I think that was a rather stupid thing for CL to say, especially because she is trying to make it in both of those countries. Also, there's the fact that most Kpop artists have very little control over their music careers, including their images, the lyrics that they sing, etc., unlike many Japanese and American artists.
Anyway, the performance: It was awesome!
The girls sounded so good!! I agree with others in feeling sorry for the birds (especially the parrot on CL's shoulder).