We might not have heard the iconic line “Blackpink in your area” at the start of the K-pop super girl group’s latest track, but Blackpink is definitely back and as fierce as ever with “Pink Venom.”
Blackpink dropped the pre-release single and its music video today, Aug. 19, ahead of their Sept. 16 “Born Pink” album release. “Pink Venom” mixes a classic hip-hop beat with a melody accompanied by traditional Korean instruments such as the geomungo, the Korean plucked zither that Jisoo plays at the start of the video while donning a hanbok-inspired gown.
This nod to their South Korean roots is an ongoing theme for the group. Previously, the girls wore modernized hanboks in the “How You Like That” music video and Lisa incorporated several Thai elements in her “Lalisa” debut album.
What may come as a surprise to fans is how “Pink Venom” makes use of an interpolation of Rihanna’s aughts club banger “Pon de Replay”—it’s been primed to be a dance hit. On top of that, Blackpink included lyrical references to “Pon de Replay” in the line “One by one, then two by two” *and* Taylor Swift’s “Look What You Made Me Do” in the line “Look what you made us do.” As a number of Blinks have mentioned on social media, it’s like they’re in their “Reputation” era with all this snake imagery.
There’s also been speculation about a 2NE1 reference because of the “ra ta ta” outro. With Teddy Park producing for both groups, it’s not a bad guess.
Visually, the “Pink Venom” music video is classic Blackpink. We see the use of their distinct MV color scheme, which bathes the members in pinks, purples, and blues as they dance in sleek sets.
As for styling, the girls sport pieces from the fashion houses that they represent. Jennie is rocking Chanel boots and Coco Crush rings. Lisa has a Celine bucket hat and Bulgari Serpenti rings on. Jisoo sports a cropped top and ankle boots from Dior as well as Clash de Cartier accessories. We might have missed seeing Rosé in Saint Laurent and Tiffany & Co., but she did wear them during their MV premiere. Adding to their fashion game were Mugler and Alaïa pieces in the mix.
Photo from Blackpink’s Twitter
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