Ddu-Du Ddu-Du

"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" is a song by South Korean girl group Blackpink, recorded for their first Korean extended play, Square Up (2018). The song was written by YG collaborator Teddy Park, whilst production and composition were handled by Teddy, 24, Bekuh Boom, and R. Tee. It was released as the extended play's lead single to digital outlets on June 15, 2018. The Japanese version of the single was released through YGEX on August 22, 2018, and was distributed in three physical formats. A trap and pop rap song infused with bubblegum pop and EDM sounds, it utilizes oriental percussion rhythms and whistling while the title imitates the sound of a gunshot. Its lyrics contain messages of strength and self-assurance.

"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was subject to generally favorable reviews from music critics, who complimented its production and the group's performance. It was named the Song of the Year through a public survey conducted by Gallup Korea in 2018, and appeared on Melon and Rolling Stone's lists of the best Korean pop songs of all time. A commercial success, the song peaked at number one on the South Korean Gaon Digital Chart for three weeks, marking Blackpink's second number-one single in the country. It reached number one in Singapore and Malaysia, as well as on the Billboard K-pop Hot 100 and World Digital Songs charts. The song peaked at number 55 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became the first song by a K-pop girl group to enter the UK Singles Chart. It was certified double platinum for streaming and platinum for digital sales in South Korea by the Korea Music Content Association, platinum in Japan by the Recording Industry Association of Japan, gold in the United States by the Recording Industry Association of America, and silver in the United Kingdom by the British Phonographic Industry.

An accompanying music video features the group members in high-end looks amid pink-and-black-hued sets. It soon became the most viewed online video in the first 24 hours by a Korean act, and the second most watched music video of all time within 24 hours. It has since become the first music video by a K-pop group to reach two billion views, and remains the most-viewed music video by a K-pop group on YouTube to date. Blackpink promoted "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" with appearances on the music programs Show! Music Core and Inkigayo in South Korea, with the song's "finger gun" choreography becoming a representative dance move. In addition to their three concert tours, the group showcased the song at California's Coachella festival and the BST Hyde Park festival in London.

Background and release
On June 4, 2018, YG Entertainment confirmed via YG Life that Blackpink will release their debut Korean-language mini-album, Square Up, on June 15, with "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" serving as its lead single. It marked the group's first original release in a year since "As If It's Your Last" in June 2017. The name of the track attracted attention due to the song's name being reminiscent of an onomatopoeia, and sparked curiosity regarding its genre and concept. Following a series of concept photos and teasers, Blackpink were reported saying, "As it is our debut mini-album and comeback after one year, we prepared each song with a lot of sincerity and affection." Additionally, member Jennie commented, "I am confident and I look forward to our comeback. I am happy to be able to express the musicality of Blackpink in various ways."

"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was made available via digital download and streaming on June 15, 2018, in conjunction with the release of Square Up. It was written and produced by Teddy Park and co-produced by Park, Bekuh Boom, 24, and R. Tee. On August 17, YGEX announced that a Japanese version of the track would be released as the group's debut single in Japan on August 22, 2018. The release featured additional lyrics by Sunny Boy. It was subsequently distributed in three physical formats: a CD-only regular edition, a limited edition CD+DVD, and a CD member edition. The regular and limited editions include all the tracks from Square Up, in addition to the Japanese version of the single. The limited edition DVD contains behind the scenes footage from the music video as well as a dance practice video. The member edition was packaged as a four-version CD single—one version for each member, and contains only the original version of the track. On April 5, 2019, a remix of "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was included as an album track on Blackpink's second Korean extended play, Kill This Love.

Composition and lyrics
Music journalists have characterized "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" as a "fierce" pop-rap track that "features a prominent trap beat" infused with bubblegum pop sounds. It combines instrumentations of oriental percussion rhythms and whistling with a trap production. Park Bo-ram from Yonhap News Agency described the single's production as primarily hip-hop laced with "aggressive trap" beats, while Im Eun-byel from The Korea Herald noted how the song's title resembled the sound of a gunshot, but also likened it to that of "a spell". Jennie commented how the group reacted when they heard the demo for the song: "When we first listened to the lead track 'Ddu-du Ddu-du,' we all thought, 'This is it.'"

