Music Single Review: “Pink Venom” by Blackpink [Basic! - 3.5 boomboxes]

Music Single Review: “Pink Venom” by Blackpink

3.5 Boomboxes

"Pink Venom is like a snake poison that debilitates and hits late.”

EPISODE PRESENTED BY

YIN & YANG PRODUCTIONS

WHERE ORDER & CHAOS MAKES ART

Single from album “Born Pink”  

Released: August 19, 2022

Length: 3:06

Genre: Dance, EDM, hip-hop, pop, rap

Written by: Teddy, Danny Chung

Produced by: Teddy, 24, R. Tee, Ido

    What's K-Pop? Who's Blackpink? For many American listeners, these words are new. 

    Originating in South Korea, K-Pop, also known as Korean Pop, has been around since the 1940s. Its influences come from popular culture, mixing rock, pop, dance, hip-hop, and more. Too, K-Pop aims to be part of the zeitgeist. In the last six years, it has succeeded in accomplishing with K-Pop artists finding international fans. Many say J-Pop, Japanese Pop, opened the doors for Eastern markets in the West. Whatever the reason, K-Pop is here and here to stay. 

    One triumphant example of K-Pop success in the Western markets is BTS. Few people haven't heard their music or are a fan of it. If BTS is number one in K-Pop to reach immense international stardom, then Blackpink is number two. 

    Blackpink is a famous K-Pop group of four multi-talented women: Jisoo, Lisa, Rose, and Jennie. Each member can dance, sing, and rap, but their slew of talents makes them phenomenal. Lisa has perfect aim with an arrow or gun; she is a military woman. Rose can do a perfect flip. Jennie skates and Jisoo is a tough girl. She can make a water ski jump.

    YG Entertainment unites Jisoo, Lisa, Rose, and Jennie to form Blackpink in 2016, and two years later, their music is bumping on speakers overseas. But, it isn't until 2018 that Blackpink sees real success. They release the first episode of their reality series, Blackpink House, and they have their first Japanese tour, Blackpink In Your Area. 

    Nothing stops Blackpink. Their first studio album, The Album, reaches the top of 2020's international and billboard charts. Everyone loves them. But their success comes online, breaking Youtube and Spotify records. 

First Effect - Season 1, Episode 3 Music News (August 2022)

    And Blackpink has done it again with Pink Venom. 

    Pink Venom is a 2022 single to Blackpink's anticipated second album, Born Pink, slated for release on September 16, 2022.

    If numbers don't lie, 90.4 million views in twenty-four hours on Youtube, making it #1, and on Spotify's most listened song, with 41.2 million streams, making it #2, guarantee it is a successful track. To add to its achievements, as of August 26, Pink Venom hit #1 on the trending song charts, and Blackpink is at VMAs on August 28, performing Pink Venom. 

    "Straight to the dome!" Blackpink is right. Pink Venom is a success, and people remember it. Pink Venom is like a snake poison that debilitates and hits late. 

    For many fans of K-Pop and Blackpink, the release of Pink Venom is a special moment in the music world. To them, Blackpink is back and with another banger.

    But to those new to K-Pop and Blackpink (like this listener,) Pink Venom induces anxiety and confusion. The listener may not know where to plant their feet or where to tone their ears. 

K-POP STAR BEAUTY SOAP BAR. A MORE BEAUTIFUL YOU. SINCE 1942.

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Advertisement edited by Bolivar T. Caceres AKA Boli

Blair T. Kerr AKA The Arsenist

    Pink Venom opens with what seems to the ear a Chinese slide guitar over an instrumental that springs about like 90s hip-hop tracks. Jennie pipes with an elastic voice that teethers between singing and rapping. And for a moment, the listener is transported to the best year of Hip Hop, '93, feet planted. This security is gone like a rug under one's toes: the instrumental and vocal style changes.

    Now, there's no more slide guitar but an Indian-style flute. Lisa tries to teether between singing and rapping like Jennie, but she is rapping. However, the listener is still with the song, moving their body and head along, as the instrumental's 4/4 is hypnotic. 

    In the vain of hypnotism, there's an ominous chant throughout the song, as if from some Kubrick-esque cult. What are they saying? What does this chanting allude to concerning Pink Venom? Questions! 

    The instrumental and vocals change again: the listener is now listening to pop music redolent of musicians like Rihanna and those in Disney movies. But not before being punched in the face - "Black paint and ammo', got bodies like Rambo" -- with Lisa and Jennie's rap section.

K-POP MULTIVITAMIN PILL. FUN FOR BOYS & GIRLS OF ALL AGES. SINCE 1942.

Blair T. Kerr AKA The Arsenist

    Pink Venom jumps between rap, singing, and other sounds and genres (rock, EDM, and more) with no smooth transition between each. Furthermore, these jumps never allow the listener a moment to appreciate Lisa's rapping, Jennie's elastic vocals, and Rose and Jisoo's pop skills. Mix this with the interchanging between Korean and English-- sometimes line per line -- and you start feeling sea sick.

    For American listeners, the Korean parts of the song are probably undecipherable without lyrics and Google translator. The English lines are equivocal and sometimes cultist. 

    What does "Black paint and ammo', got bodies like Rambo" mena? Are they killing, using Lisa's military acumen? 

    How about the opening line, "Kick in the door, waving the coco?" Are they waving bags of coke, drug dealers? Or are they waving designer fashion, as in Coco Chanel? 

First Effect - Season 1, Episode 3 - Kiss, Hitch, Fuck Skit - Black Pink Edition (2022)

    What images do they want me to follow?

    And when one looks at the titular phrase, "Pink Venom," what are the implications? Is it a euphemism for the vagina, or is it referencing their skills as musicians? It can be about their individualism, pink representing their choice color of freedom, and Venom representing... 

    It's all hard to figure out. 

    When the listener doesn't try to analyze the song to smithereens and appreciates Blackpink's versatility, creativity, beauty, and influences, it's not a difficult feat to understand Pink Venom's achievements in a short amount of time. 

    So, take a listen, even if you're new to K-Pop. Why not start with one of its most successful groups? You are sure to find something you enjoy about Blackpink's Pink Venom and might find yourself in their rabbit hole that leads to the realm of K-Pop. 

 Liked this music review on the K-Pop track, “Pink Venom“ by Blackpink?? Check out something similar with “Cracker Island” by Gorillaz Ft. Thundercat -  [Blazin’! - 5 boomboxes].

    If you enjoyed  “Pink Venom“ by Blackpink, on September 16, be ready for their second full-album release, “Born Pink.” Learn more here. 

Artwork by Blair T. Kerr AKA The Arsenist

Bolivar T. Caceres is a Bronx-based artist and writer. His poems appear on ShortEdition and Ariel Chart. He is also the author of the chapbook Outside My Garret Window, published in 2020. He currently writes for the quarterly film blog Film Studies 401 and the news blog New York Positivity. Connect with him on social media @BolivarTCaceres and at www.BtcArt.co.

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