BLΛƆKPIИK is a force to be reckoned with.
With only 9 Korean singles (+1 song collaboration with Dua Lipa) and 1 Japanese studio album on their discography, these lasses have swept up a storm in Asia and are now stirring a hurricane in the United States.
Barely adjusted themselves back to the time difference in Asia (they came from New York), the quartet still showcased spectacular showmanship and remarkable energy, lashing out hit after hit with their high-octane vocals and impressive dance grooves at their 1st sold-out concert in Singapore, to a 9500-strong crowd.
Decked in shimmery pink outfits and white knee-length boots, the quartet blew the audience away opening with the immensely popular dance track “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du”.
The audience’s response was more than fervent or overwhelming with the resounding roars of cheers. It was over the top form of welcome for these girls from the usually “reserved” SG audience. The quartet was greeted by thunderous cheers & hoot calls, bobbing pink heart-shaped light sticks, with fans singing along and aloud to their dance hits, shouting fan chants as these lasses lapped it up with their energetic, sexy, feisty dance moves.
(BLACKPINK performing “Whistle”)
Their vocals are entrancing, dance moves bewitching. You will find yourself grooving along with the infectious rhythm of the songs, even if you aren’t a fan.
(BLACKPINK performing “Playing with Fire”)
Singapore Indoor Stadium was filled with fervent BLINKS (collective name of BLACKPINK’s fandom) of all ages (though mostly in their teens or early 20s), many of them clad in BLACKPINK Official Tees or in the form of “cosplay” of BLACKPINK costumes, holding placards or banners to honour the arrival of their “Queens”.
Stirring up a Storm
After 2NE1, BLACKPINK is the 2nd successful girl band from YG Entertainment. We have witnessed for ourselves why these girls are creating a storm worldwide.
Living up to their band name, the general association of pink is somewhat demure and feminine, while the color black amps up the fiercely cool images with a tinge of suaveness (帅气/멋있어요 /meosisseo). Black is bold and distinctive, which perfectly sums up how these girls managed to create a unique style of their own, amidst the cutesy girl bands dominating the KPOP scene.
There’s a good mixture of the more feminine vocals (Rosé & Jisoo) and also Jennie & Lisa who could rap so well. Isn’t that just so much like their band name where pink is more demure but black is more cool?
We can fully understand why there’s this tagline that goes “BLACKPINK is the Revolution”.
These girls are here to overturn the KPOP Girl Group scene that is mainly dominated by cutesy girl groups. Their appeal lies in their dominant, distinctive flavor – flaming hot like chili, yet a little (not overly) sweet like dark chocolate-coated strawberry at the same time.
It’s no easy feat to be different in the KPOP scene, while maintaining a strong foothold. These girls have made a good start and have fiercely dominated music charts since. Not forgetting, the quartet debuted the highest-charting single ever by a KPOP girl group on Billboards with “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du”.
I have only paid for 1 KPOP Girl Band’s concert and that was for BLACKPINK’s seniors, 2NE1. I was captivated by the music of “As If It’s your Last” when I first heard it, wondering if it was some unreleased song from 2NE1. Upon watching the MV, what came to mind immediately was, these girls must be from YG Entertainment.
There is an uncanny resemblance in terms of their hip hop, funk and pop music genre, with emphasis on vocals and rap, the members’ international backgrounds (including speaking good English). YG has infused more visual elements in BLACKPINK (Korean beauty attributes that would appeal to the general public) and a slightly softer touch compared to the exceptionally feisty image of 2NE1.
(BLACKPINK performing “Boombayah”)
We can’t deny the strong concept and packaging of 2NE1 has much influence on YG’s introduction of BLACKPINK into the music industry, in the hopes that they can scale greater heights. YG decided to go the safer route of doing what they are best at.
In order to break through the boundaries of being labelled as “2NE1 Version 2.0”, these girls need more original songs on their discography to distinguish themselves. In fact, they can hold their own flavor.
Though as the saying goes “quality versus quantity”, what’s lacking is the number of original songs to uphold a barely 2-hour long concert. While it’s not uncommon for YG artistes to repeat songs for Encore, we sincerely wished a deserving girl group like BLACKPINK, can have more songs to call their own.
These young ladies have unleashed their potential and versatility, to grow into something bigger in the music industry.
They can carry off sexy, edgy, punk, clubbing or dance tunes but at the same time also being cutie pies and sweethearts. The one good reason why it’s easier for them to dominate western countries is that they are fluent in English. English is the universal language and this is a very basic but important step for them to break into the western markets. There’s no need for a translator and this inevitably breaks any language barrier.
BLACKPINK’s dance choreographies are not overly provocative, done with a tasteful demeanor that both male and female audiences would find it so attractive and alluring. There’s plenty of groove, sleek punches in their dances as well.
(BLACKPINK performing “Boombayah”)
他们的台风稳健，气场和气势都非常霸气，很有女王风范。You can feel yourself hyped up with excitement the moment the intro music started playing, when the atmosphere in the stadium was just so high.