"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" incorporates the use of trap synths, which is repeated multiple times throughout the first verse. Music producer Azodi commented that its "biggest riff" is already heard in the beginning, "but keeps a lot of space in the verses and chorus for a strong lead vocal line". Its production makes use of percolating synthesizers, while the chorus sees the group members delivering the refrain: "hit you with that 'ddu-du ddu-du'". Azodi observed that, "By the time the chorus is here, you would've heard the hook about four to eight times roughly so it's already been passively drilled into your skull without you realizing". The lyrical content, such as "In my hands is a fat check/ If you're curious, do a fact check", celebrate the members' success. In the Japanese rendition, the new English rap verses feature Lisa making references to the character Patrick Star from SpongeBob SquarePants ("Bitch, I’m a star, but no Patrick") and rapper Ice-T ("Like Ice-T, I'm OG"). Jennie’s rap highlights the group's cover of GQ Japan; they were the first female group to have a solo cover shoot ("All my GQ's spread like hummus").

Critical reception
"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. Hwang Seon-up, a critic from South Korean webzine IZM, awarded the song a 3.5 out of 5; he noted the unexpected blend of an "ordinary trap beat" with synth instrumentals, which he felt created an "outstanding" climax in the "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" drop. Chase McMullen, writing for The 405, described the song as both "boisterous" and "beautifully ludicrous", and regarded the chorus to be "essentially nonsense". He emphasized that "what's being said [is] less important than how they say it", and praised the song for its "irresistible cadences" and a seamless flow of verses. Jeff Benjamin, for Paper, commended the song's musical arrangement and placed it at number 13 on their Top 20 K-Pop Songs of 2018 list, remarking that the song perfectly blended "hard hip-hop, honeyed harmonies", and a touch of hazy EDM. Furthermore, Benjamin added, "From the opening shoutout of their group name, Blackpink delivers one of the year's strongest anthems."

Writing for NME, Rhian Daly ranked "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" the best song in the group's discography in May 2019, writing, "It's a no-holds-barred, powerful anthem packed full of supreme self-confidence and swagger." She ranked it the 26th best K-pop song of all time in a piece published by The Forty-Five in May 2023, remarking that it is rare for K-pop intros to be as recognizable as entrance of "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du", and complimented the "perfect combination of rap braggadocio from Jennie and Lisa and powerhouse vocals from Rosé and Jisoo". Taylor Glasby from British GQ felt the song embodied the essence of "over the top" K-pop, highlighting the "hooky title refrain", the rappers' sly confidence in the verses, and the emotional build into the chorus that gave the members space to demonstrate their vocal ability. On the other hand, Business Insider's Palmer Haasch was not impressed with the song's production, opining that despite its "dramatic" flair and overflowing confidence, the track lacked the "thematic substance" found in songs like "Kill This Love", even though it followed a similar structure. She further noted that the "bridge and final bars don't feel like a particularly satisfying conclusion".

Accolades
"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" won 11 first place awards on South Korean music programs, including a quadruple crown on ''Show! Music Core and triple crowns on Inkigayo and M Countdown''. It additionally won three weekly Melon Popularity Awards from July 2 to July 16, 2018.

Commercial performance
In South Korea, "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" debuted at number three on the Gaon Digital Chart for the week of June 16. The following week, the song ascended to the number one position and scored the highest weekly points in the Gaon Digital Chart. "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" also achieved a perfect all-kill upon its release, retaining the status for eleven consecutive days. The song remained atop the Gaon Digital Chart for three weeks and subsequently spent over 50 weeks in the top 100. It was then certified platinum twice by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) for accumulating 100 million streams on November 8, 2018, and 2.5 million digital downloads on April 11, 2019. Elsewhere in Asia, the song peaked at number one on the digital streaming record charts in Malaysia and Singapore. The Japanese version of the single debuted at number six on the Japanese Oricon Daily Singles Chart and peaked at number two six days later, selling 3,725 units. On the chart's weekly issue, the song debuted at number seven with 24,385 physical copies sold. The song was certified platinum in Japan for 100 million streams by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) in January 2024.

