Fresh off the success of her recent single Rockstar, BLACKPINK’s Lisa is back with a big-name collaborator in tow. Spanish singer Rosalía makes for a compelling feature, herself a genre-bending, forward thinking popstar who can certainly match Lisa’s charisma. And as a song, New Woman is infinitely more interesting than its predecessor. However, “interesting” doesn’t always mean “satisfying,” and in this case the track is as frustrating as it is engaging.
There’s a lot going on here, as New Woman carves itself into distinct, warring segments. Rosalía’s second verse switch-up is too jarring to work in the context of everything else around it and overall the track has a difficult time making the most of its various elements. Up through its first chorus, New Woman bops along an airy, artful groove, striking a nice balance between NewJeans-esque aloofness and trickier textures that feel more experimental. Shockingly, the track takes a full minute to reach its chorus, which is like the length of five TikTok videos. It’s a refreshingly old-school approach coupled with a new-school vision.
But like I mentioned, New Woman becomes more challenging as it moves on. Following the tacked-on Rosalía verse, the track rights itself but forgets to bring added firepower to make its second half stand apart from its first. Without any real climax or resolution, it feels like we’re spinning our wheels. Even at three minutes, New Woman sounds incomplete. But paired with an evocative music video and fueled by the power of two superstars, the song will definitely attract attention.
Hooks
8
Production
8
Longevity
8
Bias
8
RATING
8