Hints of originality and enthusiasm peak through (like on the solid "Love to Hate Me"), but overall, "The Album" is not how we like that. While other female K-pop acts like Twice, ITZY, and Red Velvet continue to experiment and innovate, Blackpink's debut salvo feels more like the album they thought their fans wanted to hear than the one they wanted to make. Blinks will eat it up regardless, but the tired squelchy synth sounds of "Pretty Savage" and the been-there-done-that pop of "Lovesick Girls" feel hackneyed, even expected at this point.
Make no mistake: their Cardi B collaboration ("Bet You Wanna") could be a massive hit single for good reason, but somehow, Blackpink is convinced that their best material is their most borderline-atonal. Yet while it's been well known that their earlier material was always stronger (see: the absolute banger that is "Boombayah"), their long-in-the-works debut full-length, "The Album", disappoints on virtually every front. The K-pop girl group with the biggest Western crossover to date, Blackpink had everything going for them heading into 2020: their biggest-ever single (2018's "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du"), superstar collaborations with Lady Gaga and Selena Gomez, actual headlining gigs at festivals - it was their moment to shine.
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