Square Up

For other uses, see Square up.

Square Up is the first Korean extended play (second overall) by South Korean girl group Blackpink. It was released on June 15, 2018 by YG Entertainment.^[3] The EP is available in two physical versions and contains four tracks, with "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" released as the lead single. The song peaked at number one in South Korea for three weeks and became the highest-charting song by a female K-pop act in the United States and United Kingdom at the time. The track "Forever Young" was later promoted on Korean music programs and peaked at number two in South Korea.

Square Up
Digital and Pink version cover.
EP by Blackpink
Released	June 15, 2018 (2018-06-15)
Genre	K-pop^[1] hip hop^[2] dance^[2] R&B^[2]
Length	14:03
Language	Korean English
Label	YG Genie
Producer	Teddy Bekuh Boom Future Bounce R. Tee 24 Choice37
Blackpink chronology
Blackpink (2017) Square Up (2018) Blackpink in Your Area (2018)
Black version
Alternate "black version" cover
Singles from Square Up
"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" Released: June 15, 2018

Upon its release, Square Up debuted atop the Gaon Album Chart and went on to sell almost 179,000 copies in its first fifteen days of availability in South Korea.^[4] The EP also debuted at number 40 on the US Billboard 200, becoming Blackpink's highest selling album in a Western market as well as the highest-charting album by a female K-pop group.^[5] It was certified platinum by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) in March 2019 for selling 250,000 units, and was later certified double platinum in March 2023 for selling 500,000 units.

Background and release

On April 24, 2018, YG Entertainment founder Yang Hyun-suk stated that by the end of 2018, Blackpink would release new music.^[6] On May 17, he confirmed that the group would make a comeback in June.^[7] An official news report revealed that the mini album would be released on June 15.^[8]

On June 1, the album's moving poster was unveiled,^[9] followed by the full track list on June 5^[10] and an individual moving poster of the members, teasing the audio of "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" and "Forever Young".^{[11][12][13][14]} Subsequently, from June 12 to 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 Blackpink's official YouTube channel and the group's official V Live channel.^[18][19] On June 15, the mini album was released, alongside the music video for "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du".

Composition

Songs

The opening track "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" is a "fierce" hip-hop and pop rap song with bubblegum pop sound and trap beat.^[20] It combines instrumentations of oriental percussion rhythms and whistling on top of the bassline.^[21] Lyrically, the song is an anthem about the group's success and self-confidence, based around the hook of "Hit you with that ddu-du ddu-du du".^[22] The second track "Forever Young" is a mid-tempo "beachy", moombahton-based dance track with "lasering" house beats and reggaeton swing. The lyrics talk about how they celebrate making the most of your youth, while saying "Blackpink is the revolution".^[22][2][23] The third track "Really" is a "chill" hip-pop and R&B song about pleading with a lover to show him how much they care.^[23][22] The closing track "See U Later" is a "cutting breakup" dance-pop song that mixes pop and hip-hop with a "trap-laden" chorus, "reminiscent" guitar sound and the distortion 808 bass.^[22]

Promotion

 

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

On the afternoon of June 15, Blackpink held a press conference for the release of "Square Up" at M-CUBE, Sinsa-dong, Seoul.^[24] 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 Blackpink discussing the new music. It garnered over 850,000 viewers.^[25] 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.^[26] On June 23, the group appeared as guests on JTBC's Idol Room to promote the EP, making their debut on the show.^[27]

Blackpink held their comeback stage on MBC's Show! Music Core on June 16^[28] and on SBS's Inkigayo on June 17^[29] 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 14, the group finished promotions for "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" and started promoting "Forever Young" as the second single from the EP^[30] and wrapped up their seven week long promotion on August 5 after performing on Inkigayo.^[31]

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.^[32]

Critical reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
The 405	8/10^[33]

Square Up received generally favorable reviews from critics. Chase McMullen, writing for The 405, praised the album's "readymade hooks and airtight, bursting sonics" and its ability to go "from confrontational to blissfully ecstatic at the drop of a hat", proving Blackpink's mettle in the global K-pop boom.^[33] Billboard listed Square Up at number 20 in their list of the best K-pop albums 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."^[34] Refinery29 placed Square Up at number 8 at their best K-pop albums of 2018, saying that it "shimmers with signature Blackpink cheekiness and effortless swagger, momentarily satiating the fans who are waiting for more."^[35]

Awards and nominations

Year	Award	Category	Result	Ref.
2018	10th Melon Music Awards	Album of the Year	Nominated	^[36]

