I won’t mince words. As my previous post indicated, the stakes were very very high. And Blackpink hit it out of the park, in powerful, surprising, and interesting ways.
On Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/deadline-ep/1870046940
“Go” is the best song they’ve ever put out. Period. And that’s saying a lot. I watched this video like 5 times straight while I was waiting for the four new songs to load on Apple Music because the demand at 9pm Pacific Time (2pm Korea time 27 February) when the album dropped globally seems to have overwhelmed Apple music.
And the video obviously is incredible.
And “Jump” is the second best song they’ve ever put out – and so their two best songs are 2/5th’s of this album. “Jump” has been out for many months and I also will cover it a lot in my Top 100 Songs of 2025 so I won’t cover it here as the focus is on the just-released stuff, though you know how I feel about albums. The tracks the artist chose and the order in which the artist put them both matter as to the collective artistic statement. And the album should be consumed and considered in that way. So this album kicks off with “Jump” then through “Go” “Me and my” “Champion” and ends with “Fuckboy”, that is the artistic work, in that order.
(For completeness I will document the credits on “Jump”: 24, Ape Drums, Boaz de Jong, Claudia Valentina, Francisco Zecca, JUMPA, Jesse Bluu, Malachiii, Teddy, Thomas Wesley Pentz, Zikai. Arguably the pressure on and stakes for “Jump” at the time of it’s release were even higher than for the “Deadline” album, since it was the first new group music since “The Girls” single 23 August 2023 and “Jump” essentially had to promo an entire stadium tour. So YG made damn sure it hit.)
“Go” unbelievably is the first time all four members have written on one song together, so it’s historical as well. Rosé both as a lyricist and composer; Jisoo, Jennie, and Lisa all as lyricists. Chris Martin from Coldplay was also involved in the writing and composition of the track, and Cirkut and Danny Chung were also involved.
The song utilizes both hard and soft musical aspects which is what the group’s name was designed to represent, and this duality and diversity of elements has been core to their identity and output throughout their existence. This song is now their statement piece.
“Go” is so good I barely have words, and “Jump” of course came out in 2025 and is #1 on my list of 2025 releases (which you would know if I ever get the complete list up on the site! Sorry! Soon! It’s VERY thorough.)
“Me and my” is dripping with Lisa. This is like a Lisa solo song with her Blackpink sisters fucking around on it with her. Lisa fans should look forward to this music video for sure. Jennie is the other strong rapper and has some excellent lines and parts here; the whole still feels to me more aligned with the vibe of Lisa’s solo output than Jennie’s. Writing credit here is John Blackwell and Viexen N.
“Champion” would be a great song to listen to loud in a convertible at the maximum volume possible. It surprisingly starts with Lisa again, then Jennie takes over in the bridge, then the chorus is full on pop rock Bon Jovi crossed with Avril Lavigne and it will be fun to CRANK THIS UP. It makes your mind and body feel good to sing along loudly to the chorus, which I assume will be happening in some of the largest venues all over the world.
The songwriting credit for “Champion” is shown as now-superstar Ejae (as in KPOP Demon Hunters HUNTR/X Ejae), along with Lukasz Gottwald, and Theron Thomas.
“Fuckboy” (I refuse to type “Fxxxboy” we all need to grow up) is the most surprising and interesting of all. A ballad, one with lyrics that are VERY interesting, and definitely a new way to be edgy and empowered at the same time. The track seems heavily Rosé influenced to me though she isn’t credited as a song writer (credit is Courtlin Jabrae Edwards, Ido, Kush, Tommy “TB Hits” Brown, Vince, Zikai – it takes a bunch of people to make a Rosé-like track apparently 🙂 it certainly has a relation to her solo stuff, in the same way “Me and my” relates to Lisa’s solo work. And Rosé’s voice dominates it initially, but wow does Jisoo compliment Rosé’s voice and then against character Jisoo has the first utterance of the big line. (“How’s it feel? Now I’m the fuckboy”) All the members come through strong here, more balanced than in “Me and my” which is more dominated by Lisa (and maybe Jennie). This is Rosé AND all of them.
“Fuckboy” is a follow-on to “Tally” with Jennie saying there: “Sometimes, I like to go play dirty / Just like all of the fuckboys do / That’s my choice and there’s no one I’m hurtin’ / And that’s not girly”. Indeed.
(Sidenote: The little “Twice, Twice, Twice” background lyric in “Fuckboy” is interesting 🙂
As I wrote about previously the creation of this artistic work took place under the weight of seemingly impossible expectations and the highest stakes possible under constant public and media scrutiny. By all logic it would seem that this would be a labor under immense pressure; somehow they not only pull it off in a way that took what they already are and pushed it much much further while sounding and appearing like they are having a fantastic time even as they operate at this level.
The superstardom on display here is of a magnitude seldom seen, yet I was reading Jisoo and Lisa’s Bubbles today and thinking how absolutely humble and relatable they are, and generally likable as people. Rosé appears the same way in all her many many interviews and appearances. Jennie is a bit more guarded and not as nakedly available (mentally and emotional at least) constantly as the others are but certainly she comes off as a real human who has overcome a lot.
Blackpink is impressive as always. More accurately, they keep getting more impressive all the time.
Great album, great job, great group.
15 minutes more of the legend continuing. #BlackpinkInYourArea
Now to listen to the complete album – all five tracks – a few hundred more times tonight……
– Eric John, CEO, Erotique Entertainment
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