2NE1

The group was first mentioned by the press in late 2008, when rumours were spreading that YG was creating a female version of Big Bang named "Sista". In response to those rumours, YG Entertainment President Yang Hyun Suk stated that the name was not chosen yet. In January 2009, it was announced that the "Female Big Bang" would debut around July 2009 with three members ; Sandara Park, Bom, and Ku Hye Sun. Later that month, YG stated that CL and Minzy, disincluding Ku Hye Sun joined the group, with two more members to follow. In the end, YG Entertainment announced that the group would consist of four members and debut sometime in May 2009. The company stated that the group had trained for 4 years, and that their debut album would contain songs produced by 1TYM Leader Teddy Park. The group's name was initially announced as "21"; however, due to the discovery of a singer with the same name, the group was quickly renamed "2NE1".