Blackpink: The Biggest Girl Group in South Korea

By Paul Singh ||

Blackpink is one of the most successful girl groups in the world. They obtained their success by combining the “girl crush” aesthetic from YG Entertainment with massive digital streaming presence and strategic Western collaborations. In addition, they have also had ambassadorships with high fashion brands and an “exclusivity” strategy turning every release into a massive cultural event.

Since they were formed in 2010 and became active in 2016, they have released two albums: Their first album being The Album, which came out in 2020, and their second, Born Pink, released in 2022.

Their most famous song is “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” from 2018. The meaning behind this song is supposed to mimic the sound of gunshots, and it is supposed to hit their audience with an impactful blow showing off their talent.

The deeper meaning of this famous hit could be in the music video. Specifically, there is a burst of pink smoke that gives Lisa wings representing flight and freedom. The music video also uses bird symbolism to represent freedom with colored cockatoos that symbolize the celebration of self-love and change, and show the group’s true colors.

Rosé is seen swinging around a chandelier like she is in a bird cage. Birds represent freedom, but the cockatoos have their own meaning. Specifically, they are associated with the celebration of self-love and change. However, the Rosé-colored cockatoos symbolize fearlessness and spontaneity.

Apart from the bird symbolization, Lisa brings out her katana sword with its pink scabbard, representing strength and determination, possibly channeling her inner samurai. Furthermore, she could be referencing the movie Kill Bill, featuring a katana-wielding heroine. The katana is widely known as the weapon of choice of ancient and feudal Japanese warriors. The most striking item in the music video, however, is Jisoo’s electric pink wig. It embodies rebellion, symbolizing her true self breaking through regardless of others’ expectations, while also reflecting the image the world imposes on her.

Blackpink’s other famous song “Kill This Love” is about ending a toxic relationship. Blackpink fans speculate that the song could be referencing the breakup member Jennie had with Kai from EXO. The song is now a breakup anthem.

This breakup is expressed in the pre-chorus which was translated to English on Genius:

“Look at me Look at you who will be in more pain? / You smart, who, you are / If you cry tears of blood from both eyes / So sorry, who, you are / What should I do, I can’t stand myself being so weak / While I force myself to cover my eyes / I need to bring an end to this love”

But the most powerful verse of this song is the fourth verse. These lyrics signify the toxicity cycle from the bitter lows to the intoxicating highs that come with a dysfunctional romance:

“Feelin’ like a sinner / It’s so fire with him I go boo hoo / He said you look crazy / Thank you baby / I owe it all to you / Got me all messed up / His love is my favorite / But you plus me sadly can be dangerous”

Along with the toxicity cycle, “Kill This Love” emphasizes self-preservation, such as the necessity for self-respect, and fierce independence, such as breaking free from emotional chains. The self-preservation lyrics are expressed in the bridge:

“We all commit to love / That makes you cry / We’re all making love / That kills you inside”

In the music video, the group deliver a fierce and sexy romp with Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa, and Rosé smashing their way through this banger in leather outfits performing military-inspired dance moves.

In 2022, Blackpink released the song “Pink Venom,” which used traditional Korean instruments, such as the gayageum and the geomungo, and made it to the top of the global chart. This hit portrays self-confidence, female empowerment, and the groups duality.

In addition, the song represents the “Born Pink” identity, proving that they can deliver hard-hitting rap with lovely melodies. While blending “pink” (representing beauty and sweetness) with “venom” (representing poison and danger), Blackpink cements their dominance in the music and fashion world. There is also the desire to communicate their individuality, which is a theme that is reflected in the Born Pink album.

The group boldly takes risks, exuding both power and allure.

According to Cosmopolitan, Jennie stated, “Since our album’s title is Born Pink, we wanted to relay our identity in the song as much as we could. … Since ‘pink’ and ‘venom’ have contradicting images, we thought they were kind of reminiscent of us…we are named “Blackpink,” and contradiction is our charm – we wanted to show that. It’s pink venom, a lovely poison, it’s words that most express us.”

Unfortunately, the song was met with mixed reviews among Blackpink fans, also known as “Blinks,” on Reddit, with one saying the hype “feels nothing new to me” and that “they are capable of much more.” Another Redditer said it was “easily” their worst single yet.

While Blackpink has hits that receive overwhelmingly positive feedback from their audience, there are some songs that are not always as pleasing. However, this hardly affects the outstanding success that the group has received throughout the years.

[1] https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Cover Photo: Blackpink performing at Coachella, April 2023. (@aanglerrr (aang), [1])