K-pop superstar girl group BLACKPINK released their first full-length album last month, complete with eight songs.
(Yes, this means that their incredible popularity and millions of followers amassed solely from six singles and one EP.)
The four-member group consisting of members Jennie, Lisa, Rosé, and Jisoo, have been making constant waves in both the Korean and Western markets since they have debuted in 2016. Their debut music video ‘Boombayah’ has now hit 1 billion views, as have their music videos for ‘DDU-DU DU-DU’ and ‘Kill This Love’.
This release was no exception to their hot-streak. The title track, ‘Lovesick Girls’ has 240 million views thus far, 61 million of them within 24 hours of release.
The eight-track album consists of the following:
‘How You Like That’ – A darker-sounding, strong bass song just over three minutes in length. It was released in June as a pre-release single, and also the group’s first song in over a year. It was YouTube’s most viewed video in 24 hours with 86.3 million views. It was also the fastest video on YouTube to hit 100 million views, 32 hours after release.
‘Ice Cream’ – A song entirely in English, featuring Selena Gomez. It is a pop-sounding summer song. The music video reached 200 million views in just 10 days and 13 hours.
‘Pretty Savage’ – Yet another strong sounding BLACKPINK song. It is incredibly reminiscent of their earlier work, with strong bass, jarring piano, & stand-out rap pieces by Jennie and Lisa. The group promoted this song on Korean Music shows.
‘Bet You Wanna’ – A more sensual sounding song, featuring Cardi B. This song is entirely in English as well. It is far more vocal-heavy, featuring pretty verses and falsettos from members Rosé and Jisoo.
‘Lovesick Girls’ – The title track of the album- meaning, the song the group promoted on music shows. It is a pop song with several synths, detailing the harrows of being in love. It has six music show wins, demonstrating the quality and power of the song.
‘Crazy Over You’ – Yet another song is fluent English, this time more sensual & dark. It is far less pop & more rap-oriented, with a beat more fit for a night out. The raps are especially strong on this track, suited better to the ‘black’ in BLACKPINK.
‘Love to Hate Me’ – Written in English, detailing a relationship turned sour. It is definitely a female empowerment song, about not needing a relationship to be satisfied. This is a personal favorite on the album, with a message loud & clear: BLACKPINK is here, on top of the charts, & here to stay.
‘You Never Know’ – The album rounds out with a ballad in both Korean and English, with vocal performances from all four of the girls, not just the vocalists. It is a softer sounding song, with a to get the audience to see the reality of the pressures that come with being a celebrity- especially as a Korean idol. Their incredible rise to fame of course includes the rise of those who hate to see them succeed, & this song is written in hopes of getting people to see the humanity in them.
If you haven’t listened to ‘The Album’ yet, you should do so immediately. It is an incredibly strong and well-rounded introduction to Korean pop music, with English songs mixed in as well. For the Korean chart ‘Gaon Monthly Album Chart’, BLACKPINK sold 1,092,550 copies in a month, becoming the best selling album by a Korean girl group in the chart’s history.
You can purchase the album online here.