BLACKPINK Make Explosive Comeback With ‘How You Like That’

South Korean girl group BLACKPINK made their first comeback in over a year today with the single “How You Like That.” The track is the quartet’s first release since their April 2019 EP Kill This Love and is a massive cause of celebration for the group’s global fanbase. BLACKPINK preceded the release with a global press conference and countdown livestream earlier in the day to discuss the single and it’s accompanying music video.

“How You Like That” is a blend of dark synth-pop and gritty EDM with dashes of victorious brass elements to signal its beginning. It starts out gentler than you would expect with the synth pop paired with Jennie, Jisoo and Rosé’s vocals but makes a sharp segue into a slower, sexier bass-heavy EDM drop in the chorus led by Jennie. From there it’s a rollercoaster ride, jumping into Middle Eastern-esque instrumentals on rapper Lisa’s verse, slower dark-pop on the final verses which finally lead to a smashing EDM breakdown finale. The lyrics describe the situation of rising like a phoenix after going through a dark point in one’s life and defying the world’s expectations. The lyrics could indicate the dark point in an artist’s life or even the end of a relationship, but focus on the taste of victory that comes after these demons are defeated: “The day I went down with my wings lost/The day I was trapped in the dark days/By that time you had to finish me/Look up in the sky/It’s a bird it’s a plane/Bring out your boss bitch!”

The video is an explosion of high production and high fashion, combining various elements of nature (fire, water, ice, earth etc) and exotic destinations to create stunning backdrops to match each member. Slower, solo shots of each member performing their verse are intercut with fast-paced scenes showcasing the group performing the dynamic choreography for the track together. The wardrobe, hair and makeup elevated beyond anything the group have done before and match the video’s vibrant and badass scale. The final scene sees the group don cropped traditional Korean Hanbok tops with cyberpunk-esque outfits and hair as a unique example of a modern take on tradition.

“How You Like That” is the first in a series of releases that we will see from BLACKPINK in 2020. According to the group’s label YG Entertainment [YGE], BLACKPINK will release a second single in July followed by a third in August and finally the much-awaited release of a yet-untitled 10-track LP in September–the first since their 2016 debut. With rapper Jennie having already made her solo debut in 2019, YGE also stated that members Rosé, Lisa, and Jisoo would release their own solo projects in 2020 and 2021, with an album from vocalist Rosé’s first on the agenda.

Earlier this year BLACKPINK collaborated with Lady Gaga on “Sour Candy,” a track featured on the latter’s latest album Chromatica which released in May. Over the next couple of months, the quartet will also premiere a brand new reality series titled 24/365 with BLACKPINK, which will document their comeback and their daily lives through a series of vlogs on YouTube.