Me (single album)

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Me
Digital cover
Single album by
Jisoo
ReleasedMarch 31, 2023 (2023-03-31)
Recorded2022
StudioThe Black Label (Seoul)
Genre
Length5:37
Language
  • Korean
  • English
Label
Producer
Singles from Me
  1. "Flower"
    Released: March 31, 2023

Me (stylized in all caps) is the debut single album by South Korean singer and Blackpink member Jisoo. It was released on March 31, 2023 through YG Entertainment and Interscope Records. It is a pop and trap record that blends dance, synth-pop, traditional Korean instruments, and Caribbean production. Its lyrics explore romantic affairs, overcoming a relationship, and Jisoo's self-development as a person. As the creative director, Jisoo worked with long-time collaborators 24 and R. Tee.

The physical album debuted at number one on the Circle Album Chart with 1.03 million copies sold in less than two days, becoming the best-selling album by a female soloist in the chart's history and the first ever to surpass one million sales. It was certified million by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) in May 2023. The album received generally favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its sophisticated lyrics and production that highlighted Jisoo's unique vocals.

"Flower" was released as the lead single on the same day the album was released. The song peaked at number two on the Billboard Global 200 and the Circle Digital Chart and became the highest-charting song by a female K-pop soloist on the Canadian Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.

Background[edit]

Following the release of bandmates Jennie's solo single "Solo" (2018), Rosé's solo single album R (2021), and Lisa's solo single album Lalisa (2021), attention turned towards Jisoo as the final member of Blackpink to debut as a soloist. During an interview with Rolling Stone, the singer shared that she felt not sure about pursuing a music career outside of the group and was still figuring out the direction it would go in.[2] On January 2, 2023, YG Entertainment confirmed that Jisoo was in the process of recording music for her single album and had completed filming the album's jacket photo shoots.[3][4] On February 21, her label revealed that filming for her music video was underway in a top-secret location overseas, with the highest production budget they have ever invested into a Blackpink music video.[5]

Composition[edit]

Me is pop and trap record[1] that blends dance, synth-pop, traditional Korean instruments and Caribbean elements. It is an exploration of Jisoo’s romantic affairs and self-development as a person. It highlight her vocal strengths through "easygoing flows and insatiable lyrics" as she narrates a story about a broken-hearted girl who overcomes and leaves a toxic relationship with "untouchable confidence" through the two tracks.[6]

The single album opens with its lead single "Flower", a mid-tempo dance, pop and trap song that incorporates traditional Korean melodies and Caribbean elements.[6][7][8] It is characterized by a "distinctive" bass sound, minimal arrangement, poetic lyrics, and "Jisoo's unique vocals."[9] Its lyrics talk about overcoming a toxic relationship,[6] where the protagonist leaves the relationship with "leaving behind nothing but the whiff of flora."[8] In the song the word "Flower" was used as a metaphor to describe the singer's heartbreak, in line with the lyrics, "Nothing is left but the scent of flower." Eventually the "flowers come to their own and bloom" as the protagonists leave the toxic relationship and come to her own self, with the lyrics “Spring comes and we say bye bye bye."[10]

The album's second track “All Eyes on Me” is an upbeat electro-pop, dance-pop and EDM song that incorporates synth-pop elements.[11] Its lyrics are about a woman who knows her worth and what she deserves, with lyrics: “One is not enough, look into my eyes/ I don't want half, just look at me only/ That's a given, it's not so greedy.”[6][1]

Conception and title[edit]

"While preparing for the single, a question mark floated in my head. I wanted to show a new and diverse side of myself while protecting myself. This is a single of 'me' myself, created after countless considerations to look inside and express myself. That's why the title of the single is also "나" which means "me", i participated in the overall part of the single, and I worked with that determination from the beginning to the end. I feel myself growing and becoming stronger as I go through the process of discovering new charms that I didn't even know existed."

