On October 29 she released two singles: +HWA+ and +5 STAR+ while announcing that her earlier mentioned album was named Alpha and would release November 30, 2020. However, on November 16 it was announced the album would be delayed until early 2021.
On February 26, 2021, CL released the single Wish You Where Here, which coincided with her 30th birthday. The song was released as a tribute to her mother, Hong Yoo-ra, who had died a month prior due to a heart attack. On July 10, 2021, CL signed a domestic management contract with Konnect Entertainment in order to manage her activities in Korea. On August 9, CL released a teaser for her album Alpha stating "coming soon", and on August 12, it was announced that the first pre-release single Spicy would release on August 24, with a second pre-release tracking coming in September and the album releasing in October.
She has also featured in "The Leaders (feat. Teddy, CL)" by G-Dragon as well as "Kiss (feat. CL)" for fellow member Sandara; she also has a joint single with Minzy titled "Please Don't Go".
Leave Tonight
CL Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I struggle to deny, street lights pass me by
My foot′s to the floor I can't take this no more
I′m sick of being poor, driving this rusted 44
People passing me everyday
Who says "How's life treatin' you?"
It ain′t, it′s making me pay every step of the way
But yo, I'm not a quitter, just trying to buy dinner
I′m still a sinner, but taught(?) of is I'm just a beginner
Still trying to be a winner but this game has gotten bigger
Too many try to stick it, I′m dreaming of the six figures
But yo,
I guess I misunderstood the white kid from the multicultural neighbourhood
People always thought I was up to no good
I want to quit this 9-5, well maybe I should
But then again, yo, maybe I should
'Cause it′s got me in the same place at the same pace
Losing the same race staring at the same face
While the next man with the brief case gets laced
I don't want the whole pot, son, just a taste
And I'll be straight, I′m not sure if I believe in faith
′Cause I don't think anyone should have an empty plate
Everyone makes mistakes, but now it′s time to shift into high gear and get the hell up out of here
Pick up what you have, move on
We can make it through
Take my hand, we'll get to me and you
Following this light, we fight for brighter days
We gotta leave tonight
Or live and die this way
Pick up what you have, move on
We can make it through
Take my hand, we′ll get to me and you
Following this light, we fight for brighter days
We gotta leave tonight
Or live and die this way
Nothing good in this lifetime comes easy
I've been there, no fretting, you′ve gotta believe me
I want to be able to be stable, to take care of the girl,
The kid, and keep food on the table
The challenge of this daily grind got me stressed, depressed
But yo, I'mma shine 'cause this town ain′t gonna keep us down
We′ll be the ones to survive and escape the underground
Following this path, it's not yellow, but if we stay
I think we won′t last 'cause the J.O.V′s(?) got me annoyed
I'm sick and tired of being on it or for deployed
But I keep my faith, I′ll make sure we'll be back on pace
And I won't quit until the checkered flag gets waved in my face
′Cause my mom didn′t raise no fool
Here and now, I promise, we'll make it through
Pick up what you have, move on
We can make it through
Take my hand, we′ll get to me and you
Following this light, we fight for brighter days
We gotta leave tonight
Or live and die this way
Pick up what you have, move on
We can make it through
Take my hand, we'll get to me and you
Following this light, we fight for brighter days
We gotta leave tonight
Or live and die this way
(Break it down, man)
If you don′t push the limit you'll never get none
But I push ′cause I know I'm gonna be someone
All this negative, yo, we'll turn into positive
Escape the vamous(?), change the way we live,
Learn to give more, enjoy the little things
The gift is the present so we pray for what the future brings
′Cause there′s no guarantees in all actuality
Once perception is reality
So I try to make moves in this game,
I refuse to lose today we gotta choose and it'll file(?) through
′Cause time's running out day by day
Pick up what you have, move on
We can make it through
Take my hand, we′ll get to me and you
Following this light, we fight for brighter days
We gotta leave tonight
Or live and die this way
Pick up what you have, move on
We can make it through
Take my hand, we'll get to me and you
Following this light, we fight for brighter days
We gotta leave tonight
Or live and die this way
Pick up what you have, move on
We can make it through
Take my hand, we′ll get to me and you
Following this light, we fight for brighter days
We gotta leave tonight
Or live and die this way
Pick up what you have, move on
We can make it through
Take my hand, we'll get to me and you
Following this light, we fight for brighter days
We gotta leave tonight
Or live and die this way
CL's song "Leave Tonight" is a motivational anthem that encourages listeners to push beyond their circumstances and chase their dreams. The lyrics speak to the struggles of living in poverty and feeling trapped in a dead-end job. The singer of the song is determined to break free and create a better life for themselves and their loved ones. The chorus repeatedly emphasizes the urgency of leaving one's current situation behind and fighting for a brighter future. The song ends with a message of hope and resilience, reminding listeners that it's never too late to make a change and pursue their dreams.
