World famous Korean girl group, BLACKPINK, released its second studio album, “Born Pink,” Sept. 16. The group Blackpink breaks records with their second studio album is known for breaking records, such as being the first Korean group to surpass a billion music video views on YouTube, being the most subscribed music act on YouTube with more than 75 million subscribers, being the highest-charting female Korean act on the Billboard Hot 100 and being the first girl group to top the Billboard’s Artist 100.
With the debut of its sophomore album, which has already broken previous streaming records, the band’s influence in the music world will continue.
Pink Venom
The album’s first single, “Pink Venom,” was released Aug. 19 and was an immediate success. Getting more than 90 million views in 24 hours, the song quickly caught on to fans and new listeners. Blending samples from ’90s rap, dance and EDM (electronic dance music) sounds, the song brought an exciting entrance to BLACKPINK’s new era.
Shut Down
Following the release of “Pink Venom” was the album’s title track, “Shut Down.” This track strays from the path that “Pink Venom” was on, as it samples a violin concerto known as “La Campanella” from Italian composer Niccolò Paganini. This song combines the sounds of classical music with new age instrumental and rap, signaling a new era for BLACKPINK.
Typa Girl
The songs following the title track mimic the somewhat formulaic sounds and rhythm of western music. “Typa Girl” is a rap song with some of the group’s first explicit lyrics, but other than that the song goes on like a wannabe snap rap track with sounds like a saxophone beat and bass beats. “Yeah Yeah Yeah,” which was co-written by members Rosé and Jisoo, repeats its title with upbeat synth waves and guitar loops that are reminiscent of The Weeknd.
Hard to Love
Following these two tracks is “Hard to Love,” which serves as a solo track for Rosé. The production for this song allowed for the listener to take in Rosé’s vocals and brings in the group’s ongoing messages of love and desire. With funky keys, more guitar and bass rhythm, this song will make you feel upbeat. Although this track is a solo feature, it is one of the best songs on the album.
The Happiest Girl
After “Hard to Love” is the somewhat awkwardly placed, “The Happiest Girl,” which is a track following in the same footsteps as “Hard to Love,” but with a sad piano tune. With heartfelt lyrics about heartache after a song with an upbeat tune like “Hard to Love,” the transition to a sadder song feels sudden and awkward.
Tally
The next song, “Tally,” is a very expressive song about doing whatever you want, with whomever you would like. With an easygoing tune and disco-like sound, this hip-hop track comes in as one of the last tracks on the album. However, its lyrics fall short of what is meant to be an otherwise empowering song.
Ready for Love
The last song on the album, “Ready for Love,” was a song recorded back in 2018, but never released until this year. Although this song is older than the rest, it has that classic BLACKPINK sound with hip-hop elements tagging along an EDM and pop beat. The song also consists of powerful vocals from all members, which is why this song is one of the best on the album.
“Born Pink” came out a little more than two weeks ago, debuting at number one on the Billboard 200, a record for a K-pop girl group. An album packed with catchy tracks and some formulaic songs, this album is one to listen to when you want something different. With their interesting blends of hip-hop, pop, EDM and dance music, BLACKPINK has come back to the music scene and has shown once again their capabilities to dominate the music industry.
Elisha Nuñez can be reached at [email protected]
