After a nearly two-year and greatly anticipated wait, BLACKPINK has finally made its musical comeback with its new album, “Born Pink” (2022). BLACKPINK, a four-member girl group made up of Rosé, Jisoo, Lisa and Jennie, first debuted on Aug. 8, 2016, with their single album “Square One” (2016) under YG Entertainment.
Since their debut, the girls have been called one of the biggest groups in K-pop and one of the biggest international girl groups. With several awards under their belt these past six years, it was no surprise as the group started breaking records with “Born Pink.”
Released Sept. 16, 2022, the mini-album with a total of eight tracks gives us a glimpse into the group’s music, style and range. From a song about heartbreak to one about quite literally being “That Girl,” BLACKPINK is officially back.
The album’s second single, “Shut Down” was a clear highlight of the comeback, with a smooth 19th century orchestral sampling throughout and catchy lyrics that will get stuck in your head. The entire chorus will easily get you on your feet and do the full choreography.
Disappointingly, the first track on the album, “Pink Venom,” does not create the same listening experience with verses and a chorus that clash with each other. The track feels mismatched, and the overwhelming amounts of sampling in the three minutes comes off as unimaginative.
Even though some of the tracks tend to sound similar enough to the group’s past music, BLACKPINK is able to show a bit more range and growth in this album. “Typa Girl,” one of the four full English tracks, will have you hyping yourself up and wishing it were just a bit longer whereas their ballad track “The Happiest Girl” will draw in you with the dancing piano notes and make you sob.
The album definitely has its highs and lows and it is unfortunate that after nearly two years of waiting, the fast-moving world of K-pop has only eight new tracks from the group. Especially with some editions of the album on sale for nearly $50, it can be said that more music is eagerly anticipated from BLACKPINK. Going forward, it would be great to see more music from the group and more credits on the track being from Rosé, Jisoo, Jennie and Lisa. Despite BLACKPINK being a music group, the long wait and mediocre album makes one wish there was a change and makes one hope they will soon have a larger role in making the music. Hopefully, the music and will of BLACKPINK will be put over profits and cash grabs, allowing for them to reach their full potential as artists and musicians.
Overall, the displays of musicality and range are a reminder as to why BLACKPINK is so popular, but the lack of consistent innovation and clear misses will always keep Blinks and fans wanting more. One can only hope to see growth in their music and creativity as BLACKPINK continues their music careers.