—Jisoo's introduction of the album, Newsis[12]

The name of the single album, Me, is a representation of Jisoo's strong aspirations and confidence, capturing her distinct color and original beauty as a solo artist.[13] It also refers to the Chinese character (美), which means beauty. By giving a double meaning to the title, Jisoo sheds light not only on her unique music style but also on the visual aesthetics of her album. In a Q&A with The Korea Times, Jisoo explained that "Through Me, I want to display my unexplored side without ditching my originality. It is an EP about myself. As I worked on it, I discovered my hidden charms and felt like I was growing up. I took part in its overall production, sharing my ideas about music, the concept, and music video, among other things."[14]

Aesthetics[edit]

Jisoo used bold red, black-and-white colors with floral accents in her social media posts and clothing during the promotion of Me.[15] On March 15 and 21, the singer released two visual films for the single album. In the first one, Jisoo is seen wearing a "luxe" zebra print outfit while surrounded by "striking" red flowers, accompanied by traditional-sounding instrumentals.[16] The second video features primarily a black-and-white palette. Jisoo appears in a black crop top and a "satin-finished", wide skirt.[17]

Release and promotion[edit]

On March 5, teasers were uploaded to Blackpink’s social media accounts, confirming that Jisoo's solo project would be released on March 31, 2023.[15] The same day, the single album was made available for pre-order in two standard versions alongside Kit and purple vinyl versions. Jisoo directly participated in the design to "increase the value of the collection".[18] On March 8, the album's title was announced to be Me in a teaser poster featuring a close-up of Jisoo in floral accessories against a green background.[19] A second teaser poster was released on March 12 depicting Jisoo in a white ruffled dress against a black background.[20] On March 15, Jisoo unveiled the first visual teaser for the album with a red aesthetic.[16] On March 19, the name of the album's lead single was announced to be "Flower".[21] On March 21, Jisoo released the second visual teaser for the album with a black aesthetic.[17] The full tracklist and credits for the album were released on March 27.[22] Me was released worldwide on March 31 through YG and Interscope in conjunction with the music video for "Flower".[23] In celebration of her comeback, the singer held an online live broadcast an hour before the release to talk about the album and music video.[24] On April 7, Jisoo appeared as the first guest on the second season of Lee Young-ji's show No Prepare on YouTube.[25] On April 8, Jisoo featured on Wired's Autocomplete Interview series on YouTube, in which she answered the web's most frequently asked questions.[26]

Critical reception[edit]

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
NME[27]

Rhian Daly writing for NME awarded the album 4 out of 5 stars, describing the album as a showcase of two sides of Jisoo's artistry. In particular, Daly found the lead single "Flower" one of the best K-pop songs of the year and praised it for "managing to mix elegance with inventiveness and elements of modern production with more traditional sounding sonics." On the other hand, she thought the B-side track "All Eyes on Me" was lacking musically in comparison to "Flower", though the lyrics "still pack[ed] an alluring quality at times".[27] Writing for Rolling Stone, Tim Chan praised the "finger-snapping production" and Jisoo's confident vocal delivery on "Flower" and characterized "All Eyes on Me" as a "head-nodding pop track."[28] Samantha H. Chung for The Harvard Crimson labeled "Flower" a "classy, laid-back debut" that was well-suited to Jisoo's "understated charisma", while "All Eyes on Me" was a strong complement that showed "a different side of Jisoo while highlighting her distinctive voice and style."[29]

Accolades[edit]

Awards and nominations for Me
Year Organization Award Result Ref.
2023 Asian Pop Music Awards People's Choice Award (Overseas) 4th place [30]
Seoul Music Awards Main Award (Bonsang) Nominated [31]
Korean Wave Award Nominated
Popularity Award Nominated

Commercial performance[edit]

