BlackPink Makes a Comeback After a Year Hiatus with Their New Single “How You Like That”

After the release of their studio EP “Kill This Love” in April of last year, the K-Pop girl group BlackPink has had their fans on edge for their next comeback. The group is notorious for releasing small musical projects and taking long hiatuses, often filling their time with advertisement campaigns for various luxury brands and magazines such as Chanel, YSL, and Elle. However, when they do step back into the music spotlight, they never seem to disappoint. On June 26th, BlackPink’s long awaited comeback arrived with their pre-release single “How You Like That”, accompanied by the music video. Needless to say, BlackPink’s fans (referred to as Blinks) were ecstatic for the new content.

“How You Like That” maintains the strong female power anthem sound from their last title single “Kill This Love”. However, they switch the tone to focus more on knowing their own self worth rather than centering the story around a romance. As sung by Jennie and Jisoo in the first verse “I crumbled before your eyes/Hit rock bottom and sunk deeper/I'm going to grab the last bit of hope/Even if I reach out with both my hands” [english translation]. The beginning of the song expresses feelings of hopelessness, followed by the discovery of inner strength that helps them overcome their dark moments. The chorus of the song just consists of the title line “how you like that” repeated over and over, which comes off as a challenge to BlackPink’s “haters” by asking them how they feel seeing them thrive as musicians and as people. The post chorus line “look at me, now look at you” only furthers the challenge by pointing out the contrast between BlackPink and their critics and saying that they should check themselves before they think that they are in a place to judge. Overall, BlackPink’s self-confidence and security in themselves shines through this new single, and proves to their critics that despite their doubts and obstacles, they are strong powerful women and are a force to be reckoned with in the music industry. 

In regards to the musical components of the song, the sound really escalates as it moves from the first verse to the chorus and post chorus. The intro starts with a full orchestra playing quarter note beats as the main rapper, Lisa, says the group’s iconic catchphrase “BlackPink in your area”. The orchestral quickly fades into a moment of silence, and then the first verse enters with a whole new style involving ambient synths and ascending arpeggiated notes that act as the rhythm. As the verse moves into the pre chorus, main singer Rose's vocals are layered over multiple harmonies and shimmering synth sounds to provide a buildup into the chorus. The chorus and the post chorus have a more “bouncy” feel as the background music has a sharper tone and the bass comes in with more strength. The percussion also picks up to incorporate sounds from a drum machine and often follows the rhythm of how the vocals are being sung. This overall tone for the song is maintained through the second verse which includes Lisa’s rap part, however traditional Korean melodies are heard in the background being played on a bright string instrument along with the upbeat rhythm. The song then reverts back to the styles of the first pre chorus, chorus, and post chorus for its second time in the song with some added background synths and a fast hi-hat to establish a little contrast. The end of the song serves as the most upbeat moment and the dance break, where the percussion picks up and the band members sing a simple melody in unison with the words “du-ddu, du-ddu” which is a slight reference to their previous 2018 single “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du”. Overall the song, has a very catchy production to it, and is very involved with different styles of synths to produce a variety of tones throughout the song’s progression. 

The music video that dropped along with the single release is very visually stunning and enhances the song’s message with powerful scenes and images of the band members. A very common theme that is noticeable about the music video is the use of jewels, gems, and deep color palettes. Throughout the video, the band members are seen wearing sparkly makeup that incorporates rhinestones and outfits that are bright and give off a powerful persona, such as Jennie’s under eye accessory and Jisoo’s fire red dress and headpiece. The use of these colors and accessories attribute to BlackPink’s message of power and self-confidence by portraying them as fierce, regal queens. The same message is visually conveyed with the use of bird wings throughout the video, which signifies BlackPink rising above their critics and hateful opinions to grow into a successful, powerful girl group. However, the video draws a contrast by also including softer, natural elements such as flowers and pastel colors to show the calmer side of BlackPink. By showing this duality visually, it emphasizes BlackPink’s duality as people; while they are confident female empowerment icons, they are also sensitive and graceful. This strikes a balance visually, which is also heard musically in the song throughout different moments when the members talk about their struggles turned into personal strength. 

Overall, Blinks received the final product of the song in a positive way, however some were unimpressed by the musical content when considering the amount of promotion and anticipation that went into this single. In the comments of the music video, some critics would respond to the title by saying “no one liked that” or leaving negative comments about how the song did not “live up to the hype”. However, BlackPink’s loyal fans were quick to defend them against the hate by commending the band on their visual performance and complimenting the song. Many fans enjoyed its “girl boss” sentiments and the catchy chorus, along with the confidence that the band members radiate in the music video. 

If you have not had a chance to listen to “How You Like That” by BlackPink, definitely be sure to stream it on your preferred music streaming platform and to also watch the music video on YouTube! With this only being the pre-release single, Blinks can expect to hear more from this revolutionary K-Pop girl group very soon.