BLACKPINK (λΈλνν¬) - KILL THIS LOVE (2nd Mini Album) [COMEBACK REVIEW]
By K-Pop Rambles - May 18, 2019
One thing we can all agree on is that the past few months in K-Pop have had NO CHILL WHATSOEVER.
SERIOUSLY. There have been so many fucking comebacks for me to try and keep up with - THE SPRING COMEBACK REVIEW LOOKS LIKE IT'S GOING TO BE THREE PARTS LONG. YEAH.
But I've got two big albums to cover before we get into that whole set of shenanigans - I'll say it now, they're both girl groups. (Being blatantly honest, I'm not interested enough in BTS to do a full comeback review of Persona; "Boy With Luv" will be in the spring comeback review.) And this is the first one - BLACKPINK's first comeback since last summer.
Now, of course, I want to admit before we start that I am a Blink. I do like BLACKPINK quite a lot. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to write this whole review from that perspective; I'm going to do my best to be as equal and open-minded as possible here. Yes, there will be some fangirling on my part, because I can't help it. But I'm going to do my best to remain as impartial as I can. It's more fun that way!
I've admittedly put this review off for long enough (because finals are a bitch), so let's not fuck around any longer and finally take a look at Kill This Love.
1 - KILL THIS LOVE [TITLE]
...okay, so I know I said I'm going to be as impartial as possible here, but... I did also say there would be a bit of fangirling, so let's get that out of the way first, shall we?
Holy mother of FUCK this is going to be a contender for my song of the year.
From a Blink's perspective, I do not get a single ounce of the hate for this song. It fucking SLAPS. Did y'all hear that brass line, or are we listening to different songs?? Because while a good brass line is a surefire way to get into my heart, it gives the song so much raw power and poise that it's impossible for me to hate this. Hell, it's impossible for me to even dislike it. This is the first comeback I've actually prepared for, which included me watching the V LIVE stream the hour before the video came out. So I was already hyped. And then "Kill This Love" managed to meet pretty much all of my expectations! I was... super impressed by that. I stand by my opinion that I shared on Twitter a few weeks back; this is BLACKPINK's best title track by far, and one of the best songs they've ever released. Whilst "DDU-DU DDU-DU" admittedly wore off on me a bit over time, I don't know if that's going to happen with "Kill This Love". Every time I listen to it, I get just as hyped as the first time I heard it. It's fucking amazing.
But now, let's be more impartial and look at it from a musical perspective. Why do I like it so much, whilst others detest it or say it's nothing special? Well, I feel like that's mainly because of the structure. I've heard so many different people say that "Kill This Love" feels like an absolute mess; it has no consistency or flow, and just feels like multiple songs mashed together. And yet, some of the most popular and well-known songs in K-Pop are examples of that trope - look at Girls' Generation's "I Got A Boy"! I don't think I've ever seen someone who dislikes that song. I even love it! It knows what it wants to be, and has fun with it. And yeah, I wouldn't say that "Kill This Love" has fun with its concept - it... moreso wants to break your door down with its power and charisma. WHICH IS COMPLETELY FINE BY ME, BLACKPINK CAN STEP ON ME.
But to go off on a bit of a tangent real quick, because of the huge rise of social media (and most importantly, stan culture), hate is going to seem more prominent than ever - especially with a group as big as BLACKPINK. But that doesn't mean you can't like "Kill This Love" for what it is. I love seeing people discuss what they do and don't like about a song, because that promotes healthy discussion. But throwing around hate for the sake of it is what really bugs me; and unfortunately, I did see a lot of that with this comeback. But sometimes you just have to brush it under the rug and enjoy what you enjoy. If you don't like this song? Great! That's your opinion. If you love it just like I do? Fantastic! You also have an opinion! Basically, don't be a dick to someone who doesn't agree with you.
ANYWAY, back to the song. I see what people mean when they say it lacks structure, but that's exactly why people like "I Got A Boy" so much; it subverts your expectations, and feels so distinctively... K-Pop, if you get what I mean. It's meant to be flashy and in-your-face; the labels behind these songs couldn't give less of a shit about structure. It's something that the genre is known for, and something I quite like to see when it's done well. One problem I do have with this song, however, is its ending; I do feel like it ends too quickly, although I'll admit the problem goes away the more you listen to it. The more accustomed you become to the song, the more you expect the ending and the less abrupt it feels.