(BLACKPINK performing “As If It’s Your Last”)
Rosé and Lisa made it to my “good book” list the moment they stood on stage. I just love how energetic and fun loving they are. I love Rosé’s voice while Lisa’s dance moves really captivate your attention.
Their outfits are customised to suit their personalities on stage; Rosé and Jisoo being the lead vocals, donned more dresses or miniskirts to show off their feminine side, while rappers Jennie and Lisa wore more of mini shorts or pants to create the “cool suave rapper” look.
整体来说，服装设计非常完美地衬托出他们的个性。
I love how they rock the outfits, be it pairing with knee-length boots, heels or even sneakers. They were just brimming with comfort and confidence on stage. My favourite dance hits include “As If It’s Your Last”, “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du”, “Boombayah” and “Forever Young”.
They shone, even in their respective solo performances. Jisoo showed her prowess in a powerful rendition of Zedd’s ‘Clarity’, Lisa slay as she twisted and swayed her way to MISO’s ‘Take Me’ and Jason Derulo’s ‘Swalla’, Rosé performed a lovely medley of The Beatles’ “Let It Be”, Park Bom’s “You And I” and Taeyang’s “Only Look At Me”, while Jennie rocked the stage with her personal track “SOLO”.
Their vibrant, exuberant, youthful energy can be felt and transmitted to all present.
Such is youth and living your dreams.
Other than their dance tracks, they also performed 2 songs with the band, namely “Really” & “See You Later”.
The set list consisted only of about 18 songs:
1) Ddu-Du Ddu-Du
2) Forever Young
3) Stay
4) Whistle
5) Clarity (Zedd cover) (Jisoo’s solo)
6) Take Me / Swalla (Lisa’s solo)
7) Let It Be / You & I / Only Look At Me (Rosé’s solo)
8) Solo (Jennie’s solo)
9) Kiss and Make Up (Dua Lipa & BLACKPINK cover)
10) So Hot (Wonder Girls cover)
11) Playing with Fire
12) Really
13) See U Later
14) 16 Shots (Stefflon Don cover)
15) BOOMBAYAH
16) As If It’s Your LastEncore:
17) Ddu-Du Ddu-Du
18) Stay
Intermissions
Unlike many KPOP concerts, there were not many short video clips to relay the concert theme or link the performances together. There probably wasn’t any specific theme in the very first instance. “In Your Area” would logically refer to the geographic location they are performing at.
The one clip with a “story line” was pretty much a car advertisement from one of the sponsors with BLACKPINK in it. However, there was one that warmed the hearts of many present. BLINKS from all over the world recorded short clips of them singing or dancing to BLACKPINK covers. You can’t deny that BLACKPINK is indeed a revolution, to have influenced so many youngsters worldwide.
Interactions
As compared to other KPOP concerts, BLACKPINK’s fan interactions and fan service were not as extensive, probably due to lesser members. It could also be that their songs have to be performed in a continuous shot, thus leaving no interim for much engagement with fans on the left and right of the runway.
Since they spoke entirely in English, they probably tried to keep their speeches more concise. I’m sure no one would mind if they spent more time on bantering or share insights to their preparations for their solo or group performances.
The members took turns to say Hi to the audience, while Jennie and Rosé who are more eloquent in English would generally speak more.
They spoke of their excitement to be in Singapore for their very 1st concert and hope that everyone would have fun. They also expressed that they miss SG Blinks.
The very thoughtful /贴心 Rosé assured fans that they could see everyone, even on the 2nd and 3rd floor, hoping that everyone could stay safe and don’t get hurt by pushing.
Jennie expressed her wish for fans to put down their phones, so that they can enjoy their 1st concert in Singapore and so that they could also see one another’s faces.
Jisoo, who’s generally not so confident in speaking English (though she can understand fully), proclaimed her love for our famous Chili Crab.
Lisa expressed that she had been to Singapore when she was younger though it is her first time meeting BLINKS on stage. She quipped that everything about Singapore still feels the same to her, including the taste of the chili crab.
Rosé suggested that since it’s an amazingly big crowd, they would like the audience to do a Mexican wave. Well, we wished Rosé know that Singapore has a very famous Kallang Wave too.
The 1 fan project that they had was to sing a BD song for Rosé whose birthday was on 11 February. However, it wasn’t that well coordinated. You could hear some singing from all areas but not in unison. It took a while before Rosé finally made out the BD song and she was obviously elated, expressing her heartfelt thanks that fans have spoiled her bad with all the support.
Perhaps fans can consider put slips of paper on the audience seats the next round for such fan projects. Nonetheless, it is still a very good try, at least Rosé appreciated it!
It was only when the girls performed a ballad “Stay”, then did they get a chance to sit down and really look around the stadium at all their fans.
(BLACKPINK performing “Stay”)
Jisoo – The Playful Unnie
She may be Unnie of the group but she’s like a maknae who’s extremely playful, especially with the accompaniment of Lisa.
She doesn’t mind being goofy since she’s the mood maker. She bears a resemblance to Dara of 2NE1 as well, in terms of her looks and the way they carry themselves.
