''Square Up'' is the first Korean
extended play
An extended play record, usually referred to as an EP, is a musical recording that contains more tracks than a single but fewer than an album or LP record. (second overall) by South Korean girl group
Blackpink
Blackpink (, commonly stylized in all caps or as BLɅϽKPIИK) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, consisting of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. The group debuted in August 2016 with their single album '' Square ...
, released on June 15, 2018 by
YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production comp ...
. It is available in two versions and contains four tracks, with "
Ddu-Du Ddu-Du
"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" (; RR: ''ttuduttudu'') is a song recorded in Korean and Japanese by South Korean girl group Blackpink. It was released on June 15, 2018, through YG Entertainment, in conjunction with the release of the group's first Korean-language ...
" released as the lead single. "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" peaked at number one in South Korea for three weeks and became the highest-charting song by a female K-pop act in the United States and United Kingdom. The song "
Forever Young" was later promoted in Korean music programs and peaked at number two in South Korea.
Upon its release, ''Square Up'' debuted atop the
Gaon Album Chart and went on to sell almost 179,000 copies on its first fifteen days of release in South Korea. The EP also debuted at number 40 on the US
''Billboard'' 200, becoming Blackpink's highest selling album in a Western market as well as the highest-charting album by a female K-pop group at the time.
In March 2019, it was certified
Platinum
Platinum is a chemical element with the symbol Pt and atomic number 78. It is a dense, malleable, ductile, highly unreactive, precious, silverish-white transition metal. Its name originates from Spanish , a diminutive of "silver".
Pla ...
by the
Korea Music Content Association
The Circle Chart (), previously known as the Gaon Music Chart or the Gaon Chart (), tabulates the relative weekly popularity of songs and albums in South Korea. It is produced by the Korea Music Content Association and sponsored by South Korea's ...
(KMCA) for selling 250,000 units.
Background and release
On April 24, 2018,
YG Entertainment
YG Entertainment Inc. () is a South Korean multinational entertainment agency established in 1996 by Yang Hyun-suk. The company operates as a record label, talent agency, music production company, event management and concert production comp ...
founder
Yang Hyun-suk
Yang Hyun-suk (born January 9, 1970) is a South Korean music executive, rapper, dancer, songwriter, and record producer. He rose to fame as a member of Seo Taiji and Boys during the 1990s. After the group disbanded, he founded and became the Ex ...
raised expectations of the group's comeback via
SNS stating that by the end of this year Blackpink will return with new music soon. And on May 17, he revealed the month of June for the release while answering fan asked questions on SNS. An official news report revealed that the mini album would be released on June 15.
On June 1, the album's moving poster was unveiled, followed by the full track list on June 5 and an individual moving poster of the members, teasing audio of "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" and "Forever Young". Subsequently, from June 12 to 14, the album's teaser posters were released.
On June 14, a teaser of the music video for "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was released on both Blackpink's official
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
channel and the group's official V Live channel. On June 15, the mini album was released, along with the music video for "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du".
Composition
Songs
The opening track "
Ddu-Du Ddu-Du
"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" (; RR: ''ttuduttudu'') is a song recorded in Korean and Japanese by South Korean girl group Blackpink. It was released on June 15, 2018, through YG Entertainment, in conjunction with the release of the group's first Korean-language ...
" is a "fierce"
hip-hop and
pop rap
Pop rap (also known as pop hip-hop, hip pop, melodic hip-hop or melodic rap) is a genre of music fusing the rhythm-based lyricism of hip hop music with pop music's preference for melodious vocals and catchy tunes. This genre gained mainstrea ...
song with
bubblegum pop sound and
trap
A trap is a mechanical device used to capture or restrain an animal for purposes such as hunting, pest control, or ecological research.
Trap or TRAP may also refer to:
Art and entertainment Films and television
* ''Trap'' (2015 film), Fil ...
beat.
It combines instrumentations of oriental percussion rhythms and whistling on top of the bassline.
