Blackpink. Photo: courtesy of YG Entertainment.
Blackpink makes a thumping return with “Jump,” their first new single in two years since they released “The Girls,” the OST of their mobile game in 2023. Nonetheless, the pop stars gave fans a live sneak peek of “Jump” earlier this week, during the opening night of their Deadline World Tour in South Korea on July 5.
“Jump” signals Blackpink’s shift to an edgier sound, as the song’s hardstyle intensity collides with infectiously catchy beats and guitar licks that feel straight out of a Western film. It’s a track that puts the group’s vocal chemistry on full display, with each member—Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa—bringing their unique flair to the track. According to the group’s label, YG Entertainment, “Blending Blackpink’s signature style with fearless experimentation, ‘Jump’ broadens the group’s musical range and offers listeners a fresh, compelling experience worldwide.”
The song is a bold statement of independence, written by a star-studded team including Teddy, Diplo, and more, with Rosé and Jisoo proclaiming, “I’m not that easy to tame.” The tempo shifts with Jennie and Lisa’s call to “jump,” catalyzing the excitement as the girls celebrate their sisterhood and their unbreakable bond while “breaking out of the system” and living life on their terms.
The track’s accompanying music video, directed by Dave Meyers, opens with the band members standing in front of a mural of themselves. As they sing, “So come up with me, I’ll take you high / That prima donna spice up your life,” the energy sweeps through the city streets and draws in a crowd, who, by the time the drop hits, headbang to the irresistible beat like they’ve all been injected with a Blackpink-sized brainworm. The video’s cuts and choreography are in sync with the frenzied energy, with Rosé’s powerful solo scene, trudging up a slanted road while the crowd rolls down, becoming a striking metaphor for pushing against the tide. As “Jump” draws to a close, the girls take their flight, landing on this heart-shaped podium to deliver their iconic “Blackpink in your area” before signing off.
During their hiatus, the girls pursued solo projects: Jisoo dropped her debut album, Amortage, and starred in the drama Newtopia. Jennie released the single “Love Hangover” ahead of her album Ruby and went on tour with The Ruby Experience. Lisa introduced her new solo era with the Alter Ego album and a buzzy acting debut in White Lotus season 3. Meanwhile, Rosé collaborated with Bruno Mars on the song “APT” as the lead single of her debut studio album, Rosie, and also contributed to the original soundtrack, F1: The Album, for the Hollywood film F1, heralding her first movie soundtrack. “Jump” marks Blackpink’s much-awaited comeback as a group, one that’s already sparked a flurry of mixed reactions online.
While “Jump” doesn’t quite pack the punch you’d expect from Blackpink’s highly anticipated return, it is, as described by YG, “an intense addictive energy that instantly gets your heart racing.”
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