Home

The Korea Herald

Latest news

Most Popular

  1. 1

    Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote

    Contentious grain bill put directly to plenary meeting for vote
  2. 2

    Yoon's approval rating plunges to all-time low

    Yoon's approval rating plunges to all-time low
  3. 3

    Will tug-of-war between doctors, government end soon?

    Will tug-of-war between doctors, government end soon?
  4. 4

    Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth

    Climate impacts set to cut 2050 global GDP by nearly a fifth
  5. 5

    Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen

    Trilateral talks acknowledge ‘serious’ slumps of won, yen
  1. 6

    [Graphic News] More Koreans say they plan long-distance trips this year

    [Graphic News] More Koreans say they plan long-distance trips this year
  2. 7

    [KH Explains] Hyundai's full hybrid edge to pay off amid slow transition to pure EVs

    [KH Explains] Hyundai's full hybrid edge to pay off amid slow transition to pure EVs
  3. 8

    North Korea removes streetlights along cross-border roads with South

    North Korea removes streetlights along cross-border roads with South
  4. 9

    Russia's denial of entry of S. Korean national unrelated to bilateral ties: Seoul official

    Russia's denial of entry of S. Korean national unrelated to bilateral ties: Seoul official
  5. 10

    Farming households dip below 1m for first time in 2023

    Farming households dip below 1m for first time in 2023
소아쌤

Black Pink members ‘Square Up’ with more power

Latest EP instantly tops charts at home and abroad

By Im Eun-byel

Published : June 15, 2018 - 14:52

    • Link copied

Black Pink came back with more power than ever before.

Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa and Rose of the K-pop act met with the press a few hours before the release of their first-ever EP, and highlighted that the new EP is all about “power.”

“The lead track’s title resembles the sound of a gunshot. But it is also like a spell -- a spell to make us strong. It has elements of hip-hop, stronger and tougher than our previous songs,” Jennie said in a press conference, where she and her bandmates talked about their goals and preparations for the record. “When we first listened to the lead track ‘Ddu-du Ddu-du,’ we all thought, ‘This is it.’”

 

Black Pink poses for photos before the press event held at CGV Cheongdam Cine City, southern Seoul on Friday. (YG Entertainment) Black Pink poses for photos before the press event held at CGV Cheongdam Cine City, southern Seoul on Friday. (YG Entertainment)

The EP also consists of “Forever Young” -- one of the two double lead tracks -- along with “Really” and “See U Later.“ Like other records of Black Pink, all the tracks were produced by hit producer Teddy, widely known for his previous works with 2NE1.

Black Pink’s emphasis on “power” is in keeping with advice of Yang Hyun-suk, the head of its agency YG Entertainment who stressed that the quartet should “show more power.”

“When we practiced the choreography, he came to see us and check if things are going alright. He told us to be powerful, putting aside a feminine touch,” Rose said.

Jisoo is sure that people will be able to see a different side of Black Pink. “Our previous tracks had a girly aspect. But this time, it’s some more hip-hop,” she said.

The new EP is the band’s first record since its latest single was dropped in June 2017. The break was longer than expected, as rookie girl bands usually release new records in six to seven months.

“It was a long time for us too. But taking a break for a year, we were able to shoot our first reality show,” Jennie said, referring to the band’s reality show “Black Pink House” which aired earlier this year.

The break also gave Black Pink some more time to prepare for the new work.

“We prepared a lot for the new EP. ‘Square Up’ has four songs, but there were originally more tracks. The preparation took a while, as we wanted to show fans better performance on stage,” Jennie said.

During the break, the band also performed at university festivals and in Japan. Through the experience, the bandmates came to understand more about stage performance. They are now more confident that they can perform better on stage.

Since its debut in 2016, Black Pink has received the spotlight in the K-pop scene, dropping hit tracks such as “Boombayah,” “As If It’s Your Last” and “Whistle.” Though “Ddu-du Ddu-du” is anticipated to bring good results, the members showed off their humble side.

“Coming back after a year, we should be thankful for people just listening to our songs. If they like them, we should be grateful,” Jennie said.

By Im Eun-byel (silverstar@heraldcorp.com)

More from Headlines