The month (year?) of BLACKPINK solos rolls on with the release of Jisoo’s second single and first since cutting ties with YG Entertainment for her solo efforts. So far, that decision has played well for every other BLACKPINK member, and given the lukewarm nature of 2023’s Flower Jisoo has plenty of room for musical improvement. Her promo shots for Earthquake have been giving me strong Kara Mamma Mia vibes, whetting my appetite for an explosive disco throwdown.
Sadly, K-pop isn’t really in the business of “explosive disco throwdowns” anymore. We’re far more likely to get a subdued disco clinker. And really, Earthquake is neither of these. Kylie Minogue’s viral Padam Padam seems to be on the vision board this time, though that song’s campy charm is jettisoned for a dull club thump that never really catches flight. Earthquake is sleek and stylish in the way that’s become synonymous with “monotonous and flat.” It’s mildly groovy but too slow to dance to and too aloof to hit any real emotional points. For every flash of momentum there’s an annoying drop that deposits us right back at the beginning rather than let the song flourish. It’s like being stuck in a loop.
The production attempts to break this pattern by adding slight layers to Earthquake‘s final chorus, but the arrangement offers too little spark and way too little personality. This makes for a robotic sound. A satisfying warmth peeks through every once and awhile in Jisoo’s vocals, reminding me a bit of fellow dance diva Sunmi. Everything clicks during the second pre-chorus, where we speed along quite pleasantly for a few seconds. However, this energy is never capitalized upon. Taking the expensive music video and Jisoo’s obvious star cachet out of the equation, you could hear variations of this stripped back club sound every week from countless DJs and quite a few Eurovision pre-selection heats. In other words, Earthquake is a slight tremor in a very large field.
Hooks
7
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
7.75