REVIEW: BLACKPINK-THE ALBUM

 

4/5

Blackpink Is The Colour. 

South Korea rules the entertainment world right now. You think that's wrong? It's time you got the 'Best Picture' like Bong Joon-ho's 'Parasite', that not only changed the Academy Award it won for 'Best International Feature Film' (no longer foreign to anybody...even those Trump's who can't see subtitles, or two inches. Do better soon Mr. President), but also the Oscar game as its greatest movie. Joon-ho's own cult, classic 'Snowpiercer' even got remade on the other side of the tracks for a Netflix season this year. And if you thought Korean cinema had run out of rail (have you even seen 'Brotherhood', 'The Villainess', or 'The Handmaiden'?) then how about the tracks of 'Peninsula'? The surprisingly still on course sequel to the zombie genre redefining, claustrophobic carnage carriages of the 'Train To Busan' and its animated 'Seoul Station' prequel. And that's just movies. This writer even started his Far East journey to Japan here, this time last year...and he hasn't looked back since. Although he has to more than a decade ago when he met the love of his life at 21, by way of South Korea. Now in awe of all these amazing acts ruling the world and showing no fears to the tears that marr and mark this country and continent in the darkness of depression and its suicide epidemic that even touches many of music and movies biggest stars, shamed by social media. Because that problem hits a little closer to home...in more ways than one. Showing heart to all the hurt. Because there's even more Seoul in music. Just when you thought the Beatlemania like Colbert juggernaut of K-Pop sensation BTS couldn't get any bigger. Empowering the world, telling them and everyone in the United Nations to 'Love Themselves' like you do a 'Spring Day', these Bangtan Boys stayed gold and fused the biggest single of their already huge hit of a career with the explosive, English 'Dynamite'. Breaking both daily YouTube and Spotify records. Even unravelling Taylor Swift's 'Cardigan' with 7.778 Spotify streams. Mission Impossible? No this fuse is Tom Cruise. And you thought that amazing Agust D album was the start of the break like a Rap Monster '.mono' mixtape of 'Forever Rain' from RM. Well this is the Suga as they truly breakout. Next stop, Grammys. Just like the 4AM zoning of singer/songwriter KATIE's echoing talent, or the haze of Heize. You think the American dream is still King like "jump up to the top LeBron?" Wake up!  'Excuse Me Miss', remember when Jay-Z said "only dudes movin' units: Em, Pimp Juice (Nelly...of course) and us" on 'The Blueprint 2'? Well now it's just these pop idols who can even spit bars better than most of todays hip-hop heads. Remember when rappers would take their talents over any adversity like Kanye West rapping 'Through The Wire' with his moth closed shut like you wish it would be now? Or Shyne recording verses on a prison phone because he wouldn't talk? Now it's mostly rappers who mumble worse than me in a face mask. Korean pop groups are bubbling like the NBA in Disney World or popcorn neon like once, TWICE, three times a girl group. And then there's Blackpink. The only band bigger right now is their Seoul brothers...and they may be Tower Records bigger than Jesus like Lennon said. Imagine. But with these girls singing for 'Sour Candy' on Lady Gaga's gargantuan 'Chromatica' pop art classic, a new set of stars are born. 

Women in Music Part 2020. Like the greatest album of the calendar, from the sister, Summer Valley girls of Haim ('WIMPIII'), this may have been the worst year of our lives, but it's also been a best one for studio quarantined music and the year of the woman who know alone like no one else does, but still come back like hallelujah gasoline (how about the latest Great Western Forum video live for Jimmy Kimmel at a distance, that's as Los Angeles as the Lakers?). All to pick us up off the floor ever since Norah Jones (who knows it 'Hurts To Be Alone' with her own solo set this Summer) followed a 'Dear Santa' Christmas EP under the tree with Catherine Popper and Sasha Dobson with the second album from her Puss N Boots supergroup to start a 2020 we never saw coming. And then Best Coast reformed with a 'Hotel California' Eagles, hell freezing over cover for 'Always Tomorrow' and Jezabel Hayley Mary went 'Piss' and 'Perfume' solo. All before a hot Summer of Gaga 'Chromatica', Phoebe Bridgers' 'Punisher', Lianne La Havas' incredible name, Taylor Swift's surprise 'Folklore' out of the woods and of course Haim. Even over the last few weeks of a fading Summer, we've had a new self finding album from 'Alicia' Keys and J Pop megastar Aimyon who 'Heard That There's Good Pasta'. And who knows? Maybe we will get something from gangster Nancy Sinatra starlet Lana Del Rey next week?! But this is now. And from the moment the big bass beat of 'How You Like That' comes into opening play, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa who owned Gaga's candy with the opening, sour lyrics, "I'm sour candy, so sweet that I get a little angry. I'm super psycho, make you crazy when I turn the lights low" like "yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah", master this one like "kissing you goodbye." Or the MTV music video that has more Hollywood production than a Gaga or Lady Madonna. "Bara bing. Bara, boom, boom, boom." All the way to the stunning, sophomore single and the second big collabo with American superstar Selena Gomez and its equally glistening like bright candy music video, no sour. Even brighter than a BTS 'Boy With Luv' and Halsey (and one). For this sweet and fresh popsicle hit and lick 'Ice Cream' that comes spinning and singing in like a truck that will have everyone to Eddie Murphy screaming "ICE CREAM". When they sing, "come a little closer, 'cause you're looking thirsty", sounding "kiss me hard in the pouring rain" like they just said f#####g. No problem. The following lyrics from these pop princesses going for the throne, "I'm a make it better, sip it like a Slurpee/Snow cone chilly/Free it like Willy (nice movie reference)/In the jeans like Billie (OH! But the kid is still not my son)", could even make Prince blush. I guess it just a sign 'o' the times. 

'Pretty Savage' like the snare kick of said song. Because this act like the B to the T, to the S show that K-Pop traps as much hip-hop as it does family friendly, popular music. And they don't need to work with 'Hustlers' own Cardi B to stay on that strip. Although I 'Bet You Wanna' when it comes to this jam and another classic collabo with the 'Money' singer that likes nothing more than getting checks. Not even morning sex. Diamonds on their neck these Korean Queens were born to flex. But with its new release on the same day as 'The Album' and its vibrant video, these 'Lovesick Girls' have given us a new national anthem like 'Pinot Grigo Girls'. Take a sip. Becoming the fastest Korean girls M/V to surpass 10 million views. Doing it in less than an hour. 53 minutes to on the clock be exact. Hold on BTS...they're coming. Between these two they could really crash the internet, no Kardashian. These aren't music videos. They're movies. Now what's the big hit? Singing, "No love letters, no X and O's/No love, never, my exes know/No diamond rings, that set in stone/To the left, better left alone". All to the "We are the lovesick girls. We were born to be alone" celebratory chorus for the girls that "didn't want to be a princess (I'm sorry...my bad) I'm priceless/A prince not even on my list." On the 'Friction' Imagine Dragons, Arabian like rhythms of 'Crazy Over You', Pink exclamation experiments with more rapped up beats that kick and push like Lupe loops sure to create a fiasco in the clubs, like riding through on a skateboard. Before 'Love To Hate Me' is a song you'll despise to do anything but adore in its pure pop, auditory atmosphere. "Wake up and make up" (maybe?) as Black rises from the ashes and like a Guinness World Record breaking single 'Kills This Love' like "Rum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum, pum" or their 'Square One' debut album. Well square two really is something. All the way to the beautiful ballad closer 'You Never Know' for your EDM hit from the YG Family. "But you'll never know unless you walk in my shoes" mic dropping and walking away with lasting lyrics like, "Cause everybody sees what they wanna see/It's easier to judge me than to believe." Aint that the truth. Sure this eight track wonder of an album halfway between an extended play and LP only plays for 24 minutes, but in 2020 what numbers are more poignantly powerful than that one forever and a day or the infinite 8 For Kobe? Let's face it like Gaga, K-Pop has saved pop and probably the music industry as a streaming around the world whole. And look whose right there in capes. BLACKPINK! The pink neon crown is theirs like the print of rap queen Nicki Minaj rhyming with idols for these superwomen, girls on fire like Keys. "Look up in the sky. It's a bird. It's a plane." Blackpink and 'The Album' we've all been waiting for is in your area. Now how you like that? TIM DAVID HARVEY. 

Playlist Picks: 'How You Like That', 'Ice Cream (Feat. Selena Gomez)', 'Lovesick Girls'.