Review of the Album: DEADLINE

The famous K-pop girl group BLACKPINK released their new mini album DEADLINE on February 27th. The members, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa, and Rose, continue to show their strong presence as a team. The album has five songs and features a mix of energetic and emotional tracks. Altogether, it showcases the four members' personalities.

“What I really like about this album is that every single song is inspired by a different genre. I feel like they feature the 4 members equally, using the strength to play off each other,” says Teacher Margot.

BLACKPINK is a girl group that consists of 4 members, who debuted under YG Entertainment in 2016. They debuted with the album, Square One, which featured tracks like BOOMBAYAH and WHISTLE. Their fandom progressively grew over time, with their songs spreading worldwide. The group is known for their “girl crush” concept, which differentiated them from other K-pop groups because of the stronger Western influence.

This album starts with the high-energy track called JUMP, which grabs your attention immediately as it has a catchy rhythm and strong beats. Jennie and Lisa’s rap sections bring a strong presence to the song, and Jisoo and Rose’s powerful vocals balance it out. This song’s main theme is how the girls are celebrating nightlife, independence, and a carefree style. The track features a more dance-pop style, which people really like. The song reflects the boldness of BLACKPINK’s performance, which they are well-known for.

The next song, GO, keeps the strong energy continuing and acts as the main title of the album. The song focuses on determination and keeping pushing forward even in hard times. The chorus is catchy as it continues saying GO! It is one of the songs that the listeners may find stuck in their heads. The idea revolves around control, confidence, and power. The lyric “You only move when I say so” represents control over people. The track is very different as it has a more futuristic vibe, unlike the group’s main concept, “girl crush”. It showcases each member equally, as each of them has a solo part to stand out. Making the song feel balanced and strong.

“Blackpink’s new album was super impressive because of all of the different genres, but I feel like many blinks were expecting more songs after such a long hiatus,” says Diya Singamsetty (6).

ME AND MY shifts the entire mood as it goes from a futuristic vibe to a hip hop vibe. This track features a genre of R&B, which gives it a more Western vibe. The song reflects on how the members all care about each other. It symbolizes the group’s unity and how they will never separate and keep supporting each other. Compared with Blackpink’s old tracks, it’s a whole new theme, as it has powerful beats that emphasize the vocals. It adds variety to the album and prevents the songs from feeling too similar.

The fourth track, CHAMPION, brings the hype up again. The song has a confident and uplifting vibe, which motivates whoever is listening to it. The lyrics focus on the theme of strength and believing in yourself, and also having the idea of resilience and addiction to winning. The powerful chorus makes it a song that feels like it will be very enjoyable to hear live. It makes the album feel motivating and interests the listener to hear it more often.

“Blackpink's most recent album 'Deadline' was pretty hyped, making them regain listeners, and I think some songs were very positive, and many people said they came back, and 'Champion' should be the new World Cup song, as Blackpink never gives up on making the best album,” says Christina Pan (6).

The final track, FXXXBOY, takes a more emotional and reflective approach. The production is mostly softer and focuses more on the vocals. It ends the album as a slow song, which differentiates it from the other tracks. The main idea is a song that symbolizes that the group has control of their feelings rather than being hurt. Making it similar to some of their previous songs like “The Happiest Girl” and “Tally”. This track mainly explores emotional independence and portrays a person who doesn’t want to follow the traditional rules of relationships.

Overall, DEADLINE is a short but very enjoyable album, and highlights BLACKPINK’s potential. The album includes catchy songs, powerful choruses, and unforgettable beats. For students at BIFU who are familiar with the group, this album offers a variety of music that is great to listen to.