PETALING JAYA, Mar 12 — Blackpink member Rose has made her much-anticipated solo debut with the release of her single album R.
The lyrics for the title track On the Ground and its B-side Gone are written completely in English, signifying a new turn for the K-pop star’s colourful career.
The Australian-born singer, who co-wrote both tracks, said she went back and forth about what language to write in but ultimately concluded that the English lyrics convey her message the best.
“I debated a lot about what language would suit the title track and it turned out to be English.
“In truth, I was worried that fans might be disappointed with English lyrics.
“But I also felt that it was important to present them with a completed song, the best song that I could be satisfied with,” said Rose in a virtual press conference today.
On the Ground shows off a new side of the 24-year-old K-pop sensation, who is best known for Blackpink’s chart-topping hits like Kill This Love, How You Like That, Ice Cream, and more.
The music video, which was released at 12pm today, has already racked up 1.9 million views and 1.5 million likes on YouTube at press time.
Rose said her first single is about going on a soul-searching journey and taking stock of the important things in life.
She added that some people were surprised that she chose not to go with a love song for her solo debut.
“Sometimes, when you’re always on the roll, you forget to take care of what matters to you most and it’s just a song to remind us that everything we need is already within us.
“I was talking to somebody the other day and they said, ‘I’m surprised you’re coming out with a song like this because I expected you to come out with something more related to love.’
“But I think (On the Ground) is a very powerful song and I’m very excited for my fans to hear it and get something out of it,” said Rose in an interview with YouTube Released.
Rose also spoke about the experience of performing without the other Blackpink members Lisa, Jennie, and Jisoo.
She credited the past five years of being with Blackpink for giving her the experience and confidence to delve into solo projects and is excited to show fans more of her individual artistry.
“It’s a whole different thing, me having to carry a whole song from start to finish since I usually have my girls around to back me up.
“I think that me being in a group with Blackpink has helped me a lot, more than I would have been able to achieve by myself.
“Through this solo project, people will get to know more about the Blackpink Rose that they saw, it’s just an extended version of whatever you’ve seen in the past.”
