Produced by long-time BEP music director Keith Harris, ‘2 Proud’ is an instant earworm, an infectious slice of pop infused with gentle hip-hop perfectly primed for global playlists. Speaking about the new music and working with SANDARA PARK, APL.DE.AP said: “It’s been a long time coming for SANDARA and I. Both of us grew up partly in the Philippines so to have been able to connect for the first time was a kind of magic. SANDARA was amazing on this track. We had made it during the pandemic but she was a star through everything. The song is a bit of a departure from a lot of what you’d expect from a Black Eyed Peas’ member, but I listen to a lot of different kinds of music. I hope you enjoy it too.”
SANDARA PARK commented: “APL.DE.AP and I have known each other for many years; we both have cherished memories of the Philippines, which bonds us over. As a huge fan of his music, working on this project was filled with excitement and joy. Even though we had to do everything far off separately due to the pandemic, we finally made it and the song came out super great. I hope you also enjoy our first collaboration and one day, I wish we could perform it live in front of the fans.”
The track’s official video is directed by Ben Mor, who has also been behind the camera for Beyoncé, Coldplay and the Black Eyed Peas. The ‘50s vibe video sees APL.DE.AP lounging poolside, soaked in soft Californian sunshine, SANDARA PARK channelled via a TV set indicative of the era. The easy feel and delicate palette of the video perfectly complement the track’s lilting, featherweight production, highlighting APL.DE.AP and SANDARA’s vocals as the standout elements.
The pair originally met in 2011 when 2NE1 collaborated with APL.DE.AP’s band member Will.i.am on original new music and have kept in contact ever since. South Korean SANDARA PARK grew up in the Philippines and speaks fluent Tagalog; American-Filipino APL.DE.AP is one of South East Asia’s biggest and most successful musical exports. As one third of legendary pop supergroup Black Eyed Peas, over a career spanning 36 years, APL.DE.AP has dominated global charts, secured multiple GRAMMY, AMA, MTV, BET, Billboard, NRJ and Soul Train awards, and performing to billions of fans worldwide.
Already a platinum-selling music star and acclaimed actress in the Philippines, it was in 2009 as ‘SANDARA PARK’ – alongside Bom, CL and Minzy – that SANDARA PARK achieved worldwide acclaim as K-Pop’s original girl band sensation 2NE1, still one of the best-selling girl bands in the world.
With more new solo music from APL.DE.AP rumoured to be on the horizon, and his regular schedule of major global tour dates as part of Black Eyed Peas, 2024 looks set to be one of the biggest years yet for this international music superstar.
