Song Review: Blackswan – Roll Up

By Nick on July 31, 2024

Blackswan - Roll Up Across their Rania, BP Rania and Blackswan days, this group has been home to a whopping twenty four members. This revolving door has gained some stability in the past few years, with the current line-up performing together since 2022. Roll Up arrives just over a year since their last comeback and sees the group trying on a harder edged sound.

Blackswan's discography has been very hit or miss for me, at its best when experimenting with sounds to craft music that's a bit different than other girl groups. In contrast, Roll Up conforms to a certain type of K-pop structure -- think BLACKPINK's more boastful segments without the dramatic melodies buttressing their choruses. The music video opts for a western theme, but that influence doesn't transfer into the music. Instead, Roll Up utilizes a toolbox of sharp percussion and trendy synth.

Blackswan deliver swagger as well as any other group, but nothing about this song connects with me. The chorus is deflating and repetitive while the overall message seems to be "look at us, we're so cool" -- a sentiment that's been delivered two billion times in K-pop already. There's no originality to be found and the music itself is dull and uninspired.