In the United States, "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" debuted and peaked at number 55 on the US Billboard Hot 100 on June 30, 2018. It became the highest-charting song by a Korean girl group on the chart, breaking the record previously held by "Nobody" by Wonder Girls in 2009. Within its first week, the song accumulated 12.4 million streams and sold more than 7,000 digital units in the country. According to Nielsen, the song received 113 million on-demand streams in 2018. On August 23, 2019, the song was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), for track equivalent sales of 500,000 units in the US, making Blackpink the first Korean girl group and third Korean artist overall to receive the certification, after Psy and BTS. In Canada, "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" debuted at number 22 on the Canadian Hot 100 and remained on the chart for ten weeks. In Europe, the song peaked at number 32 on the Scottish Singles and Albums Charts and number 78 on the UK Singles Chart, making Blackpink the first K-pop girl group in history to enter the chart. The track reached 45.5 million streams in the United Kingdom as of September 2022, becoming the group's most-streamed song in the country. In June 2021, the song was awarded a silver certification in the country by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for track-equivalent sales of 200,000 units.

Music video
The music video for "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was uploaded to the group's official YouTube channel along with the release of Square Up on June 15. It soon became the most viewed online video in the first 24 hours by a Korean act, and the second most watched music video of all time with more than 36.2 million views within 24 hours after release, surpassing Psy's "Gentleman" (2013) and second only to Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" (2017). The music video hit 100 million views in 10 days, making "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" the only music video by an all-female K-pop group to achieve the feat within the timeframe. In November 2018, five months after release, it became the fastest music video by a K-pop group to reach 500 million views and the fifth most viewed K-pop video of all time. A dance practice video for the song was released on June 18, 2018.

The track's music video primarily focuses on the choreography and features the group in high-end looks amid pink-and-black-hued sets. It depicts the group members with a variety of props and attires; Jennie appears as a queen on a chessboard and is seen sitting atop a diamond-encrusted tank with shopping bags. Lisa disperses a burst of smoke resembling a pair of wings, before she is seen with a pink cockatoo and a katana. Rosé looks up towards another version of herself on a pedestal dressed in glimmering gown, while at one point, she is seen swinging on a chandelier. Jisoo appears sporting a pink wig while standing in front of a mural depicting herself, and is surrounded by a crowd of masked men all capturing the mural with their mobile phones. She initially stands unnoticed due to the wig she is wearing, however, the crowd begins to take notice and record her every move after she stumbles and falls while walking. Explaining the concept behind the scene, Jisoo elaborated: "The message is about how people can go crazy about the celebrity figures and how they will aim at the celebrities if they make mistakes. We wanted to portray a scene which is interesting and meaningful to us."

Writing for the July 2018 issue of Seoul Magazine, Kristina Manente expressed appreciation for the song's blend of traditional Korean instrumentals with the beat and bass of hip-hop, describing it as an "auditory delight". Manente wrote that the fusion was reflected in the music video through its integration of elements from Korean architecture, and observed a recurring trend in South Korean music videos where traditional and contemporary elements are blended together, in which she thought contributed to their unique charm. Rolling Stone named it the eighth best music video of 2018, describing it as "a feat of bonkers, maximalist creativity that includes the best use of a tank in a music video since Master P's "Make 'Em Say Uhh!" in 1998. Blackpink later revealed that the "gun-shooting hand gesture", featured during the chorus in the music video, was not included in the initial choreography; Jennie explained that the original move involved the members extending their arms, with palms facing downwards, while swaying their hands from side to side. The group altered the dance move to the gun-shooting gesture on the day of the music video shoot.

In October 2018, "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" won Best Dance Video at the 2018 MTV Video Music Awards Japan. YouTube Rewind named it the second most popular music video in South Korea during 2018, only behind "Love Scenario" by label-mate iKon. On January 21, 2019, the video became the most-viewed music video by a K-pop group on YouTube, with 620.9 million views; the video averaged 2.5 million views per day since its release, with 1.95 million daily views in January 2019. On November 11, 2019, the music video surpassed one billion views, making Blackpink the first K-pop group, second girl group, and fourth music group overall to achieve the milestone. The video subsequently surpassed two billion views on January 4, 2023, making it the first K-pop group video to achieve the milestone, after "Gangnam Style" (2012) by Psy.

Live performances and other usage
As part of promotions for Square Up, Blackpink premiered the song on live television along with "Forever Young" on Show! Music Core on June 16, 2018. Osen contrasted the "refreshing and melodic" performance of "Forever Young" with the strong hip-hop concept of "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du". They subsequently appeared on Inkigayo for the first time to perform the song the next day. On June 22, the group was slated to perform the track at the Lotte Duty Free Family Concert 2018; however after several songs, their performance was abruptly halted before having a chance to perform "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" due to safety concerns. Fans expressed discontent regarding the handling of the situation as many in the audience paid tickets to see the group and they did not return after being escorted off the stage. The event organizers soon apologized for the incident.

