Here we are again for our another MV review. And for the first time, we will feature BLACKPINK in their song Kill This Love.
Considering that their last music video was Ddu-du Ddu-du, which was released ten months ago, we miss their performance for so long. (And actually, that was long overdue.) I am sooo excited on this, as this will be my first time to do a review of that girl group.
(Side Note: While writing this, I am also checking if another blogger had done his/her homework. It has been so long since he/she reviewed TXT’s Crown, and afterwards it’s IZ*ONE’s Violeta and this song. It seems that he/she is trying to catch up with infinite lineups, missing other songs in between, like that of Dreamnote and MAMAMOO.)
Since 2NE1 also gave support and approval to this group, and I haven’t done any MV review of the legendary group, this time we will do it on BLACKPINK. You may watch first their video here before going to the review proper:
Storyline
- Video must have a storyline – 5 points
The first seconds of the video up to the first chorus defines the storyline very well, from being in love to being lost in love.
At first, the girls are defining what love is, through settings that define it as orderly, bright, colorful, and fun. Then the stanza leading to the chorus portrays the tense feelings after realizing what was wrong. Finally, the chorus tells that the love they possessed was shattered, as seen in the damaged building.
- Theme must be consistent and clear – 5 points
They constantly featured themselves as living in love, sadness, and fear. Respectively it was Rosé who did it at 1:00 – 1:12, hers also at 1:49 – 1:50, and Jisoo at 2:01 – 2:10. Added to that is on further emphasis on danger they faced, by portraying a dangerous device at 2:15 – 2:36.
Appearance
- The music video as a whole must be colorful – 5 points
The music video was very colorful, particularly when Lisa raps at 0:30 – 0:44.
- Must be done in good taste – 5 points
- Does not celebrate Halloween, Easter, or similar celebrations – 5 points
- Does not feature astrology – 5 points
- Less horror is featured in the video – 5 points
Upon seeing Jisoo from 2:01 – 2:10, I though that something scary will happen next. But fortunately, there was none.
- Not too revealing outfits – 5 points
Music
- Ability of the music to excite the listener – 5 points
I find the first fifteen seconds of the song very fascinating. They used the trumpety sounds, including the military sounds, to define what’s new in bringing exciting music to viewers.
It is given that the military music genre, by itself, makes one alert and active. This also excites anyone such that one will have to do something.
- Music should not be deafening on the ears – 5 points
Even if their music is very bold and thick, this is not deafening on the ears. Maybe that would lie on their instrumentals, where only one dominant tune at a time is being played.
Dance
- Dance can be learned easily even by beginners – 2 points
Arithmetically, this is based on the three choruses on the video. Easiest is only on the last chorus. You got 33% of 5 points. Round it up, and you get two points.
Anyway, forget the math. The main point is this: I don’t see how beginners would pick the dance easily in the first two choruses. It would be difficult for them to learn it.
- Dance must not be too sensual – 5 points
Lessons
- Moral lesson must be clearly stated – 5 points
Fortunately, they also provided subs to explain the important lesson. And that is on taking the risk when it comes to love.
While we are taking risks in loving somebody, there will come a time that we will get hurt and come to our senses. That’s the time when we will stop loving, or in other words, kill this love. Stop loving before it stops you from being a better person.
- They must impart something beneficial for their viewers – 5 points
On bringing something beneficial for us, that would be on sparking interest to military tunes. It has been a fact that few of us get interested on classical music, particularly on music by the military. Hope this will let us appreciate that genre which reflects the spirit of our respective armed forces. This will also let us see the other side of the military by listening to them.
Second is on Lisa’s rapping, where various books about love are featured. Somehow, this will help raise viewers’ consciousness by reading books, instead of spending whole time with gadgets.
Other Matters
- Inject sense of humor in the music video – 3 points
Lisa somehow made some funny scenes by throwing something at 0:33, acting like a baby in a pushcart at 0:37 – 0:38, and destroying the shelf at 0:41 – 0:43. Other than that, I did not find the rest of the video funny.
