On February 27th, the K-pop girl group BLACKPINK released their fourth EP, DEADLINE. This is their first group project since the album Born Pink, which was released a little over three years ago. DEADLINE has marked BLACKPINK’s comeback and reasserted their dominance in the K-pop community. 

BLACKPINK was formed in 2016, making them a third-generation K-pop group. Third-generation groups are normally formed between 2012 and 2019. Common third-gen groups are BTS, TWICE, and Red Velvet, which all paved the way for third-gen K-pop. 

BLACKPINK consists of four members. JENNIE is the main rapper and lead vocalist, and is often considered the face of the group. LISA is the main dancer, lead rapper, sub-vocalist, and maknae (youngest member), and is considered the primary dancer of the group. ROSÉ is the main vocalist and lead dancer, and is primarily known for her high-pitched tone. JISOO is the lead vocalist and visual, and is known for her standard Korean beauty standards. In K-pop, the main roles are considered the most skilled, and the leads are the second-best. 

Each member also has a prominent solo career. JENNIE, ROSÉ, and LISA have their own solo albums (rosie, Ruby, and Alter Ego), while JISOO has released an EP (AMORTAGE) and various singles. ROSÉ made history at the 2026 Grammys for being the first female K-pop artist nominated for one of the “Big Four” categories. Her hit single, “APT,” was nominated for track of the year. She is the most-nominated solo K-pop artist in Grammy history.

DEADLINE consists of five tracks in the following order: “JUMP,” “GO,” “Me and my,” “Champion,” and “Fxxxboy.” Each song represents BLACKPINK over the years in its own way. 

“JUMP” was released on July 11th, 2025, as a single. The quick beat and high energy make it an easy song to dance to. The song could easily be played at any concert to get the crowd moving. “JUMP” perfectly captures the aesthetic of the recent BLACKPINK DEADLINE World Tour.

A highlight of the song is LISA’s solo rapping. With JENNIE being the main rapper, hearing LISA have a rap solo was a nice surprise. Her distinct voice and edgy lyrics remind many fans of her solo work. 

“GO” is the title track of the EP. BLACKPINK’s Instagram page made a big deal of “GO,” with it being the title track. However, for many fans, the song fell short. The beat of the song is there; however, the chorus is weak, and the lyrics are repetitive. 

On the other hand, “GO” sounds like a song right off of The Album, the 2020 BLACKPINK release. As one of my favorite albums of all time, “GO” is, in my opinion, a good song. The lyrics may be repetitive, but it is easy to sing along to and jam out to in the car. 

“Me and my” is a song about the strong bond the girls have formed over the years. The group has been together for a decade and has completed four tours together. The memories the girls have made together are clearly highlighted in “Me and my.”

To many, “Me and my” sounds like it belongs on Born Pink, the 2022 BLACKPINK album. The overall vibe of “Me and my” fits the confident vibe of Born Pink.

“Champion,” in my opinion, is the most exciting track of the mini-album. Possibly the most exciting part of the song comes from one of its authors, EJAE. EJAE is known for being the singing voice of Rumi from Netflix’s Grammy and Oscar-winning film, K-Pop Demon Hunters. Along with being the singing voice of Rumi, EJAE also wrote most of the soundtrack, with songs such as the Grammy-nominated hit, “Golden.” 

“Champion” sounds like it belongs in the K-Pop Demon Hunters soundtrack. The theme of the song is getting up when you’re knocked down, even if the world is hard. This could be a dig at the K-pop industry, as it is known for being brutal. In fact, EJAE was rejected from being a K-pop idol because people thought she wasn’t good enough or pretty enough. However, from this she picked herself up and became a Grammy and Oscar winner. 

With EJAE’s impeccable writing skills and the girls’ distinct voices, this is probably the best song on the mini-album. It can also be considered a song that matches the confidence of Born Pink.

“Fxxxboy” is the last track of the EP. From the title, I expected a more grunge approach. The title makes it seem like the girls are angry, and a lot of yelling was expected. However, I was surprised by the song’s soft vocals. To me, this song most closely relates to the vibes of ROSÉ’s solo album rosie. 

Rosie is known for being the raw emotions ROSÉ experienced after a toxic relationship. With songs like “number one girl” and “toxic till the end,” ROSÉ’s emotions were on full display. The same can be said about “Fxxxboy.” The song highlights the struggles the girls have faced in relationships, highlighting specifically toxic ones. 

Even though the EP consists of only five songs, it is still a strong EP. It feels like a tie-in from all the eras of BLACKPINK, including their solo careers. With it being only five songs, it is an easy listen and not too time-consuming. 

With new music from BLACKPINK, ATEEZ, and now BTS, 2026 may be K-pop’s year to shine.