"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was used as the opening number for the group's first two headlining concert tours, the Blackpink Arena Tour 2018 and the In Your Area World Tour (2018–2020). They also performed the song at the TGC Kitakyushu 2018 festival by Tokyo Girls Collection in Japan on October 6, and the SBS Super Concert in Suwon on October 14. At year-end award ceremonies and festivals, Blackpink performed the song live at the 2018 Melon Music Awards on December 1, where they won the award for best female dance performance. On December 25, Jennie performed her single "Solo" at the annual SBS Gayo Daejeon, before reuniting with the rest of the members for the performance of "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" and "Forever Young". The following month, the group made performances with the song at the 33rd Golden Disc Awards on January 5, 2019, and the 8th Gaon Chart Music Awards on January 23.

On February 9, 2019, the group performed in the United States for the first time at Universal Music's Grammy Artist Showcase with "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" and "Forever Young". Two days later, Blackpink made their American television debut in New York City on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert; their performance on the show coincided with the 55th anniversary of the Beatles' American television debut at the same theater. They also made a performance with the song on Good Morning America the following day. At the April 2019 Coachella Festival in Indio, California, "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was also used for Blackpink's opening performance. On January 31, 2021, the group performed the song as part of their set list for their virtual concert The Show; the stage was decorated with a display of fire and pyrotechnics and was transformed into a shallow pool. Maddy Myer from Teen Vogue wrote that the performance was "one of the greatest spectacles of the concert". Matthew Mohan-Hickson from Billboard noted how "the fire and water elements shine" and deemed it one of the concert's standout moments. "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was also included in the set list for the group's second world tour, the Born Pink World Tour (2022–2023).

In 2018, "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was added to the soundtrack of the dance rhythm game Just Dance 2019. The song was featured in the fourth episode of season three of Freeform series The Bold Type in April 2019, and the fifth episode of the tvN television series Mr. Queen in December 2020. South Korean boy band Stray Kids performed "God's Ddu-Du Ddu-Du", a Deadpool-themed mashup of "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" with their own song "God's Menu", during the 2021 Mnet competition show Kingdom: Legendary War. In November 2023, members of the British royal band performed a cover of "Ddu-Du-Ddu-Du" at the gates of London's Buckingham Palace in recognition of the group members receiving honorary MBEs from King Charles III.

Impact and legacy
"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was named the Song of the Year by South Korean research company Gallup Korea's annual public survey conducted in 2018. In January 2019, The Korea Herald revealed that "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was covered more times than any other K-pop song in 2018, with the "gun-shooting hand gesture" move attracting the interest of K-pop fans around the world to film cover videos. In December 2019, British GQ named it amongst the best K-pop songs of the 2010s and the highlight work of the genre from 2018. Lucy Ford, from the same publication, acknowledged Blackpink's role in cementing "the badass, empowered 'girl crush' concept" in K-pop with the release of "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du", a concept which Ford noted was propelled by 2NE1 in the industry. Writing for Sisa Journal, music critic Kim Young-dae observed that Blackpink's "sophisticated and edgy image", as showcased through the song and its "finger gun choreography", went on to become one of the most emblematic representations of girl groups globally.

In 2021, a panel of 35 music experts curated by Melon and newspaper Seoul Shinmun pleaced "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" at number 13 on their list of the top 100 K-pop songs of all time. KBS Radio director Soyeon Kang commented that the song sent a global signal leading to Blackpink's emergence as the girl group capturing worldwide attention. Kang highlighted Blackpink's record-breaking achievements and distinguished "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" as the work that established the group's musical identity, characterized by its EDM trap beats and strong hooks. Rolling Stone ranked it sixth in their list of the 100 greatest songs in the history of Korean pop music in 2023, recognizing the song as one of the works that perfected and popularized the "EDM trap template" in K-pop, and the group's role in elevating the sound to "global heights".

Year-end charts
Note: In Australia, the EP Square Up ranked at number 61 on the singles chart, but the single was not recognised separately.