The first thing you’ll ever get to hear about Blackpink from someone would be that they are the first K-pop girl group to get so much popularity. They are famous for their friendship, dance and their desire to achieve their dreams. All the four girls – Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo and Rose were trained by YG entertainment and their motivation to go on comes from their fans like any other music group. In their recent documentary, you can hear them say, ‘People’s love for their music motivates them to try something new and different.’
Their cultural combination makes them unique and stands out in the crowd. Jisoo is a native Korean, Rose a Korean-Australian, Jennie a Korean settled in New York and finally Lisa, who is a Thai. They all came together during their random grouping trials, from where both their story and the journey began. Blackpink marked their journey from their first debut ‘Whistle’ to their first album ‘The Album’. ‘The Album’ has a total of 8 songs – How you like that, Ice-cream (feat. Selena Gomez), Pretty savage, Beat you wanna (feat. Cardi B), Lovesick girls, Crazy over you, Love to hate me, and You never know.
They gained much of their popularity after their performance at Coachella in 2019, and the singers have to say that this performance gave them a foot front and a greater fanbase. Their eight-song album was much delayed and had one million pre-orders; all with less than 20 songs to their name. The eight-song set is a shrewd, poised and wildly enchanting release. Their vocals, high-spirited rapping, and skillfully choreographed dance moves is a giant package of fun.
The album knocks off with “How You Like That”, the wild, sassy and rowdy number which broke the record of the highest-viewed video on YouTube within 24 hours of its release in summer (the record was later broken by fellow K-pop group BTS when they released ‘Dynamite’).
The songs are a flavorful mix of pop, EDM, hip-hop and South-Asian rock giving it an authentic K-pop vibe. History proves their interest in breaking the traditional stereotypes around K-pop bands being modest and soft-spoken. Their themes of self-independence and self-confidence flow throughout the album, which breaks free from traditional K-pop tracks that have tried to conquer the U.S market.
The group is excellent in meeting the demands of their fans – vibrant colours, glam production, addicting lyrics, catchy beats and captivating choreography; disappointment isn’t in their dictionary. They manage to show the audience all that they have got and give their 100%. The party had just started with their recent release Lovesick girls and ended too soon with eight songs. The fans were waiting for some more experimentation and entertainment.
The album is an incarnation of the formulaic singles, smashes and hits they have been releasing from the past few years. It is definitely hard to deny them when their formula is working so well. The elasticity of the beats and the resonating vocals are mind-boggling.
Blackpink brings a great mix of vocal textures: Rose has a voice for current indie pop, Jisoo’s is profound and sleek, Jennie brings a classic pop tune, and Lisa’s raps are striking hard. The actual fun of experiencing K-pop comes with performance and presence, which are up to the mark without loosening the visual element of listening. The girls snack up every lyric, and this is where all the fun lies in listening to them. The two collabs – Selena Gomez on radio-perfect, as delicious as the title, “Ice Cream” and Cardi B on the catchy “Bet You Wanna”, proved that Blackpink is right up there with the pop stars of the moment.
Before “The Album,” I’d heard some of Blackpink’s music here and there. I was mostly awed by the group’s strong stage presence and the positive energy of their sisterhood. Now, I understand how those qualities translate to bold, enlivening pop music. “The Album ” has shown that Blackpink is not just good at one style of music. These women have the ability to take on a wide range of styles while staying true to who they are as artists. Just like all other music bands, they have their highs and lows, fell short of their personal life and yet stepped up to entertain the fans and satisfy their souls.
