Review Summary: Fulfilling an obligation to fans...
The Korean pop industry perfected the art of marketing by the book, manufacturing groups where every aspect is pieced in order to cater to as many segments of the target audience as possible. A large part of the artists have almost no room to breathe, as they are molded to please a rabid fan base which will either make or break them. Blackpink are the result of YG Entertainment, who admittedly wanted to create a better version of 2NE1. Since Kpop became quite a mainstream force lately, the girls managed to rise to an unexpected level of fame, akin to BTS, TWICE or Red Velvet. Of all these groups, they have suffered from a relatively scarce flux of singles since their debut in 2016. Most of the time, YG tunes are produced by in house wunderkind, Teddy, who does a great job differentiating himself from other Kpop major labels’ output. However, this “leave them wanting more” strategy has led fans insane, begging constantly for anything from solo releases to an actual album. They even spammed aggressively the label to bring all the members into the spotlight, discouraging favoritism. So, after a couple of years of promises, BLINK (the official fan base name) finally received
The Album.
In typical YG fashion, there is a catch, as the LP runs at a modest 24 minutes, offering a total of 8 tunes. Even if we leave it as an album, it doesn’t feel much more than fulfilling an obligation. There is roughly an EP worth of songs here that bring something remotely interesting to the table, rather than simply rehashing past ideas and reproducing beats you’ve heard in 100 other tracks before. First single, ‘How You Like That’ is a trap-infused hip hop grower, perfect for the girls’ sassy attitude. The melodic pre-choruses display some lovely singing bits from Rosé and Jisoo, while the rap parts are decent by Kpop standards. Although the driving coda reminisces the tempo change from last year’s ‘Kill this Love’, it represents a pleasant addition here as well. ‘Crazy over You’ nicely melds what seems to be a traditional Korean geomungo and flute-enhanced beat, yet it rapidly shifts towards another melodic pre-chorus and the inevitable, in-your-face chorus designed to accompany some powerful dance moves. The delivery is okay, however, all these changes during the 2 and a half minute ditty don’t allow any of the hooks to settle in. Luckily, ‘Lovesick Girls’ breathes some fresh air with its playful pop melodies. This is probably the closest Blackpink have steered towards the lovely disco grooves of ‘As if it’s Your Last’, one of their best singles so far. Unfortunately, the chorus’ cheerleading chants end up a bit lazy despite the cool, bouncing beat behind it. Moreover, ‘Bet You Wanna’ features a nice blend of powerful vocals and a more diverse bass line. Cardi B’s appearance is pointless, but doesn’t ruin the acceptable number.
The four remaining cuts often share similar formulas, which is the case of 'Pretty Savage’ and ‘Love to Hate Me’, while ‘You Never Know’ is the obligatory ballad that doesn’t do much to lift the record in any way. Meanwhile, the Selena Gomez collaboration, ‘Ice Cream’ is utter crap. The lyrics are terrible and the music is whatever. All in all,
The Album follows the recipe for success in 2020. Focusing on hip hop with trap and R’n’B stylings, then adding a couple of unneeded popular guests to boost some sales. The tracks will please a number of fans who criticized the label for not promoting Blackpink, still, many will realize this is a just glorified EP. The singles are the focus, they will be streamed for days on end by BLINKS, pushing it to viral status on all social medias. The remaining tunes emphasize the frequent lack of attention and interest towards full length experiences in the genre these days. Therefore, enjoy what you want before you forget this even exists.