The song was written by CL and co-produced by Teddy Park, who is a longtime collaborator of YG Entertainment. It is part of CL's debut solo album, "In the Name of Love," which was released in December 2020. The album is heavily inspired by the artist's personal experiences and explores themes of love, self-discovery, and growth. "Leave Tonight" is one of the album's standout tracks, showcasing CL's powerful vocals and compelling lyricism.
Line by Line Meaning
Time will be on your side but not my side
There is time on one's side, not mine
I struggle to deny, street lights pass me by
I try to ignore it, but streetlights go past me quickly
My foot's to the floor I can't take this no more
I am pushing the accelerator as hard as I can, I cannot take it anymore
I'm sick of being poor, driving this rusted 44
I am tired of being poor, driving this rusty car
People passing me everyday
People pass me every day
Who says "How's life treatin' you?"
Someone asks "How are you doing?"
It ain't, it's making me pay every step of the way
Life is not treating me well, it is making me pay for everything
But yo, I'm not a quitter, just trying to buy dinner
I am not a quitter, I am just trying to buy food for dinner
But day by day my while(?) is getting thinner
But my wallet is getting thinner every day
I'm still a sinner, but taught(?) of is I'm just a beginner
I still make mistakes, but I am learning from them
Still trying to be a winner but this game has gotten bigger
I am still trying to succeed, but the competition has grown
Too many try to stick it, I'm dreaming of the six figures
Too many people compete, but I dream of making six figures
I guess I misunderstood the white kid from the multicultural neighbourhood
I misunderstood the white kid from the diverse community
People always thought I was up to no good
People always suspected me of doing something wrong
I want to quit this 9-5, well maybe I should
I want to quit my 9-5 job, maybe I should
But then again, yo, maybe I should
But then again, maybe I should not
'Cause it's got me in the same place at the same pace
Because it has kept me in the same place, at the same rate
Losing the same race staring at the same face
Losing the same competition, looking at the same person
While the next man with the brief case gets laced
While the next man with the briefcase succeeds
I don't want the whole pot, son, just a taste
I don't want everything, just a little taste of success
And I'll be straight, I'm not sure if I believe in faith
And I will be fine, but I am uncertain if I have faith
'Cause I don't think anyone should have an empty plate
Because I do not think anyone should go hungry
Everyone makes mistakes, but now it's time to shift into high gear and get the hell up out of here
Everyone makes mistakes, but now it is time to move quickly and leave this place
Pick up what you have, move on
Take what you have and go forward
We can make it through
We can succeed
Take my hand, we'll get to me and you
Take my hand, we will succeed together
Following this light, we fight for brighter days
We follow hope, we fight for a better future
We gotta leave tonight
We need to leave now
Or live and die this way
Or continue living this way and never succeed
Nothing good in this lifetime comes easy
Success in life is not easy
I've been there, no fretting, you've gotta believe me
I have experienced it, trust me
I want to be able to be stable, to take care of the girl, The kid, and keep food on the table
I want to be able to provide for my family and have stability in my life
The challenge of this daily grind got me stressed, depressed
The difficulty of this daily routine has caused me stress and sadness
But yo, I'mma shine 'cause this town ain't gonna keep us down
But I will succeed because this town will not bring us down
We'll be the ones to survive and escape the underground
We will be the ones to succeed and move up in life
Following this path, it's not yellow, but if we stay I think we won't last
Following this path is not easy, but if we do not change we will not succeed
'Cause the J.O.V's got me annoyed
Because the job opportunities have frustrated me
I'm sick and tired of being on it or for deployed
I am tired of being employed or waiting to be deployed
But I keep my faith, I'll make sure we'll be back on pace
But I have faith and I will ensure that we get back on track
And I won't quit until the checkered flag gets waved in my face
And I will not give up until I have reached my ultimate goal
'Cause my mom didn't raise no fool
My mother did not raise me to be a fool
Here and now, I promise, we'll make it through
I promise that we will succeed, here and now
If you don't push the limit you'll never get none
If you do not take risks, you will not succeed
But I push 'cause I know I'm gonna be someone
But I take risks because I know I will succeed
All this negative, yo, we'll turn into positive
We will turn all the negativity into positivity
Escape the vamous(?), change the way we live
Escape the hardships, change our way of life
Learn to give more, enjoy the little things
Learn to give more and appreciate the small things in life
The gift is the present so we pray for what the future brings
The present is a gift, so we hope for a better future
'Cause there's no guarantees in all actuality
Because there are no guarantees in reality
Once perception is reality
Perception becomes reality
So I try to make moves in this game
So I try to make progress in this competition
I refuse to lose today we gotta choose and it'll file(?) through
I am determined not to lose, we must make a choice and follow through
'Cause time's running out day by day
Time is running out every day
Contributed by Jake P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.