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Square Up

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Square Up
Digital and Pink version cover.
EP by
ReleasedJune 15, 2018 (2018-06-15)
Genre
Length14:03 (Digital version)
17:36 (Physical version)
LanguageKorean
Label
Producer
Black Pink chronology
Blackpink
(2017)
Square Up
(2018)
Blackpink in Your Area
(2018)
Black version
Alternate "black version" cover
Singles from Square Up
  1. "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du"
    Released: June 15, 2018
  2. "Forever Young"
    Released: July 14, 2018

Square Up (stylized as SQUARE UP) is the Korean debut EP (second overall) by South Korean girl group Black Pink. It was released on June 15, 2018 by YG Entertainment.[3] It is available in two versions and contains four tracks, with "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" released as the lead single and "Forever Young" released as the second single. Upon its release, Square Up debuted at the top spot of the Gaon Albums Chart and went on to sell almost 179,000 copies on its first fifteen days of release in South Korea.[4] The EP also debuted at number 40 on the US Billboard 200, becoming Black Pink's highest selling album in a Western market as well as the highest-charting to date by an all-female K-pop group.[5]

Background and release

On April 24, 2018, YG Entertainment founder Yang Hyun-suk raised expectations of the group's comeback via SNS stating that by the end of this year Black Pink will return with new music soon.[6] And on May 17, he revealed the month of June for the release while answering fan asked questions on SNS.[7] It wasn't until May 25 that he confirmed the date June 15, which is almost an year after the group's last single release "As If It's Your Last" on June 22, 2017, and revealed the album to be a mini album.[8]

On June 1, the album's moving poster was unveiled,[9] followed by full track list on June 5[10] and individual moving poster of the members simultaneously, teasing audio of "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" and "Forever Young".[11][12][13][14] Subsequently, from June 12 to June 14, the album's teaser posters were released.[15][16][17]

On June 14, a teaser of the music video for "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was released on both Black Pink's official YouTube channel and the group's official V Live channel.[18][19] On June 15, the mini album was released, along with the music video for "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du".

Promotion

Black Pink at an autograph event for "Square Up" in Bundang on June 24, 2018

On the afternoon of June 15, Black Pink held a press conference for the release of "Square Up" at M-CUBE, Sinsa-dong, Seoul.[20] On the same day, one hour prior to the mini album's release a countdown special live was broadcast on Naver's V LIVE broadcasting site featuring Black Pink discussing the new music. It garnered over 850,000 viewers.[21] On June 16, "Blackpink Area", a Square Up concept pop-up store was made public to the fans, at the same location where Blackpink House was filmed, for 9 days.[22] On June 23, the group appeared as guests on JTBC's Idol Room to promote the EP, making their debut on the show.[23]

Black Pink held their comeback stage on MBC's Show! Music Core on June 16[24] and on SBS's Inkigayo on June 17[25] featuring performances of both the lead single "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" and the second single "Forever Young", and further continued promoting on various music programs in Korea. On July 15, the group finished promotions for "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" and started promoting "Forever Young" as the second single from the EP[26] and wrapped up their seven week long promotion on August 5 after performing on Inkigayo.[27]

On August 17, it was announced that similar to "Blackpink Area", another pop-up store at BOK Gallery, Takeshita Street in Harajuku, Japan will be made public from August 22-26.[28]

Commercial performance

The mini album debuted on the top spot of Japan's Oricon Weekly Digital Albums chart with 3,915 downloads.[29][30] The lead single "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" debuted as the highest-charting Hot 100 hit ever by an all-female K-pop act, opening at number 55 with 12.4 million US streams and 7,000 downloads sold in the tracking week ending June 21, 2018,[5] according to Nielsen Music, also entering on the US Streaming Songs tally at number 39, where Black Pink became the first K-pop girl group to chart a title.[5] The single also sat atop Billboard World Digital Songs, making it the group's fourth number one song on the chart. Square Up also brought the group their first entry on the US Billboard 200, debuting at number 40 with 14,000 album-equivalent units. The mini album also topped the Billboard World Albums chart.[5]

In South Korea, the mini album debuted at number one on Gaon Albums Chart.[31] While “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” debuted at number 3 on the Gaon Digital Chart and at number one on the Gaon Download Chart on the chart issue dated June 10–16, 2018 with 31,072,049 digital points.[32][33] In its second week, "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" peaked at number one on Digital, Download, Streaming, and Mobile Charts on Gaon with 85,411,467 digital points.[34][35][36][37]

Billboard listed Square Up as the twentieth best K-pop album of 2018, describing it as "a testament to their dedication to rambunctious, hip-hop infused dance music" that "[exuded] confidence, sass and an overpowering sense of chic."[38] Refinery29 placed Square Up at number 8 at their best K-pop albums of 2018, saying that it "shimmers with signature Black Pink cheekiness and effortless swagger, momentarily satiating the fans who are waiting for more."[39]