She’s possibly the most underrated in the group. While the other 3 girls have got very distinctive strengths, she stays somewhere in the middle. However after watching her solo performance of Zedd’s “Clarity”, you would agree that her slightly husky voice is pretty sexy and alluring. She’s also capable of hitting some high notes well.
Jisoo’s vocal range is between a bass-like medium-low and a soprano, which we would most likely term a “Mezzo”. Her powerful, sexy, slightly husky, bass voice complements Rose’s higher vocal range.
(Jisoo performing “Clarity”)
Lisa – The Dance Queen with a Lovable Personality
Lisa Manoban, the lead dancer and main rapper of BLACKPINK. I would call her the “Dance Queen” of the quartet. She’s a combination of cool and warm when she’s on stage, making it seem so effortless switching between hip hop street dances to sensual dancing.
Her solo dance segment is undoubtedly my favourite among the 4 solo performances. Her rendition of MISO’s ‘Take Me’ and Jason Derulo’s ‘Swalla’ was simply captivating.
(Lisa performing “Take Me” & Swalla”)
She’s feisty, cool, sassy and absolutely charming with her enchanting dance moves and sleek punches. That overflowing sense of confidence in owning the stage and capturing all of the audience’s attention. Her groves are like a 蛇美人 and with that 水蛇腰, she could just charm anyone.
(Lisa performing “Take Me” & Swalla”)
Hip Hop street style dressing probably suits her best, but she’s able to carry off cute and edgy styles too.
Personality wise, she’s a very bubbly and cheerful girl. She brings sunshine and laughter everywhere she goes. She exudes the feeling of being the “man” of the group where she showcased not just her cool dance moves and raps, but also in the way she interacts with her band mates. She’s like a mischievous and cheeky little boy who would go around “disturbing” and playing pranks on her band mates. She loves to put her arms around their shoulders too, especially Rosé.
They would make a very compatible couple if Lisa were a guy.
Rosé – The Vocalist with a Nectar-Sweet Voice
She’s one of the lead vocalists and her distinctive honey, sweet voice allows one to distinguish her quite easily. She’s got a demure and gentle disposition and everything about her is just so graceful. 一切都能处理得面面俱到。Not forgetting, she has a beautiful smile that melts hearts.
My first impression was that, she looks very much like Ha Ji Won and Sharon Chan (陈敏之).
From her little actions, you can tell that she‘s a thoughtful person. She expressed and reiterated her concern for fans to stay safe while watching their performance.
Listening to Rosé sing to The Beatles’ “Let It Be”, Park Bom’s “You And I” and Taeyang’s “Only Look At Me”, was a heart and mind soothing process. It was a pure enjoyment basking in her lovely vocal, just like how it would alleviate stress and tiredness after a long week.
(Rosé performing “Let It Be”, “You & I” and “Only Look at Me”)
Jennie – The Ice Princess
She’s one of the 2 main rappers in BLACKPINK. She’s also the fashionista of the quartet, who’s able to carry off many designer outfits effortlessly with her cool, chic image.
She exudes a very cool “icy princess” image, which makes fans want to draw their “distance” nearer to this lady.
Nonetheless, she also swoons many with her adorable and warm smiles while acknowledging fans’ screaming her name.
We assumed she had given at least 90% of her all at the concert, since we did not witness any “lazy dancing”, though just a couple of moments when she looked weary and drifted off. That’s understandable since they didn’t have much time to adjust to the jet lag.
Though she’s the main rapper, she sings fairly well and has a strong enough stage presence to be the 1st in BLACKPINK to launch a solo album.
(Jennie performing “Solo”)
She’s also someone who would express her thoughts and feelings directly. She repeatedly asked fans to keep their mobile phones so that they could enjoy the concert. However, how would the fans who had so little chances to catch them up front give up on this once in a blue moon opportunity?
After thoughts
We do not need something too polished or sophisticated from BLACKPINK at this point in time, such as Mariah Carey’s high-octaves dolphin pitch range. They are awesome as it is for their maiden concert. Practice makes perfect anyway.
There’s room for improvement in terms of reinforcing their unique styles in music, not anybody else’s clone.
At the final ment before the Encore, the quartet said they had so much fun at their 1st SG concert and hope that Blinks would wait for them to return.
These girls are capable of more, but it’s a pity that they did not have enough songs to fill up a 2-hour long concert. As some would say, this felt more like a showcase. If they had more original songs under their belts, it would feel more like a concert.
To put it more aptly, it felt like you only watched Part 1 of “Avengers 4” and you need to stretch your neck long for Part 2.
They just recently mentioned on “Good Morning, America” that they would make a comeback with new tracks this year. We look forward to new tracks with stronger BLACKPINK flavor and a more “complete” world tour.
Nevertheless, there’s no reason why these young, pretty ladies with high-spirited performances, zestful vigor and distinctive stage presence, would not sell out albums or concerts.
So here they are, to take the world, step by step.
Make way, cutesy girl groups, the BLACKPINK era has arrived.
And they are here to rule.
It makes one ponder in anticipation, which is the next card they would play?
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