But hey, lack of structure or not, all four of the girls sound great here! Jennie sounds fantastic in her lower range (as she always does), Lisa's rap is just as charismatic as it's ever been, Jisoo sounds downright royal, and RosΓ©? Man, this is RosΓ©'s ERA. Her vocals here are so powerful and charismatic that I honestly love watching loops of her parts from live performances. She suits this concept so fucking well.
The lyrics are pretty alright, too. They give off this very conflicted vibe of being in a relationship that you know is dangerous and probably quite bad for you, but you actually like the danger, and want to stick around regardless. I'm not even going to get into the whole controversy that came up with the lyrics and photobook pictures, because I've rambled enough as it is. If you take the lyrics at a superficial level - as they were probably intended in the first place - they're an interesting spin on a typical breakup/love song. And for once, I don't feel like the English sections are out of place! That's definitely an achievement in my eyes.
There's no answer to this test, I'll always fall for it
I'm a slave to my emotions
Screw this heartless love
I know it already feels like I've written an essay's worth of content, but that's just the song and lyrics. What about the choreography here? Do I like it as much as the song?
This routine is just as powerful as the song it's choreographed for. It's not mind-blowing or anything, but it's definitely great in my eyes. There are so many little details and hand/arm movements that definitely tell you that Kiel Tutin was involved; which, yeah, we already know he was. It's a trademark of his style. And goddammit, it WORKS here. Every single little beat is hit or at the very least touched upon, and it's super satisfying to watch. I don't think I could imagine another choreography to go with "Kill This Love"; this one just seems so well crafted and has so much effort put into it that I wouldn't WANT any other choreography. This one is perfect. It's powerful, it's sassy, and it's exquisitely detailed. Sounds great to me!
And I don't care if it's been said a million times: RosΓ©'s hair is the 5th member of BLACKPINK. THEM EXTENSIONS THO.
All in all, "Kill This Love" knocked it out of the park for me. It met - and honestly surpassed - all of the expectations I had going in, which were already sky-high. I really hope this is the standard BLACKPINK adhere to in the future, because I'll be a very fucking proud Blink if they do.
2. DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO [SUB-TITLE]
Next, in what's seeming to be a tradition for BLACKPINK, we have the side track - "Don't Know What To Do". And I'm going to say it straight away - no, this shouldn't have been the title track. It works best as a side track, in my opinion. The song is nice, yes, but title track material it is not.
What it IS, though, is a surprisingly emotional yet upbeat breakup song. The more natural elements are a nice surprise, with the acoustic guitar chords and finger snaps adding a nice sense of flow. There's also the fact that those synths in the chorus make this a pretty anthemic song, since the chorus just explodes after the great build-up in the bridge. The way the instrumental dips in and out is particularly effective. "Don't Know What To Do" almost reminds me a bit of G-Dragon's "Crooked" in its tone; you know, you listen to it for the first time, and think it's a party song. Then you look up the lyrics and you realise that it's not.
But the biggest thing giving away that this is actually a breakup song is the girls' vocals. All of them sound surprisingly emotional here - Jennie even sounds like she's going to burst into tears at some points! (Hopefully that's not actually because of her own breakup, which, if it is, then dammit I want to hug her.) There's also the fact that RosΓ©'s doing her best Avril Lavigne impression in her first chorus, which is honestly SUCH a great sound for her. It's making me hope her solo has a rockier edge to it... Lisa's raps are still quite steady and have a good flow, but are surprisingly toned down for her - and her vocals sound great too! And Jisoo basically carries the choruses, if you ask me - her falsetto gives them that extra melodic hook they need, and she sounds fantastic.
The lyrics are quite good, too! Just like the song, they're surprisingly emotional, and focus on some of the smaller details (which is something I always like). They've got just the right amount of emotion to them without feeling overdone, sappy or cringey.
