1. The live band opening with “Kill This Love”
One of the best parts of BLACKPINK’s In Your Area tour in 2019 was listening to the group reinterpret their successes with a full live band accompanying them. Despite the restrictions of COVID-19 and switching to an online show, the group was able to bring members of their support band not only to serve their hit “Kill This Love”, with all the style, voice, rap and choreography that fans expect, but also a refreshing musical rework thanks to its drummer, bassist, guitarist and keyboardist.
2. Jisoo following Tove Lo’s path on an emotional journey
Fans knew they could expect some special solo stages from individual members, and Jisoo was fully delivered not only offering an emotional cover of “Habits (Stay High)” by Tove Lo, but reworking the track with new Korean lyrics – just like she did during the 2019 tour with Zedd’s “Clarity”. It was a pleasure not only for her international fans, but also to see the star bring her vocals to a familiar hit while doing it in a way that was most comfortable for her.
3. Lisa does Doja Cat with disco, dance and rap
The youngest member of the group also brought a new version of a huge pop hit. The Thai singer took Doja Cat’s No. 1 hit of 100, “Say So” and added her own set of new rap lyrics, as well as bringing a complete dance break. While Lisa did a dance cover in 2019 (with her “Swalla” performance that apparently went viral every night), this cover allowed Lisa to showcase her voice, rap style and dance skills.
4. “Sweet sour” comes on stage
BLACKPINK and Lady Gaga’s Chromatica collaboration “Sour Candy” is an undeniable fan favorite track for both fans, and the girls brought it on stage for The Show. While Gaga was not with them, the deep-house / dance-pop melody prospered with elements of voguing incorporated into the stage choreography.
5 The albumB Side Acoustic Section
The Show allowed BLACKPINK to finally bring the multiple cuts of 2020 The album who had not yet received live stage treatment. A highlight came when the quartet slowed things down for a moment to perform their most acoustic B-sides “Love to Hate Me” and “You Never Know”, two of the most exciting songs in their repertoire. The two tracks not only gave fans a chance to see members in a new light (no support dancers or extravagant stage lighting, only women singing in chairs), but offered the group a chance to focus on their strong vocals . (Jisoo particularly impressed throughout this section).
6. Jennie kills a new “solo”
As the first member to release her own song in 2018, Jennie’s single “Solo” has been a staple on the group’s setlist. But the rapper-singer also surprised fans by presenting her empowerment hymn with an updated concept and a whole set of new rap lyrics. It not only took some time to flex in the new section (“W, not L’s / covered W and Elle“) in addition to publicizing your favorite brands, like Chanel and even Blinks, the name of BLACKPINK fans.
7. Rosé shows her solo music
Fans eagerly awaited Rosé’s vocal power to present their anticipated solo music for years, and The Show finally gave a preview of what they can expect. Fans not only saw a music video clip of the new song “Gone” – which appears to be an all-English song and was reported as a B-side on their next album – but they also received a live snippet. Rosé fully incorporated the emotional and acoustic cut, revealing vulnerable lyrics, including “I feel used / How should I live without you? I refuse.”
8. Bringing all the elements to “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du”
While it is unfortunate that the global pandemic means that BLACKPINK cannot display his music at personal shows, the performance of “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” brought something that probably would not be possible to take on the road. The quartet not only decorated their stage with a display of fire and pyrotechnics, but the stage itself was transformed into a shallow pool for the girls and their troupe of supporting dancers to step onto the floor. The fire and water elements shine, but they reveal some of the most intricate choreography of the entire show – perhaps best seen when Rosé sang a fully horizontal verse while three muscular dancers maneuvered and moved her, carefully holding the star above their heads.
9. The playful performance of “As If It’s Your Last”
The 2017 single “As If It’s Your Last” is a favorite among Blinks, but The Show may also have revealed that it is one of the BLACKPINKs. Viewers saw the girls having a great time, best illustrated when Jennie and Lisa face each other during the chorus, and the first grimaced to make the younger member laugh in the middle of the song. Lisa later transferred the nonsense to Jisoo with a playful spanking during another section of the chorus, causing the eldest of the group to also smile broadly.
10. The Praise Session
The Show offered a few moments for women to chat with their fans for a while, but the best chat session may have happened before the end, when the girls were showing their love for each other. Jennie started by talking about Rosé’s solo performance on “Gone”, sharing that she was surprised by the new video too, while Lisa gave her props about her preparation process saying, “It was really cool, you barely slept.”
Rosé turned things around to Jennie and commented that her “Solo” internship was “cray-zy “while the girls animated” Rapper Jennie “and his new verses. The group also showed love to the fans who watched it, as well as the instrumentalists, dancers and staff members who made the show happen.
Before ending with the track “Forever Young”, which featured signs and messages made by fans, there was a palpable feeling of gratitude and admiration from BLACKPINK, which added a special human element after these performance-driven superstars.
BLACKPINK The Show Setlist:
“Kill that love”
“Crazy for You”
“How do you like that”
“I do not know what to do”
“Playing with fire”
“Lovesick Girls”
“Habits (Stay High)” (cover by Tove Lo performed by Jisoo)
“Say So” (cover of Doja Cat performed by Lisa)
“Sweet sour”
“Love to Hate Me”
“Never know”
“Solo” (played by Jennie)
“Gone” (Played by Rosé)
“Pretty Savage”
“Ddu-Du Ddu-Du”
Video interview interlude (“Stay” soundtrack)
“Whistle”
“As if it were your last”
“Boombayah”
“Forever Young”