THROWBACK #24: BLACKPINK- AS IF IT'S YOUR LAST

Released: June 22nd, 2017

I am a huge advocate for trends and experiments in the loosely-defined song structures of K-Pop, but at the end of the day, if that song isn't good, I will eventually stop listening to it. That's why I'm also advocating for songs that comprise the generic formula of a defined verse and chorus, hence the old classic K-Pop. One of the artists that miraculously answered my call at one point was BlackPink. BlackPink immediately rose to ubiquitous fame from day 1, but almost every of their songs have left a sour taste in my mouth. Even a huge BlackPink fan would agree with me that every of their title songs' build-up to the chorus have been absolutely stellar, only to be followed by lousy beat drops with minimal refrains. However when they do release a track that doesn't follow that recipe, it completely changes my narrative. That was the case when As If It's Your Last was released.

Yes As If It's Your Last actually has a chorus, and it does carry the rest of the song on its back, but let's discuss the other parts of the track that also matter. The percussion in the verse is quite jumpy, but doesn't stand out too much. The pre-chorus doesn't have exactly the same impact as that of Boombayah or Whistle, but I would rather have an impactful chorus than an impactful pre-chorus. It still has its individual charm though, where I am digging the choir chords in the background.

But the chorus is everything I could have imagined of an ideal chorus; it's upbeat and melodic, but most importantly it's full of heart. I like the keyboard layered on top of the vocals and I'm really fond of the accelerating nature of the song's pace (notice how there's no break between the singing in the 1st and the 2nd phrase) instead of repetitive short phrases with too much space in between. Lisa's part favorably cools the section down, before heating things up yet again. The placement of her rap in the second verse was a little bit underwhelming to me, as I wished it didn't start at the percussion section. Rather, I would have liked it to start slow with different instrumentals and then slowly bring back the components from the verses one-by-one. The chorus is just as sweet the second time around as it was the first time, but the final third of the track deserves praise. Teddy re-arranged the pre-chorus with a trap beat and extended it for the bridge while showcasing some strong vocals from the girls. It's a nice change that really amps up the listener for the song's true climax.

Although this experience was temporary once Teddy released a typical BlackPink track dubbed "ddu-du-ddu-du", it made the moments with As If It's Your Last more cherishing. There's no way to predict when Teddy and BlackPink will finally deviate from the beat drop structure for good, because unfortunately it seems many of their fans don't care. It might continue to stir some competitive dance covers out of this, but musical-wise, BlackPink has a LOT of catching up to do in order for me to see them in the same eyes as that of TWICE, Red Velvet, and many other representative third generation girl groups. And it first starts with releasing more music per comeback. I'll be looking forward to their very first full-album in 4 freaking years.

RATING: 7.55/10