BlackPink-"Born Pink"

2022-09-17 06:20:09

The global K-pop sensation is back with its second LP, which dropped Friday. Aptly titled “Born Pink,” the eight-song set is born out of confidence, wildness, and slick, groovy and seasoned music.

The band’s prerelease single “Pink Venom” opens the door to its wide musical palette and offers its signature shade -- the darker, "black" side of Blackpink. The song starts with Jennie’s roar, followed by Jisoo and Rose’s vocals and Lisa’s blazing fast raps that add to the tension, racheting up fans' expectations.

Track No. 2 will make music aficionados more pleasantly surprised. It’s a mixture of the old and the new -- the blend of classic and trendy hip-hop beats, to be specific. Like how Jennie said, she hoped the excitement of the band’s first impression of the track would land well with people, and it indeed did.

The retouched version of Niccolo Paganini’s “La Campanella” starts with a thin violin tune and builds up with frenzied and heavy hip-hop beats. Like the name of the titular track "Shut Down," Blackpink kicked down the walls, inviting people to revel in its girl-crush charms.

But “Typa Girl,” the third track on the album, is even more hardcore hip. The lyrics share different stories about wealth and how it can captivate a man.

Co-written by Jisoo and Rose, the fourth track, “Yeah Yeah Yeah,” adds a dash of pink to the album’s dark ambiance. It starts with Jennie, and later Jisoo, Rose and Lisa. The discolike melody that gives off an ‘80s vibes enters at the 50-second mark and sketches a euphoric moment of young love and youthful energy. It reminds us of spending summer nights with a lover underneath the sparkling moonlight.

“Hard to Love,” the fifth track, is the shortest song on the album, lasting 2 minutes and 43 seconds. But the four-piece act proved that it doesn’t take too much to make it into people’s playlists.

“The Happiest Girl” is the only mellow ballad song and offers a glimpse into the band’s devotion to love. Swerving from “Hard to Love,” which declares, “do not love me,” the words to the sixth track say, “My heart only wants you,” showing the pain love can also bring.

The album suddenly changes genre to modern hip-hop with the rock-based track “Tally.” This song will likely have a special place in people’s hearts.

The last track, “Ready For Love,” is impactfully and meticulously arranged from the start to the end. Lisa and Jennie’s raps perfectly blend with Rose and Jisoo’s vocals, instantly making you want to dance along to the rhythm.

Overall, Blackpink diversified with the new album. Not only were they experimental, they also showed an effortless prowess. Considering that it’s an album crafted by a K-pop girl group, the three R-rated songs prove that they don't just want to show their pretty side.

BlackPink-US tour

BlackPink will embark on a massive “Born Pink” world tour starting in October.

The quartet was originally planning to perform 10 times across seven cities for the North American leg of its world tour, but added three more concerts at fans' strong urging. The girl group will hit Dallas on Oct. 25 and go live in Los Angeles, the final destination of the leg, on Nov. 19. The ever-expanding tour is estimated to attract about 1.5 million concertgoers in total, and is likely to set a record for a K-pop girl group.

The grand tour starts in Seoul on Oct. 15 and will bring the band to Europe, Asia and Oceania as well.