Lyrically, the song is an anthem about the group's success and self-confidence, based around the hook of "Hit you with that ddu-du ddu-du du".
The second track "
Forever Young" is a mid-tempo "beachy",
moombahton
Moombahton (, ) is an electronic dance music genre, derived from house music and reggaeton, that was created by American DJ and producer Dave Nada in Washington, D.C., in 2009. Nada coined the name as a portmanteau of "Moombah" (a track by Su ...
-based
dance track with "lasering"
house beats and
reggaeton
Reggaeton (, ), also known as reggaetón and reguetón (), is a music style that originated in Panama during the late 1980s. It was later popularized in Puerto Rico.
It has evolved from dancehall and has been influenced by American hip hop, ...
swing. The lyrics talk about how they celebrate making the most of your youth, while saying "Blackpink is the revolution".
The third track "Really" is a "chill"
hip-pop
Pop rap (also known as pop hip-hop, hip pop, melodic hip-hop or melodic rap) is a genre of music fusing the rhythm-based lyricism of hip hop music with pop music's preference for melodious vocals and catchy tunes. This genre gained mainstrea ...
and
R&B song about pleading with a lover to show him how much they care.
The closing track "See U Later" is a "cutting breakup"
dance-pop song that mixes
pop and hip-hop with a "trap-laden" chorus, "reminiscent" guitar sound and the distortion 808 bass.
Promotion
On the afternoon of June 15, Blackpink held a press conference for the release of "Square Up" at M-CUBE,
Sinsa-dong,
Seoul
Seoul (; ; ), officially known as the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea.Before 1972, Seoul was the ''de jure'' capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) as stated iArticle 103 of ...
. On the same day, one hour prior to the mini album's release a countdown special live was broadcast on
Naver's ''V LIVE'' broadcasting site featuring Blackpink discussing the new music. It garnered over 850,000 viewers. On June 16, "Blackpink Area", a Square Up concept
pop-up store
Pop-up retail, also known as pop-up store (pop-up shop in the UK, Australia and Ireland) or flash retailing, is a trend of opening short-term sales spaces that last for days to weeks before closing down, often to catch onto a fad or scheduled e ...
was made public to the fans, at the same location where ''
Blackpink House'' was filmed, for 9 days. On June 23, the group appeared as guests on
JTBC
JTBC (shortened from ''Joongang Tongyang Broadcasting Company'' (; stylized as jtbc) is a South Korean nationwide pay television network. Its primary shareholder is JoongAng Holdings, with a 25% stake. It was launched on 1 December 2011. JTB ...
's ''
Idol Room
''Idol Room'' () was a South Korean television program which aired on JTBC every Tuesday at 18:30 (KST) and was hosted by Jeong Hyeong-don and Defconn. The program is inspired by JTBC Newsroom, and it is produced in order to be the idol-specia ...
'' to promote the EP, making their debut on the show.
Blackpink held their comeback stage on
MBC's ''
Show! Music Core'' on June 16 and on
SBS's ''
Inkigayo'' on June 17 featuring performances of both the lead single "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" and the second single "Forever Young", and further continued promoting on various
music programs in Korea. On July 14, the group finished promotions for "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" and started promoting "Forever Young" as the second single from the EP and wrapped up their seven week long promotion on August 5 after performing on ''Inkigayo''.
On August 17, it was announced that similar to "Blackpink Area", another pop-up store at BOK Gallery,
Takeshita Street
is a pedestrian shopping street lined with fashion boutiques, cafes and restaurants in Harajuku in Tokyo, Japan. Stores on Takeshita Street include major chains such as The Body Shop, McDonald's, and 7-Eleven, but most of the businesses are s ...
in
Harajuku
is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesando, corresponding on official maps of Shibuya ward as Jingūmae 1 chōme to 4 chōme. In popular refere ...
, Japan will be made public from August 22–26.
