The South Korean girl group, BLACKPINK, released their third EP Deadline on Feb. 27. The highly anticipated five-track album is BLACKPINK’s first full group album since their 2022 album, Born Pink. The album focuses on their return as a group, touching on themes of unity and self-love, and symbolizing their evolution.
BLACKPINK, created by YG Entertainment, initially rose to fame after their debut singles, “Whistle” and “Boombaya.” The group consists of four members: Lisa, Jennie, Rosé, and Jisoo, who met as trainees preparing for their debut in 2016. In 2023, the group split to establish their individual labels, pursuing modeling, acting, and songwriting, but are now back together for Deadline.
K-pop is a huge but manufactured industry. Major companies like HYBE (formerly Big Hit Entertainment), YG Entertainment, and JYP Entertainment run intense multi-year “boot camps” to train kids as young as seven to be put into a K-pop group. Once in a group, the idols have very little say in the writing and production of their songs, with Blackpink being no exception. However, after their recent solo career success, the members collaborated to produce the song “GO,” and some of the writing on “Fxxxboy” and “Jump”.
The opening track, “Jump,” kicks off the album with a fast-paced blend of techno and eurodance, a refreshing shift from the group’s typical dance-pop vibe. The song explores unity, empowerment, and finding strength in each other, saying, “I’m with all of my sisters (Ah), Got ’em going insane, yeah (Yeah).” The song combines rap and club-like elements, but it lacks the originality of their past hit songs, such as “Shut Down” and “Pink Venom.”
“GO,” track two, and the album’s primary single, is the most energetic song of the album, with a dramatic beat drop leading to a striking EDM chorus. Throughout the song, the bass shifts from a jarring, heavy tone to a softer, vocally centered bridge, giving the song a welcome twist. Following the album’s themes of independence, BLACKPINK celebrates their creative freedom throughout this album, stating, “I’m on a mission, I’m in control.”
Track three, “Me and my” continues the club-like, upbeat vibes, blending hip-hop and R&B. The track has subtle trumpet accents that infuse it with a Latin jazz flair. The song rallies for sisterhood and confidence, singing, “Just me and my day ones, pretty girls walkin’ (Walkin’);” however, the main chorus line “just me and my girls” is repeated 25 times throughout the song, adding to a common theme of repetition throughout the album.
Track four, titled “Champion,” keeps up the high energy but departs from the previous track’s base-heavy, club-ready sounds. This song dives into a Stadium Rock sound with its anthemic chorus and a slow background beat carrying the track. However, many of the song’s lyrics lack emotional depth or meaning, stating, “I ain’t giving up, no, I ain’t willing,” with no explanation of what they are trying to convey.
The album takes a turn with its fifth and final track: “Fxxxboy,” a slower, vocal-forward track about the aftermath of a toxic relationship. The song talks about reclaiming power and independence after a breakup, “try my other cell ’cause I ain’t pickin’ up, Had enough.” Following a very different style from the other four industrial-pop songs, it stands out as a notable track in the album.
Deadline‘s five tracks explore a variety of genres, including hip-hop, EDM, and melodic-pop. While they touch on themes of unity, the album doesn’t convey a clear overall message, which makes the drastic variation of the songs’ genres feel uncoordinated. Overall, many songs are repetitive and lack lyrical depth, but the album features several fun, upbeat ballads, earning it three out of five feathers.