Wondering if the phone might ring
I hate myself for anticipating [it] uselessly
The tick-tock of my clock is especially bothering me
But thanks to this song's status as a side track, we've got choreography to look at here too. And... I may just like this just as much - if not even more - than "Kill This Love"'s choreography. And THAT'S saying something.
This routine is the definition of satisfying to me. It's so... dynamic, so fluid, and with so many little details and extra bits that they didn't have to add. But they did. And it's SO much better for it. There's a lot of floor sections, which means it must be fucking exhausting to do (especially since BLACKPINK normally seem to sing live in some shape or form), but the girls look effortless regardless. It's a very unique routine, and one that just gets better and better every time I watch it. I keep finding new little details, and that just makes it even more enjoyable for me.
So while I don't think "Don't Know What To Do" is title material, it's certainly fantastic as a side track. Hell, I'm glad it's the side track, because it means we still got to see choreography for it. It fits in very nicely!
3. KICK IT
With both promoted tracks out of the way, we still have two new songs and a remix to look at. And the first of those two new songs is "Kick It", which the girls actually ended up performing as part of their set at Coachella. But while I do like the song - it's fun, with a nice chill vibe in places and a powerful one in others - it's... probably my least favourite song on the album. But that's just because I like all the other songs so much! So don't take that as a bad thing. I just find it to be pretty standard.
"Kick It" makes ample use of a really strong bassline in its instrumental, as well as some interesting drums and guitar melodies. But the bass is particularly strong here, and it'll be one of the first things you notice if you're listening with a good pair of headphones. The melody honestly has a really nice rhythm in places - it can change from being quite slow and steady to a little quicker and even quite anthemic towards the end. That chanting English section before the final chorus is awesome. The girls definitely supplement this power with their vocal delivery; Lisa's rap in particular is really nice. In all English, too! And it's not cringey, which is... certainly new for BLACKPINK.
Speaking of English, the lyrics for this song have about as much of it as you'd expect. It's used pretty frequently, but never feels out of place or unneccessary, which is always good. And the lyrics themselves are alright; they're pretty much what you'd expect from any empowerment anthem, but they're certainly fitting of BLACKPINK's overall image.
Speaking of English, the lyrics for this song have about as much of it as you'd expect. It's used pretty frequently, but never feels out of place or unneccessary, which is always good. And the lyrics themselves are alright; they're pretty much what you'd expect from any empowerment anthem, but they're certainly fitting of BLACKPINK's overall image.
The dark night might take me away
But now I can dance for myself
I'll jump over the wall that is you
But yeah, "Kick It" is a song I honestly don't have a lot of opinions on. It's a good song, for sure. But it just feels very... normal for BLACKPINK at this point, for lack of a better word? It's the sort of song that you'd expect from them nowadays, and while I do like the song quite a bit, it's nothing too special. I still recommend giving it a listen if you're interested, though.
4. HOPE NOT (μλκΈΈ)
Ironically enough, we're going from my least favourite song on the album to what's probably my favourite. Yeah, I love "Kill This Love" to bits - but I'm not including that here. Out of all the side tracks on this album, "Hope Not" is the best of them. Straight up.
That says a lot considering how minimal this song really is; all it's really got is the girls' vocals, some harmonies and an electric guitar riff in the background. But that's all it needs. Then you look at the credits for this song and you realise why it probably works so well - Lydia Paek was involved in the production of this. And she definitely knows what she's doing. Hell, I like her cover of Taeyang's "Eyes Nose Lips" more than the original. She's talented as shit. And I'm delighted to see her create something for BLACKPINK, because "Hope Not" is gorgeous. It's actually a really well-done ballad, one that's not too caught up in its own misery and expecting us to take it seriously. It's very real and sincere, whilst being emotional and heartfelt at the same time. There's a lot going on here, which you wouldn't think from just listening to the instrumental.
