Do these lyrics look familiar to you?
“Don’t you want me like I want you, baby? Don’t you need me like I need you now? Sleep tomorrow, but tonight go crazy, all you gotta do is just meet me at the-”
If you immediately started singing this part and the corresponding chorus in your head, then you are not alone. While the hit single “APT” launched Blackpink’s Rosé into super-stardom with its repetitive chorus and catchy bridge, many Blackpink fans (including myself) never imagined Rosé as the member who would make one of the most viral songs of 2024. For years, Rosé was always the most overlooked Blackpink member who didn’t have the largest international fanbases like Jennie and Lisa and was never the most popular member in South Korea, unlike Jisoo. However, many fans can agree that out of the four members, Rosé has always harbored an innate passion for music, and we have seen her artistry manifest itself through the commercial success of not only her lead single, but her debut solo album. Now, the question we have to ask ourselves is this: how was Rosé able to break out of the K-pop bubble through branding and association?
Rosé (A.K.A. Rosie)
A month after the release of “APT”, Rosé released “number one girl”, the first track of “rosie” which gave a much better idea of what the album would be about. “Number one girl” is a confessional ballad detailing her experience with her ex, giving fans more insight into her personal life. Rosé built onto this central theme throughout her debut album, where she tells the story of her past toxic relationship in non-chronological order, and with a good blend of depressing ballads and upbeat pop tunes. For example, one of the most drastic mood shifts on the album is from “APT” directly into “gameboy”, which further highlights the emotional rollercoaster of toxic relationships.
While the album received mixed reviews from the general public and critics alike, many Blackpink fans (myself included) would consider both Rosé and Jennie’s debut albums to be the most successful among the four members, and this is further highlighted by the fact that Rosé is now the most popular member worldwide. And no, this is not only because of her hit single “APT”, which featured one of the most influential Western pop artists, Bruno Mars. Through branding and association, Rosé rebuilt her image from a member of the biggest K-pop girl group to an international superstar able to stand alongside the Bruno Mars.
Rosé herself has stated that she is a huge Taylor Swift fan, and you can hear this influence when you listen to her album in its entirety. By lumping her music with the main pop girlies, she is drawing in listeners of pop music to both her fandom and K-pop, by association. However, I think it’s safe to say that at this point, Rosé is much more than a mere K-pop artist, and she is now well-known not only within the confines of Blackpink.
Another integral part of her branding is her visual image. Although Rosé has been dying her hair blonde for years, she introduced her shorter, curly hair in the APT music video, and she even integrated the colors pink and black in the visuals. This color palette and her blonde curly hair have become the most essential parts associated with her overall aesthetic, and you can see this branding come into play with numerous Pinterest images such as these:
Even though Rosé had the biggest single out of the Blackpink members, it would be a complete disservice to talk about successful Blackpink solo albums and not talk about Jennie’s as well. Nicknamed “YG’s Princess” amongst K-pop fans, having a large fandom comes with the cost of having just as many haters. Despite receiving unwarranted backlash from toxic K-pop fans over the years, Jennie addressed the haters in the best way possible in her track, “like Jennie”. With the lyrics, “Haters, they don’t really like Jennie, ’cause they could never ever be Jennie,” she proved to the general public and Blackpink fans that she has what it takes, and this is further proven by the fact that her solo album received widespread critical acclaim. I wholeheartedly believe that Jennie’s entire solo album is widely underrated among Western audiences, especially since none of her singles quite reached the popularity of Rosé’s “APT”.
Jennie (Ruby Jane)
Throughout her years as a Blackpink member, many haters have found numerous ways to criticize her every move, an example being her “lazy dancing scandal” during the Blackpink World Tour. However, these allegations have said nothing about her true character, and she doesn’t fail to address these issues throughout her album. After the one-minute calming intro, she begins the album with the braggadocious “like Jennie”, then dives into a more R&B-leaning sound with the majority of her tracks. She builds onto this sound by collaborating with well-known artists such as Childish Gambino, Kali Uchis, Dua Lipa, as well as the up-and-coming Doechii in her hit single, “ExtraL”.
While she included a few confessional songs like “Handlebars” and “Love Hangover”, unlike Rosé’s direct lyricism, hers are much more subtle and not as personal. In general, the songs that include her most personal lyrics are located in the latter half of the album, the most crucial example being the second to last track, “Starlight”. The track was inspired by a conversation she had with her co-writer, where they discussed their personal struggles and self-actualization. This is showcased through lyrics such as, “I was just a white, white, white, lie, lie. Truth comes out in time, time, time, every time. I know where my soul has been.”
As for branding, what color do you immediately think of when you hear the word “ruby”? Not only is the use of red a masterful wordplay on the album title, it is also used in the album’s cover to symbolize theatre curtains opening. In the cover, we see Jennie with her bright, red hair and harsh bangs opening an invisible curtain to look down at a smaller version of herself. There are many different interpretations of this, but I believe she is illustrating how K-pop fans have had their eyes on her since her debut, which in my opinion, is one of the central themes of the album.
With Rosé associating her brand with the colors pink and black, choosing not to stray too far from Blackpink’s image, Jennie has done the same but with red and black. Not only do these colors play a huge role in the album’s overall message, but I also think that the colors suit Jennie’s overall aesthetic. We can see how these color associations come into play with Pinterest images like these:
As a day-one Blackpink fan who has listened to both of these albums on repeat since their releases, I’m so happy that the girls are finally breaking free from the K-pop mold and into their own. I love how you can even hear their artistic freedom through their music, where Rosé leaned into diaristic songwriting and Jennie leaned into both R&B and upbeat tunes. However, I believe that you shouldn’t compare the two albums because they appeal to very different audiences, and both albums showcase their true artistic integrity. I’ve personally found myself listening to Jennie’s album more frequently since I am a huge fan of the R&B genre, and I just feel like Jennie’s songs are more suited to everyday listening. However, Rosé’s album is perfect to listen to when you are experiencing some sort of heartbreak or if you simply want to cry your eyes out, and it is the perfect album recommendation for any Taylor Swift or Olivia Rodrigo fan.
With these two successful debut albums, I believe that over time, Rosé and Jennie will become two of the most well-known artists worldwide. This is already partially true for Rosé since “APT” reached over 1 billion Spotify streams, making her the most-streamed K-pop artist of all time. Because of this success, once Blackpink disbands (as every K-pop group eventually does), I believe both Rosé and Jennie will eventually become huge global artists as they release more albums in the years to come.