Commercial performance

In South Korea, the mini album debuted at number one on Gaon Albums Chart,^[37] 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.^[38][39] 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.^{[40][41][42][43]}

The mini album debuted on the top spot of Japan's Oricon Weekly Digital Albums chart with 3,915 downloads.^[44][45] 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 Blackpink 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]

Track listing

Square Up – Standard edition

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Arrangement	Length
1.	"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" (뚜두뚜두)	Teddy	Teddy 24 R. Tee Bekuh Boom	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	Teddy Choice37	Choice37	3:17
4.	"See U Later"	Teddy	Teddy R. Tee 24	R. Tee 24	3:18
Total length:					14:03

Square Up – Physical edition hidden track

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Arrangement	Length
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

Weekly charts Weekly chart performance for Square Up Chart (2018) Peak position Australia (ARIA)^[46] 61 Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)^[47] 26 Canadian Albums (Billboard)^[48] 21 French Albums (SNEP)^[49] 125 Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)^[50] 28 Japanese Albums (Oricon)^[51] 11 Japan Hot Albums (Billboard)^[52] 8 Japan (Oricon Digital Albums Chart)^[53] 11 South Korean Albums (Gaon)^[54] 1 Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)^[55] 24 US Billboard 200^[56] 40 US Digital Albums (Billboard)^[57] 7 US Independent Albums (Billboard)^[58] 4 US World Albums (Billboard)^[59] 1

Monthly charts Monthly chart performance for Square Up Chart (2018) Peak position South Korean Albums (Gaon)^[60] 2 Year-end charts 2018 year-end chart performance for Square Up Chart (2018) Position South Korean Albums (Gaon)^[61] 21 US World Albums (Billboard)^[62] 12 2019 year-end chart performance for Square Up Chart (2019) Position South Korean Albums (Gaon)^[63] 89

Certifications and sales

Certifications and sales for Square Up

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
Japan	—	11,978^[64]
South Korea (KMCA)^[66]	2× Platinum	544,410^[65]

Release history

Release dates and formats for Square Up

Region	Date	Format	Label(s)	Ref.
Various	June 15, 2018	Digital download streaming	YG YG Plus	^[67]
South Korea	June 20, 2018	CD	YG Genie Music	^[68]
Japan	June 22, 2018			^[69]

See also

• List of certified albums in South Korea
• List of Gaon Album Chart number ones of 2018
• List of K-pop albums on the Billboard charts

References

1. Chase McMullen (June 28, 2018). "Review: K-pop favorites BLACKPINK aim for global domination with SQUARE UP". The 405. from the original on September 3, 2018. Retrieved September 3, 2018.
2. "'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. from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
3. Herman, Tamar. "BlackPink Release 'Square Up' EP Fronted by Sharp-Shooting 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du' Music Video". Billboard. from the original on April 12, 2019. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
4. "Gaon chart". from the original on November 11, 2017. Retrieved July 14, 2018.
5. Zellner, Xander (June 25, 2018). "BLACKPINK Makes K-Pop History on Hot 100, Billboard 200 & More With 'DDU-DU DDU-DU'". Billboard. from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
6. "이번엔 진짜 컴백..YG 양현석이 스포일러한 블랙핑크 6월 컴백(This time a real comeback.. YG Yang Hyun Suk spoiler Blackpink June comeback)". Daily Sports (in Korean). April 24, 2018. from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
7. "YG 양현석 "블랙핑크, 컴백초읽기..연말까지 접수할 것"(YG Yang Hyun-seok "Blackpink, Comeback Countdown.. should be accepted until the end of the year")". Osen (in Korean). May 17, 2018. from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
8. "YG 양현석 "블랙핑크, 6월 15일 첫 미니앨범 발표..공백 길었다"(YG Yang Hyun Suk "Blackpink, June 15, the first mini album release)". Osen (in Korean). May 25, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
9. "ＢＬＡＣＫＰＩＮＫ 初のミニアルバムを１５日リリース(Releasing BLACKPINK's first mini album on 15th)". Yonhap News (in Japanese). June 1, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
10. "블랙핑크, 전곡 '테디 프로듀싱' 컴백…트랙리스트 공개(Blackpink, the whole song 'Teddy Producing' comeback... Track list public)". Osen (in Korean). June 5, 2018. Retrieved June 5, 2018.
11. "BLACKPINK - 'SQUARE UP' ROSÉ MOVING POSTER". BlackPink YouTube. June 6, 2018.
12. "BLACKPINK - 'SQUARE UP' JISOO MOVING POSTER". BlackPink YouTube. June 7, 2018. from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
13. "BLACKPINK - 'SQUARE UP' JENNIE MOVING POSTER". BlackPink YouTube. June 8, 2018. from the original on June 8, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
14. "BLACKPINK - 'SQUARE UP' LISA MOVING POSTER". BlackPink YouTube. June 9, 2018. from the original on June 9, 2018. Retrieved June 9, 2018.
15. "BLACKPINK - 'SQUARE UP' TEASER POSTER". YG Life. June 12, 2018. from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
16. "BLACKPINK - 'SQUARE UP' TEASER POSTER". YG Life. June 13, 2018. from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
17. "BLACKPINK - 1st MINI ALBUM 'SQUARE UP' D-DAY POSTER". YG Life. from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
18. "BLACKPINK - '뚜두뚜두 (DDU-DU DDU-DU)' M/V TEASER". BlackPink YouTube. June 14, 2018. from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
19. "BLACKPINK - '뚜두뚜두 (DDU-DU DDU-DU)' M/V TEASER". V Live. June 14, 2018. from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
20. "Blackpink Break New Record With "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du"". Grammy Awards. January 23, 2019. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
21. "'음악중심' 블랙핑크, 글로벌 들썩이게 한 컴백..'뚜두뚜두'" ['Music Core' Blackpink, a comeback that shook the world... 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du']. Osen (in Korean). June 16, 2018. Retrieved October 13, 2022 – via Daum.
22. Herman, Tamar (June 15, 2018). "BlackPink Release 'Square Up' EP Fronted by Sharp-Shooting 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du' Music Video". Billboard. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
23. Daly, Rhian (May 7, 2019). "BLACKPINK songs – ranked". NME. Retrieved October 13, 2022.
24. Jeong, Kyoung-joon (June 15, 2018). ""블랙핑크, 더 세게! 더 멋있게!"…양현석 조언의 참의미("Blackpink, more hard! More cool!"... The true meaning of Yang Hyun Suk's advice)". Osen (in Korean). from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
25. Jeong, Jiwon (June 15, 2018). ""3억♥·85만 시청자"…블랙핑크, 글로벌 축하 속 화려한 컴백("300 million ♥ , 85k viewers"... Blackpink, a colorful celebration in a global celebration". Osen. from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
26. "'컴백' 블랙핑크, 16일 '스퀘어 업' 콘셉트 팝업스토어 오픈('Comeback' Blackpink, 'Square Up' concept pop-up store opened on 16th)". Osen (in Korean). June 14, 2018. from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 14, 2018.
27. Jeong, Kang-seo (June 15, 2018). "블랙핑크, '아이돌룸' 완전체 출연확정..컴백 후 첫예능(Blackpink, 'Idol Room' complete cast confirmed .. After the first comeback)". Osen (in Korean). from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 15, 2018.
28. Noh, Kyung-min (June 16, 2018). "'음악중심' 블랙핑크 컴백…'포에버 영'·'뚜두뚜두' 반전 매력(Music Core' Blackpink comeback... 'Forever Young', 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du')". Ten Asia (in Korean). from the original on June 19, 2018. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
29. Go, Myungjin (June 17, 2018). "'인기가요' 컴백 블랙핑크, 4人4色 빈틈 없는 매력 '뚜두뚜두'('Inkigayo' comeback Blackpink, 4 people 4 colors Charming charm')". The Korea Herald (in Korean). from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
30. "블랙핑크, 일간차트 30일 연속 1위! 전무후무 대기록!". YG LIFE. from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2018.
31. "BLACKPINK Finalizes 7-Week Promotional Period… Set Milestone by Entering Billboard's Main Charts". YG LIFE. from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved August 12, 2018.
32. "「BLACKPINK POPUP STORE」開催決定！". YGEX (in Japanese). August 17, 2018. from the original on August 19, 2018. Retrieved August 19, 2018.
33. McMullen, Chase (June 28, 2018). . The 405. Archived from the original on June 28, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
34. "The 20 Best K-Pop Albums of 2018: Critics' Picks". Billboard. December 17, 2018. from the original on December 17, 2018. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
