Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, September 17) — The world’s biggest girl group Blackpink is back in the area with their second full-length album “Born Pink.”
The K-pop quartet – Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa – on Friday released their follow-up to their short but sweet 2020 album, “The Album.”
From being the lovesick girls two years ago, the Pinks (as their fans call them) are now bolder and more mature as shown in the eight songs featured in their sophomore album.
Blackpink has always been known for their “girl crush” concept or being badass and full of swag, matched with hip-hop and EDM beats.
This musical color remained in their latest bangers such as “Pink Venom,” “Shut Down” and the b-side track “Typa Girl.”
Despite sticking to this genre in some of their songs, Blackpink made sure they will bring something new to the table.
“Shut Down,” the title track of their album, used a sampling of Paganini’s “La Campanella.” It created a harmony of classical music and heavy hip-hop beats.
If you would ask why it was the chosen title song for the album, then just look at the lyrics: “Be humble, just sit, baby. Praying for my downfall, many have tried, baby.”
“Shut Down” is the perfect song to show how far Blackpink have become and they are bound for more success in the future.
It’s a message to the haters who questioned and tried to replicate their success. But more than that, the song’s music video also brought Blinks to a nostalgic ride as they recreated some scenes from their past hits as they were about to enter a new era.
Unlike “The Album” from two years ago which featured collaborations with Western artists like Selena Gomez and Cardi B., “Born Pink” is just all about Blackpink.
For a sophomore album, it showed that the girls are ready to showcase more of what they are capable of.
“Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” is co-written by Jisoo and Rosé. This is the second time Jisoo showed her songwriting skills.
The upbeat 80s retro sounding track talks about feeling in love with someone you did not expect to and the uncertainty of falling in love with that person.
On the other hand, “Hard to Love,” a surprise solo entry by the group’s main vocalist Rosé, featured a pop-rock anthem about yearning for love despite being difficult to be loved.
Furthermore, “The Happiest Girl” now joins the list of Blackpink’s cute compilation of slow and ballad songs. It is a post-breakup song about trying to be happy after losing a special person.
The soulful track highlighted the vocals of the members, but the biggest revelation was the group’s dance machine, Lisa.
If there is a song from the album to say that Blackpink has already matured, then it’s “Tally.”
The rock sounding song let the members released their feelings with some expletive lyrics. It’s an empowering anthem for girls who want to be confident and be proud of themselves.
Lastly, let’s not forget the pre-release single “Pink Venom.” This marked the group’s return from hiatus and it made an impact worldwide as it topped the charts.
With the heavy bass drops and the hip-hop beats they are known for, “Pink Venom” highlighted the strengths of each member. One of the best parts was Jennie’s rapping skills, especially in the opening.
Also included in the album was “Ready for Love,” which was released in July in collaboration with an online game.
Overall, “Born Pink” is a good sophomore album for superstars like Blackpink. The quartet took the risk in their sound and showed growth in their artistry for this latest release.