- Ability of the song to make it to mainstream media – 5 points
I must say that no doubt, this will reach mainstream media. Even if we exclude the hype given on the song, this will also be played. It is because of their strong personality, present in their previous songs like Boombayah and Ddu-Du Ddu-Du. Added point too, if this be played at a funeral.
(Update: This was played once in a local radio station last April 8, and it really confirmed my gut feel about this song.)
- Review by other sites – 4 points
Obsessed and Assessed was hesitant at first about it, while hoping for another new concept from them. It viewed the song as “lacking in cohesion and synergy,” leading to its “detriment.” Jennie’s raps are fine, but on the pre-chorus, something’s wrong with the song. Worse is the chorus which the fellow blogger defines as the “least favorite” of all the group’s songs to date.
On the looks, it noted also the military look of the girls, but did not understand the storyline. Overall the video looks great, catering to international audiences while leaning to the essence of K-Pop. It also noted that the agency did something great by giving them long periods of rest (but for me, ideally a minimum of two comebacks per year would be enough).
TheBiasList noted that the song lacked melody, and that the chorus did not live up to its meaning. It also wrote that their vocals are their greatest assets, but it feels disconnected, only to make it up on the song’s final thirty seconds.
It wonders how far this will let the group go in the long run, considering that they rarely release materials with substance and that they are also being hyped.
- Review of the music video as a whole – 5 points
They made a good choice on distinguishing it with Ddu-Du Ddu-Du. While the beat of the previous song was quite fast, this time it was slow but equally exciting.
This time, it is YouTube who has a problem, particularly on “deleting likes and views,” as explained by a commenter.
And YouTube got me confused too. Last night as I was about to prepare this, the views reached 48 million (20 hours since this was released). Then it was 46 million (22 hours ago since upload). Seriously. What. Happened. To. Other. Views? And no, I am not joking. This might be the only case where other views are not accounted for.
- Other factors
- Goes back to previous songs – 5 points
This refers to Rosé riding on a car at 1:01 – 1:11, which lets Blinks remind of them in a car at Whistle (1:45 – 1:48).
Or that of Lisa where she throws something at 0:33, where this reminds Jennie’s throwing of popcorn at Ddu-Du Ddu-Du (1:46)
- Special effects – 5 points
See at 1:15, where the background explodes as they are singing the chorus. This shows how intense was their desire to kill the love.
- Completeness of members – 10 points (updated)
I’ll have to update the score to reflect further what I seek in a music video. Contrary to one what might think, this does not focus on them being only four in the group, but on how the agency responded to issues.
It should be remembered that last January, Jennie encountered issues when it comes to dating. Dispatch noted that Jennie and EXO’s Kai were dating in a secret place, in which you can read another funny article here.
MOMOLAND should learn also a bit of lesson from the group and YG Entertainment. Instead of setting aside Jennie over that issue, they took advantage of the situation to further promote her solo debut (and their new music). Aside from this, they retained Jendeukie in their comeback video. You know what happened later: They became No. 1 Trending on YouTube as of this writing.
What’s the point? They don’t treat issues like these negatively. If these happens, just go on and perform as if nothing happened.
Aside from that, this is also given as gratitude for Jendeukie, for being there during their PH tour last June. It should be remembered that she is feeling discomfort, but still she managed to be with the other three. This she made so as not to dismay PH Blinks who are longing for her.
Because of these, ten points will be assigned to this criterion every review of their next performances.
TweetNewscaster’s Overall Rating: 90.43% (Updated)
Final Words
BLACKPINK improved further on their MV and on their song with this one. This is totally different from the other tunes we used to hear from them in the past.
I later updated the score as I added another factor, which serves as important reminder not only to MOMOLAND, but also to all groups. And I still think this reflects also the sentiments of other reviewers that it needs a little push, or improvement. Hope this serves as incentive for them to outdo themselves further.
It is my earnest desire for the group to have various lead songs for this year, like what other groups did. This they can be done while the other three are going to have solo debuts. Hope the points I laid will help them in their next comebacks this year.
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