So let it be written, so let it be done: BLACKPINK is the revolution.
Unlike the West, where girl groups rise to fame before someone decides they’re Alice_Deejay_-_Better_Off_Alone.mp3 before crawling back for a reunion tour years later to recreate the nostalgia for some coin (see you at the Fifth Harmony 5ever Tour in 2033), girl groups in the East, like Girls’ Generation, have evolved into something of an open relationship situation: they release music together, they go solo, they break into sub-units – but at the end of the day, they’re still one big, perfectly polished family of pop perfection…or at least, until someone doesn’t renew their contract with the agency.
So it goes for BLACKPINK, one of – if not, officially, the hottest girl group of the new generation.
As of Monday (November 12), Jennie is kicking things off as the first BLACKPINK member to go it solo – though YG alleges that all four members will roll out their own projects – with the aptly titled “SOLO,” penned and co-composed by BLACKPINK’s longtime collaborator and YG staple, Teddy.
There’s lots to love about The Emancipation of Jennie, although not everyone is living, at least based on a cursory skim of Reddit: the attitude-filled, beat drop-infused kiss-off, as some have already pointed out, bears similarities to one of the best soloists of the past year(s): Wonder Girls‘ Sunmi, especially “Gashina.” (Not a bad thing…but not a new thing, either.) And at under three minutes, it’s also a bit too short, giving the impression that the track isn’t quite finished yet. (Then again, our attention spans are collectively shot.)
Still. It’s fierce! And that cocky, brag-filled English rap, at least, is bold and delicious: “Used to be your girl, Now I’m used to being the GOAT.”
The video allows Jennie to frolic around London as a gorgeous, glamorous Fashion Kween and thrive in a variety of jaw-dropping lewks on top of cars and in the streets – and also supplies a tight, dancer-filled dance break at the very end. That angel-surrounded-by-graffiti look on the hood of the car with lipstick declarations etched around the sides is everything.
Plus, the acting: she’s giving us all the stages of a break-up – including stripping down in a laundromat, an obvious homage to Kelandria Rowland‘s “Dirty Laundry.” Future K-Drama star Jennie coming through.
In the end, “Solo” does sort of sound like one-fourth of a BLACKPINK production, and will fit in well during their world tour as they inevitably splinter off into solo moments during the show.
If nothing else, this is a smart way to introduce the girls individually before their impending global takeover in 2019. Each one deserves to shine – and Jennie certainly is right now.
This song is featured on the MuuTunes Spotify playlist. Subscribe!
You can also subscribe to MuuTunes on Apple Music.
“Solo” was released on November 12. (iTunes)