The girls once again sound surprisingly good here; they showed their emotional sides on "Don't Know What To Do", but I actually like the approach here just as much. They're not quite as emotional vocal-wise on "Hope Not", but the approach each of them takes with their performance is really damn pleasing to listen to, ranging from hushed melodies in their lower range to more emotional belting in the choruses. It's a great contrast, and sounds gorgeous when you put it all together. Unfortunately, my main problem with this song also lies in the vocals - the autotune. It's just not needed. It's making RosΓ© sound like she's either slurring her words together or singing underwater. Possibly both. You can hear it very clearly in a few places, and for a song that's attempting to be a lot more natural and stripped back, it really, really doesn't work. Especially when it's so thick. But I'm glad to say that's my only problem with the song; the rest of it is all excellent in my eyes!
Especially when it comes to the lyrics. I might need a plaster for my heart after reading them, because ouch. Yes, this is a breakup song, a ballad - but it's certainly an unconventional one. Instead of talking about how depressed the breakup has left them feeling, or being angry at their ex, or being empowered now that they're on their own again, "Hope Not" actually has a really sweet sentiment behind it. They don't know where their ex is now, or who they're with. The girls are just grateful that the relationship happened. And whilst they admit both parties made mistakes in the relationship itself, they hope their ex doesn't forget them and the times they had together.
OUCH. MY FUCKING FEELS.
For you, I'm okay with being hurt
Since I only gave you pain during the time we were together
But you, the love you want
You need to meet someone better than me, and be happy
But I hope not to the point where you forget me
I don't give a damn if you find that cheesy or cringey, I think it's sentimental as fuck, and a really damn good piece of songwriting. Overall, I find it to be more effective than "Don't Know What To Do" in terms of emotional power; it's more powerful than any slow song BLACKPINK's done, even if there aren't that many of them. This is their best yet.
I don't think I have to spell it out when I say I love this song to bits. It's probably my most listened-to song on the album, besides "Kill This Love". It just stands out so much, both because of how much it can do with so little, and because of its phenomenal lyrics. It's goddamn gorgeous, and a serious contender for my side tracks list at the end of this year. π
I don't think I have to spell it out when I say I love this song to bits. It's probably my most listened-to song on the album, besides "Kill This Love". It just stands out so much, both because of how much it can do with so little, and because of its phenomenal lyrics. It's goddamn gorgeous, and a serious contender for my side tracks list at the end of this year. π
5. DDU-DU DDU-DU (λλλλ) [REMIX]
To end off the album, we have a remix of "DDU-DU DDU-DU". Because of course we do, it's YG, what would you expect at this point?
But this is actually alright in my eyes, because this remix is actually fucking awesome. I've seen a lot of people say that they don't like it, but as someone who listens to EDM pretty regularly, this is my shit. It did feel a bit messy on the first listen, but there are some parts of this remix that are so goddamn hype, I'm majorly pissed they didn't perform it at Coachella. Seriously. THIS WOULD'VE SLAPPED, WHY DID YOU NOT DO IT. Although apparently they were performing it on their NA tour, but it was just as an encore. Why. I'd love to see some switched up choreography for this, please YG I'm begging you. ;-; (The electric guitars they added in sounded AMAZING though. Like wow.)
The more you listen to this, the more you get into it. For real. Jennie's rap section is honestly better than the original version, purely because of that use of the 808 bass. My jaw was on the goddamn floor listening to it for the first time, that shit went HARD. There's not really much else to talk about here - if you want to hear my (albeit very hyped at the time) thoughts on "DDU-DU DDU-DU" I talked about it back in my autumn comeback review last year. The remix is just a better version of it, if you ask me. It's got so much hype behind it that I can't help but love it.
And that's the entire album! Unfortunately BLACKPINK's albums are so short and few and far between that I feel like I need to savour each release. But now that they're really gathering momentum in the West, maybe - just maybe - we'll get another comeback this year? I mean I don't want to curse it, but a bitch can dream. π
•••••
ALL SOURCES FOR THE ENGLISH LYRICS I USED IN THIS REVIEW:
COVER IMAGE CREDITS:
Edited photo frame from KILL THIS LOVE album cover - me (yes I'm crediting myself here because bitch it took FOREVER)
BLACKPINK PNGs - Soshiloverexid on deviantArt
![[gif source]](https://media1.giphy.com/media/l41YeMCGgItRcBQFa/giphy.gif){kind=link}