BLACKPINK: Kill This Love

“Kill This Love” sounded the alarm to remind its listeners of how “dangerous” love could become. From its intro, the song already pushed the listeners to the verge of exploding. The lifted horns at the beginning of the MV and the rhythmical, yet intense rapping lyrics coming from Lisa and Jennie represented BLACKPINK’s “power.” Listening carefully to the rapping, one can easily notice the increasing thrills in Lisa’s flow, which may seem familiar to that of Cardi B. However, no audience could remain calm after Lisa and Jennie’s spit in the second verse. But that’s not all. One can easily see the improvements, such as improved long notes and power, from the vocal parts which mainly revolve around Jisoo and Rosé. It’s undeniable that these girls’ performance has reached a new height. If possible, I would recommend you, the readers of this article, to watch the gorgeous MV while reading our review.。

As the group officially make their international debut under the umbrella of “Interscope Records/Universal,” BLACKPINK, with this newly released EP, showed the audiences more than just the girls’ vigor. Written by Teddy, who’ve been in charge of producing all of BLACKPINK’s songs, and Brian Lee—well known for Camila Cabello’s “Havana” and Fifth Harmony’s “Work From Home”—“Don’t Know What To Do” is a harmony between the melancholy feelings of “wanting to return to someone’s side” and the synchronization with recent EDM hits such as Zedd and Maren Morris’s “The Middle” or Marshmello and Bastille’s “Happier.” In contrast, “Kick It” showed the audience strength and independence through its lyrics: “Even if I’m alone I’m fine. Don’t say I look pitiful. I’m forgetting you now.” The EP ended with the warm and gracious lyrics in “Hope Not,” the group’s new rock ballad song: “You need to meet someone better than me and be happy.” These new four songs from the EP showed both the BLACK side—savage and dangerous—and the PINK side—naïve and kind—of the girls. It’s no exaggeration to say that the new release this time isn’t just BLACKPINK’s self-introduction to the audiences over the world.

BLACKPINK’s lyrics cannot reach the teenagers who are ridden with anxiety and sorrow like those performed by the pop star Ariana Grande or Billie Eilish, and certainly they do not have the power to grab and pull the audiences to the artists’ side like the “stories of our own” which BTS has been singing. Even so, many of us are still overwhelmed and become obsessed with BLACKPINK. Taking a closer look at the melodies, the rapping, the dance moves, and the visual, the group undoubtedly displays a unique, unrivaled charm which we do not have any methods to express except for pressing on the 5-stars buttons repeatedly. In other words, BLACKPINK might be a heretic in the world of music. Of course, there are many listeners out there who are still at a loss despite finding both the sounds and the performance captivating. However, if BLACKPINK could continue to maintain this quality in their future releases, then it would only be a matter of time before the group’s unique style becomes established even in the most competitive market such as the U.S.

Lastly, let us take a closer look at the tone color of the horns, the rhythm, the marching-style sounds, and the female march performance which appeared during the bridge section in the MV of “Kill This Love.” It’s clear that the MV took inspiration from Beyoncé’s “Run The World,” “Formation,” “Beychella” which displayed strong feminism. Keen observers will also notice that the MV is also a hint to BLACKPINK’s destination. As they prepare to stand on the same stage which Beyoncé also stood on last year (even though it’s their first time, it’s impressive that the group’s name lies on the line next to the headliner’s!), the group’s latest release becomes even more charming. Needless to say, BLACKPINK’s performance at the event would, undoubtedly, become a historical moment. (Daichi Yamamoto)

■BLACKPINK Official Site
http://www.ygfamily.com/artist/main.asp?LANGDIV=K&ATYPE=2&ARTIDX