BLACKPINK Bursts Into the Spotlight With the Drop of BORN PINK
BLACKPINK has now shut us down. After being MIA for two excruciatingly long years, the iconic YG girl group returned stronger than ever in their second full-length album, BORN PINK. The weeks following this massive drop have been a journey in itself. Fans worldwide embrace the girls‘ new music that may be some of the best they have released in their six-year-long career.
Jennie, Lisa, Rosé, and Jisoo are beloved figures not only in the K-pop bubble but in the greater celebrity agenda. From TV show roles to Met Gala appearances, they have crossed paths with all forms of popular media and have each established their own persona in the international market.
However, on September 16, they returned to their roots with a highly-anticipated comeback. BORN PINK is a humble combination of Korean tracks and all-English ones scattered in between. Each song is unique and adds a special pizazz to the group’s albeit slowly growing discography. In addition, with the pre-release of “Pink Venom,” there could not have been more excitement bubbling up on platforms like TikTok and Twitter, where K-pop fans reside.
jennie kim vibing to “shut it down, blackpink in your area” SO HOT pic.twitter.com/RUeLRARetD
— ❦ (@jensamour) September 20, 2022
Despite the track list consisting of only eight songs, those which are “Pink Venom,” “Shut Down,” “Typa Girl,” “Yeah Yeah Yeah,” “Hard to Love,” “The Happiest Girl,” “Tally,” and “Ready For Love,” I had never before truly witnessed the creative liberty that is now expressed in many of their newest works. Regarding “Pink Venom,” which just recently surpassed 300 million views on YouTube, this song is most reminiscent of their previous title tracks. It brings out the main characteristic of the girl group, which is to play around with quirky, experimental sounds until something catchy emerges (though not always an effective technique, for the girls, it works every single time).
Certainly, there is a nostalgic element in that track that takes me back to Blackpink’s earlier years. My increasing attachment to it has propelled the song as one of the most significant pieces on this album. Not only were they able to capture the attention of fans worldwide with, but they were also able to test out a classy, clean-looking, sort of aespa-esque vibe with their concept videos. However, the excitement surrounding these experimental visuals was shut down when the title track was launched into the public eye.
“Shut Down” will forever imprint Blackpink’s sound moving forward. Its incorporation of classical music into modern pop beats was a clever way to form a catchy, cohesive song of substance. Every aspect, from the lyrics to the chorus, to the choreography, exemplifies growth in the girls’ abilities, and it would be a shame for them to stop here. However, against our most dreaded expectations, rumors of Blackpink’s upcoming disbandment have spread like wildfire among the online community. We cannot help but pick apart the references in the “Shut Down” music video for hints of their separation. The title also provides some suspicion on YG’s behalf. Clues of their disbandment can be heard in the lyrics, “BLACKPINK in your area, the area been shut down/It’s a shutdown.”
no wonder blinkers said shut down is like disbandment song. they recreated all blackpink’s mvs 😭😭😭
— liv. (@ourmashiho) September 16, 2022
Although each song is a statement piece, “Tally” and “Hard at Love” have captured the hearts of Blinks and non-Blinks alike. Both songs are completely in English and they express complex emotions such as the struggles of falling in love, as well as independence from societal norms. It is as though the girls’ inner voices are being channeled as they navigate the more modern-pop sound, in contrast to their main hip-hop, girl crush default theme. What makes this comeback particularly disheartening is that after such a spectacular album finally displayed the girls’ talents, their future lies undecided.
Since their contract is ending in 2023, and the gaps between their music releases can range from months to years, there is no telling when or what the girls will come out with next. While the Blackpink title is beloved and revered across the music industry, each member will be just as sufficient on their own. If YG is preparing to create solo careers for the girls, they will still be guaranteed success; however, the legacy of Blackpink will only remain a distant memory.
Columnist | K-pop Stan | Tweet me @senaho5