Me surpassed 510,000 pre-orders in two days and 840,000 pre-orders in a week. In just two weeks, the single album surpassed 950,000 pre-orders, the highest figure ever by a female K-pop solo artist.[32] On March 28, YG Entertainment announced that Me had exceeded 1.24 million pre-orders in three weeks, making it the first album by a K-pop female soloist to sell one million copies.[33] As of March 30, the single album had surpassed 1.31 million pre-orders.[34] According to Korea's Hanteo Chart, the single album sold 876,249 copies on the first day and 1,172,351 copies on the first week of release, breaking the record previously held by bandmate Lisa's single album Lalisa for the highest first-week sales among female soloists and making Jisoo the first-ever million-selling female K-pop solo artist.[35] The physical edition debuted at number one on the Circle Album Chart with 875,922 copies sold, while the Nemo version debuted at number six with 88,632 copies sold and the Kit version debuted at number seven with 69,520 copies sold, all in less than two days of tracking.[36] The album remained at number one for its second week, becoming the first album by a female soloist to top the chart for multiple weeks.[37] Me ranked at number 27 on the year-end Circle Album Chart with 1,147,208 copies sold in 2023, while the Nemo version ranked at number 92 with 227,997 copies sold.[38]

Track listing[edit]

Me track listing
No.TitleLyricsMusicArrangementLength
1."Flower" (꽃; Kkot)
  • 24
  • VVN
  • Kush
242:53
2."All Eyes on Me"
  • Teddy
  • Vince
  • 24
  • R. Tee
2:44
Total length:5:37
Me – CD only (bonus tracks)
No.TitleMusicArrangementLength
3."Flower" (Instrumental)
  • Vince
  • Kush
  • VVN
  • Teddy
  • 24
  • VVN
  • Kush
2:53
4."All Eyes on Me" (Instrumental)
  • Teddy
  • R. Tee
  • 24
  • VVN
  • 24
  • R. Tee
2:44
Total length:11:14

Charts[edit]

Certifications and sales[edit]

Certifications for Me
Region Certification Certified units/sales
South Korea (KMCA)[48] Million 1,542,205[47]

Release history[edit]