Critical reception
''Square Up'' received generally favorable reviews from critics. Chase McMullen, writing for ''
The 405'', praised the album's "readymade hooks and airtight, bursting sonics" and its ability to go "from confrontational to blissfully ecstatic at the drop of a hat", proving Blackpink's mettle in the global K-pop boom.
''
Billboard'' listed ''Square Up'' as the twentieth best K-pop album of 2018, describing it as "a testament to their dedication to rambunctious, hip-hop infused dance music" that "
xudedconfidence, sass and an overpowering sense of chic."
''
Refinery29'' placed ''Square Up'' at number 8 at their best K-pop albums of 2018, saying that it "shimmers with signature Blackpink cheekiness and effortless swagger, momentarily satiating the fans who are waiting for more."
Awards and nominations
Commercial performance
In South Korea, the mini album debuted at number one on
Gaon Albums Chart
The Circle Album Chart, previously known as the Gaon Album Chart, is a record chart ranking the 100 most popular albums, extended plays and single albums in South Korea based on their pure sales. It is a part of the Circle Chart, previously kno ...
, while “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” debuted at number 3 on the
Gaon Digital Chart and at number one on the
Gaon Download Chart on the chart issue dated June 10–16, 2018 with 31,072,049 digital points. In its second week, "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" peaked at number one on Digital, Download, Streaming, and Mobile Charts on Gaon with 85,411,467 digital points.
The mini album debuted on the top spot of Japan's ''
Oricon
, established in 1999, is the holding company at the head of a Japanese corporate group that supplies statistics and information on music and the music industry in Japan and Western music. It started as, which was founded by Sōkō Koike in ...
Weekly Digital Albums'' chart with 3,915 downloads.
The lead single "
Ddu-Du Ddu-Du
"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" (; RR: ''ttuduttudu'') is a song recorded in Korean and Japanese by South Korean girl group Blackpink. It was released on June 15, 2018, through YG Entertainment, in conjunction with the release of the group's first Korean-language ...
" debuted as the highest-charting
Hot 100 hit ever by an all-female K-pop act, opening at number 55 with 12.4 million US streams and 7,000 downloads sold in the tracking week ending June 21, 2018,
according to
Nielsen Music
Luminate (formerly Nielsen SoundScan, Nielsen Music Products, and MRC Data) is a provider of music sales data. Established by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett in 1991, data is collected weekly and made available every Sunday (for albums sales) and eve ...
, also entering on the US
Streaming Songs
The Streaming Songs chart is released weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine and lists each week's top streamed radio songs, on-demand songs and videos on leading online music services in the United States. The chart represents one of the three component ...
tally at number 39, where Blackpink became the first K-pop girl group to chart a title.
The single also sat atop ''
Billboard''
World Digital Songs
The World Digital Song Sales chart (formerly World Digital Songs) is a weekly record chart compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published by ''Billboard'' magazine. Established in 2010—with the issue dated January 23—as one of 21 genre-specific so ...
, making it the group's fourth number one song on the chart. ''Square Up'' also brought the group their first entry on the US
''Billboard'' 200, debuting at number 40 with 14,000
album-equivalent unit
The album-equivalent unit, or album equivalent, is a measurement unit in music industry to define the consumption of music that equals the purchase of one album copy. This consumption includes streaming and song downloads in addition to traditio ...
s. The mini album also topped the ''Billboard''
World Albums chart.
Track listing
Charts
Weekly charts
Monthly charts
Year-end charts
Certifications
Release history
See also
*
List of certified albums in South Korea
The Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) was established in 2008, with the purpose of promoting the professional interests of its members, as well as being involved in anti-piracy. It introduced the first official South Korean music cha ...
*
List of Gaon Album Chart number ones of 2018
*
List of K-pop albums on the ''Billboard'' charts
References
{{Authority control
2018 EPs
Blackpink EPs
Korean-language EPs
YG Entertainment EPs
Genie Music EPs