Track listing

No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" (뚜두뚜두)Teddy
  • Teddy
  • 24
  • R.Tee
3:29
2."Forever Young"Teddy
  • Teddy
  • Future Bounce
  • Teddy
  • Future Bounce
  • R.Tee
3:57
3."Really"
  • Teddy
  • Danny Chung
Choice373:17
4."See U Later"Teddy
  • Teddy
  • R.Tee
  • 24
  • R.Tee
  • 24
3:18
Total length:14:03
Physical edition hidden track
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
5."As If It's Your Last" (마지막처럼)
  • Teddy
  • Brother Su
  • CHOICE37
  • Teddy
  • Future Bounce
  • Lydia Paek
  • Teddy
  • Future Bounce
3:33
Total length:17:36

Charts

Chart (2018) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[40] 61
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[41] 26
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[42] 21
French Albums (SNEP)[43] 125
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[44] 28
Japan Hot Albums (Billboard)[45] 8
Japan (Oricon Digital Albums Chart)[46] 1
South Korean Albums (Gaon)[47] 1
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[48] 24
US Billboard 200[49] 40
US Independent Albums (Billboard)[50] 4
US World Albums (Billboard)[51] 1

Release history

Region Date Format Label
South Korea June 20, 2018 CD, Digital download, streaming YG Entertainment, Genie Music
Various June 15, 2018 Digital download, streaming

See also

References

  1. ^ "'1년 만의 컴백' 블랙핑크, 더 강렬한 음악과 퍼포먼스로 돌아오다(종합) ("A comeback in one year," Blackpink comes back with even stronger music and performances)" (in Korean). Naver Entertainment. June 15, 2018. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  2. ^ Chase McMullen (June 28, 2018). "Review: K-pop favorites BLACKPINK aim for global domination with SQUARE UP". The 405. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
  3. ^ Herman, Tamar. "BlackPink Release 'Square Up' EP Fronted by Sharp-Shooting 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du' Music Video". Billboard. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  4. ^ http://gaonchart.co.kr/main/section/chart/album.gaon?nationGbn=T&serviceGbn=&termGbn=month
  5. ^ a b c d Zellner, Xander (June 25, 2018). "BLACKPINK Makes K-Pop History on Hot 100, Billboard 200 & More With 'DDU-DU DDU-DU'". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
  6. ^ "이번엔 진짜 컴백..YG 양현석이 스포일러한 블랙핑크 6월 컴백(This time a real comeback.. YG Yang Hyun Suk spoiler black pink June comeback)". Daily Sports (in Korean). April 24, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
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  8. ^ "YG 양현석 "블랙핑크, 6월 15일 첫 미니앨범 발표..공백 길었다"(YG Yang Hyun Suk "Black Pink, June 15, the first mini album release)". Osen (in Korean). May 25, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
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  11. ^ "BLACKPINK - 'SQUARE UP' ROSÉ MOVING POSTER". BlackPink YouTube. June 6, 2018.
  12. ^ "BLACKPINK - 'SQUARE UP' JISOO MOVING POSTER". BlackPink YouTube. June 7, 2018.
  13. ^ "BLACKPINK - 'SQUARE UP' JENNIE MOVING POSTER". BlackPink YouTube. June 8, 2018.
  14. ^ "BLACKPINK - 'SQUARE UP' LISA MOVING POSTER". BlackPink YouTube. June 9, 2018.
  15. ^ "BLACKPINK - 'SQUARE UP' TEASER POSTER". YG Life. June 12, 2018. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
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  17. ^ "BLACKPINK - 1st MINI ALBUM 'SQUARE UP' D-DAY POSTER". YG Life. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
  18. ^ "BLACKPINK - '뚜두뚜두 (DDU-DU DDU-DU)' M/V TEASER". BlackPink YouTube. June 14, 2018.
  19. ^ "BLACKPINK - '뚜두뚜두 (DDU-DU DDU-DU)' M/V TEASER". V Live. June 14, 2018.
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  21. ^ Jeong, Jiwon. ""3억♥·85만 시청자"…블랙핑크, 글로벌 축하 속 화려한 컴백("300 million ♥ , 85k viewers"... Black Pink, a colorful celebration in a global celebration". Osen. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
  22. ^ "'컴백' 블랙핑크, 16일 '스퀘어 업' 콘셉트 팝업스토어 오픈('Comeback' Black Pink, 'Square Up' concept pop-up store opened on 16th)". Osen (in Korean). June 14, 2018.
  23. ^ Jeong, Kang-seo. "블랙핑크, '아이돌룸' 완전체 출연확정..컴백 후 첫예능(Black Pink, 'Idol Room' complete cast confirmed .. After the first comeback)". Osen (in Korean). Retrieved June 15, 2018.
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  39. ^ Morin, Natalie (December 20, 2018). "The 12 Best K-Pop Albums of 2018". Refinery29. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
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