Release dates and formats for Me
Region Date Format Label Ref.
Various March 31, 2023
[49]
South Korea Kit YG [50]
August 1, 2023 LP [51]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d Eshita, Srinivas (April 1, 2023). "Me: Jisoo From BLACKPINK Drops Solo Trap-Pop Album". AugustMan Singapore. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  2. ^ Kang, Haeryun (May 27, 2022). "Blackpink's Jisoo on Fame, Mental Health, and (Maybe) Going Solo". Rolling Stone. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  3. ^ Yoon, Sang-geun (January 2, 2023). "블랙핑크 지수, 2023년 솔로 컴백 확정 "재킷 촬영 끝"[공식]" [BLACKPINK Jisoo confirms solo comeback in 2023 "Jacket shooting finished" [Official]]. Money Today (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
  4. ^ Choo, Seung-hyun (January 2, 2023). "블랙핑크 지수, 솔로 데뷔 임박…"재킷 사진 촬영 마쳐"" [BLACKPINK's Jisoo, solo debut imminent... “Finished the jacket photo shoot”]. YG Life (in Korean). Seoul Economic Daily. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023 – via YG Life.
  5. ^ Lee, Seung-hoon (February 21, 2023). "YG, "지수 솔로 MV 역대급 제작비..해외 올로케"[공식]" [YG, "Jisoo's solo MV record production cost...Overseas olke" [Official]]. Money Today (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
  6. ^ a b c d India, Roby (April 1, 2023). "What Jisoo's 'Me' Reveals About Blackpink's Eldest Member". Nylon. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  7. ^ Guy, Zoe (March 31, 2023). "Jisoo Wants All Eyes on Her Debut Solo Project, Me". Vulture. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Eshita, Srinivas (March 31, 2023). "BLACKPINK's Jisoo drops her debut solo album 'Me' with two trap-pop dance tracks". Lifestyle Asia India. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  9. ^ Dong, Sun-hwa (March 31, 2023). "'Me': BLACKPINK's Jisoo off to smooth start as solo artist". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  10. ^ Bhavna, Agarwal (March 31, 2023). "Jisoo of BLACKPINK makes heartbreak look savage in new music video FLOWER. Album Me out now". India Today. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  11. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (August 13, 2023). "8 Best Moments From BLACKPINK's Celebratory 'Encore' Stadium Tour Kickoff in New Jersey". Billboard. Retrieved August 13, 2023.
  12. ^ Lee, Jae-hoon (March 31, 2023). "블랙핑크 지수, 오늘 'Me'…만화방창 '美'" [Blackpink Jisoo, today's 'Me'... Comic book window 'Mi']. Newsis (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  13. ^ Koh, Seung-ah (March 31, 2023). "블랙핑크 지수 "앨범명·로고 고민할 때 로제가 도와줘…뿌듯"" [BLACKPINK Jisoo "Rosé helps me when I'm thinking about the album name/logo... Proud"]. News 1 (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  14. ^ Dong, Sun-hwa (March 31, 2023). "'Me': BLACKPINK's Jisoo off to smooth start as solo artist". Korea Times. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  15. ^ a b "Jisoo last member of Blackpink to make solo debut, on March 31". The Straits Times. Singapore. March 6, 2023. Archived from the original on March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 6, 2023.
  16. ^ a b Rowley, Glenn (March 15, 2023). "BLACKPINK's Jisoo Stuns in Elegant Visual Teaser for Solo Debut 'ME'". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 15, 2023. Retrieved March 15, 2023.
  17. ^ a b Bowenbank, Starr (March 21, 2023). "BLACKPINK's Jisoo Goes High Fashion in Second Visual Teaser for Solo Debut 'ME'". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 21, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  18. ^ ""직접 디자인 참여"...블랙핑크 지수, 솔로 앨범 예판 시작" [“Direct design participation”...BLACKPINK Jisoo, solo album pre-order starts]. Naver. March 6, 2023. Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  19. ^ Rowley, Glenn (March 8, 2023). "BLACKPINK's Jisoo Reveals Title & Cover Art for Her Debut Single Album: See It Here". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 8, 2023. Retrieved March 8, 2023.
  20. ^ Hada, Isha (March 13, 2023). "BLACKPINK's Jisoo drops second poster for upcoming solo album Me, dazzles in a white ruffled dress". Pinkvilla. Archived from the original on March 14, 2023. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
  21. ^ Daly, Rhian (March 19, 2023). "BLACKPINK's Jisoo announces upcoming solo title track 'Flower'". NME. Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved March 16, 2023.
  22. ^ Aniftos, Rania (March 27, 2023). "BLACKPINK's Jisoo Unveils Solo Debut Track List". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 27, 2023. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
