BLACKPINK'S ROSÉ GROWS “ON THE GROUND”

‘Pretty Savage’: both a song in their debut album as well as how they describe themselves. ‘Black’ for their bold sound and captivating stage presence; ‘pink’ for their colourful visuals and cheerful personality. This group has been growing from huge to massive with the release of their long-awaited ‘The Album’ last October. Now, member Rosé shows her individuality in English single ‘On The Ground’. From South Korea to the world, this area is all for BLACKPINK.

WHEN BLACKPINK’S AREA BECAME THE WORLD

Formed in 2016 by South Korean company YG Entertainment, Blackpink are the biggest girl group in the world right now. True to their catchphrase – “BLACKPINK in you area” – the four girls quickly expanded from Seoul to the entire world, breaking records left and right in the process.

Jennie, Rosé, Jisoo and Lisa themselves have each grown up in different countries – New Zealand, Australia, South Korea, and Thailand respectively – so their international success seems only fair.

And what a success indeed. Their Guinness World Records-breaking achievements speak for themselves. Single “How You Like That” got an astonishing 82,4 million views on YouTube in the first 24 hours. Three of their music videos surpass the billion views line.

Their official Instagram account has amassed more than 35,6 million followers to date, and the girls’ individual accounts all surpass it, with Lisa’s getting to the crazy number of 48 million.

BLACKPINK CRAZE: THE REASONS BEHIND IT

These spectacular numbers are explained by the insane amount of work that goes behind each of their projects. From an eclectic and powerful sound that manages to be perfectly catchy, to unique looks and outfits that seem to dictate a fashion that you didn’t know you needed to catch on. Not to mention their flawless choreographies that they’re somehow still able to follow while belting out notes.

Because this success is of course reflected outside the screen as well. Without even having a full studio album out yet, BLACKPINK were the first K-Pop group to perform at Coachella in 2019. In addition, their recent performance of ‘Pretty Savage’ at the James Corden show feels almost too cool to watch.

BLACKPINK’S ROSÉ PLANTS HER ROOTS ‘ON THE GROUND’

Now, with spring just around the corner, member Rosé (Roseanne Park) reminds us where roses – and by extension herself – grow from with single ‘On The Ground’, from her solo project ‘R’. Rosé follows the steps of fellow BLACKPINK member Jennie, who already released a solo song (‘Solo’) in 2018.

“Just to think of all those nights me and my team spent perfecting this physical album!! I’m excited for you all to receive -R-. Although it’s just a single album I wanted everyone to feel satisfied with their purchase and feel like they actually owned a piece of creative work at the end of the day. It’s not much but I hope you all like it. Here’s my very first single album”, she shared on Instagram.

This time, however, her song is entirely in English, perhaps to express the message in a way that sounds even more intimate to the Korean-Australian herself. And that is because ‘On The Ground’ very much reads like a personal reflection on the singer’s trajectory. As shown in their recent NETFLIX documentary ‘Light Up The Sky’ (2020), Rosé had to sacrifice many of her young years to training away from her country and her family. The song’s lyrics reflect her earlier ambition, and acknowledge how that drove her to success. Nevertheless, the singer – first rather pessimistically, then in a more appreciative note – acknowledges how even before her fame, she already had everything she needed. This ‘ground’ therefore reflects her origins – where roses grow from – as well as her inner self. The very foundation of her being was valuable enough already.

ROSES AND SYMBOLIC FLOATING IN ‘ON THE GROUND’S MUSIC VIDEO

The music video, released on the 12^th of March, reflects this idea visually. Rosé is shown surrounded by hanging objects such as chandeliers, often floating herself in the air. Multiple explosions and sparks represent the hardships that the singer runs through. Towards the end, the roses start to appear, as well as her past self. Rosé and Roseanne written on the same mirror. The last set showing the singer hovering above a field of roses best illustrates this dynamic. Her present self high up in her fame; and her past, her very being – the roses – still rooted on the ground. Both her personal journey as well as the very concept of BLACKPINK: a combination of light and darkness.

And all that done in at least 10 different outfits we would kill to run through rose fields with…

Apart from the main single, the pained ‘Gone’ rounds off the album. In it, Rosé uses her sweet, unique voice to recount a “story that’s sad and true”. Simple, but no less painful and real. All of Rosé’s love for her former lover may be gone, but ours towards ‘R’ is doing nothing but grow!

Make sure to check out her fascinating performance of ‘On The Ground’ on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon!