After a two-year hiatus, Blackpink has returned with Pink Venom, the first single from their second album, “Born Pink”, which is set for release on September 16. The accompanying music video for the song garnered more than 140 million views on YouTube within three days.
Pink Venom, which dropped on Friday, is an unapologetic love letter to Korean culture through its combination of traditional and futuristic elements. The video also highlights the dance moves, strong vocals and trendsetting style that the group is known for.
The song opens with a gayageum, a traditional Korean plucked zither, before leading into the electropop of the second verse.
As the Korean zither plays in minor chords, Jennie sings “I talk that talk, runways I walk, walk”, radiating the girl group’s dominance and confidence as they make their comeback.
Rosé sings “look what you made me do” against accelerating background beats, announcing a new era of Blackpink similar to how Taylor Swift did so in her 2017 hit of the same name.
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This opening is just the start of a fascinating, powerful fusion of traditional instrumentation, heavy pop transitions, late-90s English rap, and Blackpink’s signature chilling vocals.
Understandably, the creative fusion creates chaos at certain points in the song, where different genres lack smooth transitions at times. Music styles that were popular decades apart suddenly exist within 10 seconds of each other.
For example, Lisa and Jennie’s rap in verse two takes the pop song into an abrupt U-turn as it becomes a late-90s Eminem-style rap.
Many K-pop groups are producing formulaic songs as a safe way to please fans. Typical Blackpink songs, such as Boombayah or See U Later, feature sassy lyrics and strong pop vocals. But with Pink Venom, Blackpink did not choose to play it safe.
As it carries listeners through wildly contrasting eras and genres, the single explores what a multiverse song would sound like in a year defined by multiverse films (Spider-Man: No Way Home and Everything Everywhere All at Once, to just name two).
Even the video’s visuals take viewers on a wild ride. As the music video is said to have received the highest production budget spent by YG Entertainment to date, the video has at least 10 sets and 20 wardrobe changes.
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But these extravagant sets and outfits serve to communicate each member’s individuality and vision.
Jisoo’s bedazzled hanbok with a contemporary spin is a playful nod to her background, as she is the only group member who was raised in Korea. Jennie, sporting a braided headband in a vivid-red, leopard-printed dress, struts down a red carpet and effortlessly exudes charisma and confidence.
Lisa’s street party outfit perfectly encapsulates her killer charm, as thick gold chains swing around her neck as she raps. In an all-black outfit, Rosé strums her electric guitar, as she shows off her skills in playing instruments.
Near the video’s end, the set is a fantastical neon jungle universe, where the group is clad in black military-style outfits as they dance in a shallow puddle, making splashes with their synchronised choreography. This scene is perhaps a nod to the sets in Blackpink’s previous video for Ready for Love, which was in collaboration with PUBG Mobile.
Despite its sometimes disorienting style, Pink Venom is overall a song and video of beautiful chaos. It is a form of bold experimentation worth lauding for its defiance of musical traditions and boundaries, while highlighting all the things Blackpink does best.