  23. ^ Guy, Zoe (March 31, 2023). "Jisoo Wants All Eyes on Her Debut Solo Project, Me". Vulture. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  24. ^ Jeong, Ji-won (March 31, 2023). "[오늘컴백] 블랙핑크 지수, '꽃'피는 솔로 데뷔" [[Today's comeback] BLACKPINK's Jisoo, 'flower' blooming solo debut]. JoyNews24 (in Korean). Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  25. ^ Ahn, Eun-jae (March 19, 2023). "블랙핑크 지수, '차쥐뿔' 시즌2 첫 게스트 나선다…이영지와 토크 기대" [BLACKPINK's Jisoo, the first guest of 'Chajwippul' Season 2... Looking forward to talking with Youngji Lee]. News1 (in Korean). Retrieved March 19, 2023.
  26. ^ Purnell, Kristofer (April 8, 2023). "WATCH: Blackpink's Jisoo answers frequently searched questions about her". Philstar. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
  27. ^ a b Daly, Rhian (March 31, 2023). "Jisoo's pretty, powerful 'Me' finds a star in bloom". NME. Archived from the original on April 1, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  28. ^ Chan, Tim (March 31, 2023). "Classy, Bougie, Rapturous: Jisoo's 'Flower' Is a Song You Need to Know". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on March 31, 2023. Retrieved March 31, 2023.
  29. ^ Chung, Samantha (April 7, 2023). "'Flower' Review: Blackpink's Jisoo Delivers a Sophisticated Solo Debut". The Harvard Crimson. Archived from the original on April 4, 2023. Retrieved April 4, 2023.
  30. ^ "【APMA 2023】亚洲流行音乐大奖2023年度获奖名单（完整版）" (in Chinese). December 27, 2023. Archived from the original on December 27, 2023. Retrieved December 27, 2023.
  31. ^ "The 33rd Seoul Music Awards – Vote". Seoul Music Awards. November 25, 2023. Archived from the original on November 25, 2023. Retrieved November 25, 2023. (Note: Click/tap on the labelled tabs to view nominees for each category)
  32. ^ Ji, Min-kyung (March 20, 2023). "블랙핑크 지수, 첫 솔로 앨범 'ME' 선주문량 95만 장 돌파..밀리언셀러 청신호" [BLACKPINK's Jisoo, first solo album 'ME' surpassed 950,000 pre-orders...Million seller green light]. Osen (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 20, 2023. Retrieved March 20, 2023.
  33. ^ Kim, Myung-mi (March 28, 2023). "블랙핑크 지수, 첫 앨범 선주문 124만장 돌파 '女 솔로 신기록'" [BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, first album pre-order exceeded 1.24 million copies ‘New Female Solo Record’]. Newsen (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 28, 2023. Retrieved March 28, 2023.
  34. ^ Kim, Myung-mi (March 28, 2023). "블랙핑크 지수, K팝 女 솔로 최초 '밀리언셀러' 청신호" [BLACKPINK’s Jisoo, the first K-pop female solo artist to become a ‘Million Seller’]. Newsen (in Korean). Retrieved March 30, 2023.
  35. ^ Han, Yoo-jin (March 28, 2023). "블랙핑크 지수, 첫 솔로 앨범 '미' 초동 117만 장 돌파" [BLACKPINK's Jisoo, first solo album 'Me' sold over 1.17 million copies in the first week]. Newsis (in Korean). Retrieved April 7, 2023.
  36. ^ a b c "Circle Album Chart – Week 13, 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  37. ^ "Circle Album Chart – Week 14, 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved April 13, 2023.
  38. ^ a b c "2023 Album Chart". Circle Chart. Korea Music Content Association. Archived from the original on January 12, 2024. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  39. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége. Retrieved May 5, 2023.
  40. ^ Oricon Weekly Single Ranking – 2023-05-01/p/3 Oricon News. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  41. ^ "Weekly Combined Singles Chart – April 17, 2023" (in Japanese). Oricon. Archived from the original on April 14, 2023. Retrieved April 14, 2023.
  42. ^ "Billboard Japan Top Singles Sales – Week of April 26, 2023". Billboard Japan (in Japanese). Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  43. ^ "Circle Album Chart – Week 15, 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved April 20, 2023.
  44. ^ "Circle Album Chart – Week 31, 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved August 10, 2023.
  45. ^ a b c "Circle Album Chart – March 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  46. ^ "Circle Album Chart – August 2023". Circle Chart (in Korean). Retrieved September 7, 2023.
  47. ^ Me Sales: 1,147,208 (2023) + 227,997 (2023, Nemo) + 100,000 (2023, Kit) + 67,000 (2023, LP)
  48. ^ "South Korean album certifications – 지수 (JISOO) – ME" (in Korean). Korea Music Content Association (KMCA).
  49. ^ "JISOO FIRST SINGLE ALBUM [ME]" (in Korean). YG. Retrieved March 5, 2023 – via YG SELECT.
  50. ^ "JISOO FIRST SINGLE ALBUM [ME] KiT ALBUM" (in Korean). YG. Retrieved March 5, 2023 – via YG SELECT.
  51. ^ "JISOO FIRST SINGLE VINYL LP [ME] -LIMITED EDITION-" (in Korean). YG. Retrieved March 5, 2023 – via YG SELECT.
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