35. Morin, Natalie (December 20, 2018). "The 12 Best K-Pop Albums of 2018". Refinery29. from the original on December 29, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
36. "Melon Popularity Award". Melon. December 17, 2016. from the original on December 17, 2016.
37. "국내 대표 음악 차트 가온차트!". gaonchart.co.kr. from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
38. "국내 대표 음악 차트 가온차트!". gaonchart.co.kr. from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
39. "국내 대표 음악 차트 가온차트!". gaonchart.co.kr. from the original on June 21, 2018. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
40. "국내 대표 음악 차트 가온차트!". gaonchart.co.kr. from the original on April 6, 2019. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
41. "국내 대표 음악 차트 가온차트!". gaonchart.co.kr. from the original on October 14, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
42. "국내 대표 음악 차트 가온차트!". gaonchart.co.kr. from the original on November 1, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
43. "국내 대표 음악 차트 가온차트!". gaonchart.co.kr. from the original on October 17, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
44. "Oricon chart - June 25, 2018". Oricon (in Japanese). from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
45. "【オリコン】BLACKPINK、デジタルアルバム初首位". Oricon (in Japanese). from the original on March 22, 2021. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
46. "ARIA Chart Watch #478". auspOp. June 23, 2018. from the original on June 23, 2018. Retrieved June 23, 2018.
47. "Austriancharts.at – Blackpink – Square Up" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
48. "Xxxtentacion's Death Spurs Surge In Album Catalogue". FYIMusicNews. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
49. "Le Top de la semaine : Top Albums – SNEP (Week 25, 2018)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved June 25, 2018.
50. "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2018. 25. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
51. "Oricon Albums Chart". Oricon (in Japanese). from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved May 2, 2019.
52. "Billboard Japan Hot Albums Charts". Billboard JAPAN (in Japanese). from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
53. "Oricon Albums Chart - June 25, 2018". Oricon (in Japanese). from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 22, 2018.
54. "Gaon Album Chart – Week 25, 2018". Gaon Chart (in Korean). from the original on November 7, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2018.
55. "Swisscharts.com – Blackpink – Square Up". Hung Medien. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
56. "Blackpink Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
57. "Blackpink Chart History (Digital Albums)".^{[dead link]} Billboard. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
58. "Blackpink Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
59. "Blackpink Chart History (World Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved June 26, 2018.
60. "Circle Chart" 2018년 06월 Album Chart [June 2018 Album Chart] (in Korean). Gaon Music Chart. from the original on February 3, 2015. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
61. "2018년 Album Chart". Gaon. from the original on March 22, 2019. Retrieved January 12, 2019.
62. "Year-End Charts: World Albums". Billboard. from the original on July 8, 2020. Retrieved December 5, 2018.
63. "2019년 Album Chart". Gaon. from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
64. Physical sales for Square Up: 6,419
    • [Weekly Album Ranking July 2, 2018]. Oricon News (in Japanese). p. 2. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
    • [Weekly Album Ranking July 9, 2018]. Oricon News (in Japanese). p. 4. Archived from the original on July 4, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2018.
    Digital sales for Square Up: 5,559
    • [Weekly Digital Album Ranking June 25, 2018]. Oricon News (in Japanese). p. 1. Archived from the original on June 20, 2018. Retrieved June 20, 2018.
    • [Weekly Digital Album Ranking July 2, 2018]. Oricon News (in Japanese). p. 1. Archived from the original on June 27, 2018. Retrieved June 27, 2018.
65. Square Up Sales: 230,656 (2018) + 57,332 (2019) + 60,368 (2020) + 80,657 (2021) + 60,794 (2022) + 54,603 (2023)
    • 2018년 Album Chart [2018 Album Chart]. Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association. from the original on January 11, 2019. Retrieved January 11, 2019.
    • 2019년 Album Chart [2019 Album Chart]. Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association. from the original on January 15, 2020. Retrieved January 15, 2020.
    • 2020년 12월 Album Chart [December 2020 Album Chart]. Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association. from the original on January 10, 2021. Retrieved January 7, 2021.
    • 2021년 12월 Album Chart [December 2021 Album Chart]. Gaon Music Chart (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association. from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved January 6, 2022.
    • "December 2022 Album Chart". Circle Chart. Korea Music Content Association. from the original on January 12, 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2023.
    • "December 2023 Album Chart". Circle Chart. Korea Music Content Association. from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024.
66. "South Korean album certifications – Blackpink – Square Up" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association (KMCA). Retrieved March 9, 2023.
67. "BLACKPINK - SQUARE UP". YG PLUS. June 15, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2018 – via Spotify.
68. "2018년 06월 Album Chart" (in Korean). Gaon. July 1, 2018. Retrieved July 30, 2018.
69. Physical versions on Tower Records:
    • "BLACKPINK - Square Up: 1st Mini Album （BLACK VER.）" (in Japanese). YG. June 22, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2018 – via Tower Records.
    • "BLACKPINK - Square Up: 1st Mini Album （PINK VER.）" (in Japanese). YG. June 22, 2018. Retrieved June 30, 2018 – via Tower Records.