Album: THE ALBUM
Artist: BLACKPINK
Release Date: October 2, 2020
Genre: Pop/EDM/Hip Hop
Length: 0:24:26
Label: YG Entertainment/Interscope Records
Producer: Teddy/Tommy Brown/Mr. Franks/R. Tee/24/Future Bounce/Tushar Apte/Rob Grimaldi
A typical K-Pop album, nothing more nothing less...
The debut Korean album from K-Pop group, BLACKPINK, THE ALBUM was written, recorded and produced entirely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Two songs on the album, "How You Like That" and "Lovesick Girls" both reached top 40 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
THE ALBUM opens up with lead single "How You Like That". Starting with frantic orchestral jabs, the group states "BLACKPINK in your area", then tones down the intensity. The Korean and English lyrics combine in an explosion of power in the chorus. An extremely catchy hook, bass, and melody, the track never dies down during its entire three minutes except during the pre-chorus. The song exudes performance quality in mind, focusing mainly on choreographed dances and flashy visuals, elements that have become a staple in K-Pop music.
The second track of the record, "Ice Cream" features Selena Gomez contriuting a major part of the song's vocal parts. "Ice Cream" opens with heart-pounding bass booms and a classic EDM type of synth beat. The song, while isn't necessarily bad, is nothing extraordinary or different from the typical sound of Pop EDM.
The group BLACKPINK has two sides to their artistry. One side is BLACK and the other is PINK. The third track addressing their opposition and haters, "Pretty Savage" is a focus on the BLACK side of their personalities. The track features once again a mix of Korean and English lyrics, all discussing things that have happened in their careers and the response to their haters. The self-empowering jam focuses a lot on the catchy hip-hop sound, along with the power of the bass which tries to hide the unoriginal aspects of the song.
The fourth track is a Cardi B feature, "Bet You Wanna", and starts off with an acoustic guitar riff. The song gives a vastly different vibe than the previous tracks with less gut-busting bass. Instead, the song focuses on the lyrics and catchiness rather than the EDM rave-like qualities of prior tracks. While the Cardi B verse is far from memorable, it does provide a nice contrast to BLACKPINK's voices. Overall this song is forgettable, but it does give a nice relief from the head-pounding aspect and unoriginal sound of the previous tracks.
The second single released for the album, "Lovesick Girls", is an almost pop-punk-like song with EDM influences. The song is the first on the album in which all members of BLACKPINK are easily heard in the chorus. While it still isn't anything different or unique, the energetic quality of the song does give a dance feel that is sure to make you move in your seat.
One really talented thing about BLACKPINK is the seamless ability to utilize Korean and English in their songs. Located out of South Korea but also needing to appeal to western culture, BLACKPINK has found the perfect mix of both languages. A lot of the tracks on THE ALBUM are in Korean with some various English lyrics thrown in, but some songs like "Crazy Over You" are entirely in English. No matter what language they are in, the songs are catchy and enjoyable to listen to, even if they aren't spectacular or innovative.
While this album isn't bad, it just doesn't do anything special for me. It has some great tracks, but overall every track adopts the same type of feel and doesn't give anything new to further the genre. Each track would pair perfectly with a live performance or a music video, which K-Pop has grown to perfect. Across the entire album, I noticed myself bobbing my head, but I probably wouldn't listen to THE ALBUM in its entirety again, maybe just a few songs when I'm feeling in an overly energetic mood. I wouldn't recommend this album unless you are a diehard BLINK fan and don't get bored with repetitive beats throughout an eight track album length...
Favorite Songs: "How You Like That", "Lovesick Girls"
Least Favorite Songs: "You Never Know"
Production Quality:
Mix = 5/10 (Uninteresting as the record goes on through the songs)
Innovation = 3.5/10
Songwriting Quality:
Arrangement = 5/10
Lyricism = 6/10 (Some personal lyrics about growth, but overall nothing too complex)
Instrumentation Quality:
Vocal Timbre = 8/10 (Great mix of different members' voices)
Instrumental Timbre = 7.5/10 (Cool sounds throughout, but sometimes the beat gets boring as it doesn't change throughout each respective song)
Group Chemistry = 7/10
Overall Likability:
My Personal Rating = 4.5/10
Overall Rating: 5.6/10
Any confusion on how the rating is weighted/calculated, please look at my "About" page.
Remember this is all my opinion! Let me know if you agree, disagree or have any comments!