Clad in lavish and tropical colors, the long-awaited South Korean girl-group Blackpink returned with a splash in their dynamic music video, “How You Like That.” Blasting audiences with a trap-EDM banger chorus and stylish choreography, not to mention their signature high-fashion looks, Blackpink did not disappoint in this comeback.
After a year-long hiatus since becoming the first K-pop powerhouse to have a YouTube video reach a billion views (“DDU-DU DDU-DU”), the quartet was showered with support by a collective of digital warriors who call themselves “Blinks.” Blackpink’s latest track froze the internet, becoming the biggest premiere in YouTube’s history. 1.66 million concurrent viewers tuned in for the premiere of the official music video, which also debuted on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
Since its release on June 26th, Blackpink’s “How You Like That” has been streamed over 86.3 million times in a day, handily topping the world record for the highest amount of views on YouTube in 24 hours yet again, a title previously held by BTS’s “Boy with Luv,” and before that, by Blackpink’s “Kill This Love.” More recently, Blackpink was featured on Lady Gaga’s “Sour Candy,” a track from her sixth solo album Chromatica.
“How You Like That” is a pre-release single which sets the scene for the girl band’s multiphase comeback, leading up to their first full-length studio album in September.
In the music video, the four titans surround themselves in elemental dreamscapes — emerging from under gigantic black-feathered wings, and with other scenes including murals crumbling with rose petals, Arabian bazaars, snowy villages, Trojan horses, and purple umbrellas nailed atop a great hall.
Each scene is fused with the ethereal delight of the color wheel, as the group dances around in jewel-glazed dresses, luscious furs, impressive wigs, and modernized hanbok outfits. Vogue described the video as a “runway fashion extravaganza,” and rightly so.
Lisa’s heavy-hitting rapping skills in the second verse, Jennie’s charismatic swagger, Rosé’s sirenic vocals, and Jisoo’s quirky dancing skills, shine in the hip-hop infused oeuvre.
Blackpink’s parade of aggro choreography and mighty stage presence, combined with producer and lyricist Teddy’s message of resilience in both Korean and English, makes for a winning recipe of superstardom. “We sang to give the message of not being daunted by dark situations and to not lose the confidence and strength to stand up again,” Jisoo said in a pre-release press conference.
In spite of its jaw-dropping aesthetics, “How You Like That” struggles to prove itself as more than a recycling of Blackpink’s former songs, a recipe baked over and over again by YG Entertainment, all the way back from Big Bang and 2NE1. From tiring resemblances to previous songs in sound composition and double-time beat drops, to its expected high-flying visuals, YG Entertainment faces the challenge of renovating its ad nauseum template, hopefully so by Blackpink’s full-length album in September.
“How You Like That” succeeds in filling the void of Blackpink’s year-long absence but more novelty is required from YG Entertainment music producers to match Blackpink’s caliber and reputation as one of the most popular bands in the world.
