Every BLACKPINK song, ranked

"How You Like That" has the synth horns, lyrical choruses, catchy onomatopoeia, and self-assured attitude that have all become calling cards of the group's music.

In this case, though, the whole falls short of the sum of its parts, and the chorus of the song — a sparse trap instrumental interspersed with the odd "How you like that!" or "Bada bing bada boom boom boom" — isn't enough to tie it all together.

Over a year on the heels of the group's preceding single, "Kill This Love," "How You Like That" felt like a hollow approximation of what a BLACKPINK song should sound like. It's still a banger, but a dissonant one that requires more than a few listens to come around to.

Song highlight: Rosé and Jisoo's shared bridge leading into "Look up in the sky, it's a bird, it's a plane."

"Ice Cream," which features Selena Gomez, is first and foremost a summer bop. It's fun and flirty, but falls much too easy into monotony that's only truly broken up by Lisa's rap verse, which features iconic lines like "Mona Lisa kinda Lisa."

The song allows Rosé and Jennie to soar on some of the high notes, and Gomez's feature is seamlessly integrated, but ultimately it feels like "Ice Cream" lacks substance.

Song highlight: Lisa's rap verse, which has some of the most fun lyrics in the entire song and kicks off with the line, "Chillin' like a villain, yeah rah rah rah."

BLACKPINK promoted "Forever Young" in 2018 alongside "Square Up" title track "Ddu-du Ddu-du," performing the song on music shows.

While "Forever Young" is poppier than its counterpart, it also hinges on a drop at the chorus that never seems to fully connect. The song's final moments fully deviate from the earlier, softer verses, pivoting into a breakdown that begins with the phrase, "BLACKPINK is the revolution!"

While it definitely slaps, the song still doesn't quite feel like it connects, making the ending not as satisfying as it could have been.

Song highlight: Jennie's rap verse, which is arguably one of her best and includes the iconic line, "Say life's a b----? But mine's a movie."

The closing track of BLACKPINK's first EP "Square Up" is eclectic in a way that doesn't fully pay off. Certain production elements of the song, particularly the reverb on the vocals, make the song feel a bit muddled and overwhelming at points.

That being said, "See U Later's" big synth hits in the pre-chorus and rap verses make it memorable and fun, and the minimalist chorus — complete with one-liners like "See you later, maybe never" — works better than it does on other tracks.

Song highlight: The kicker lines of the chorus: "Would have, could have, should have, didn't" and "See you later, maybe never."

On "Really," BLACKPINK relaxes a bit, leaning into a laid-back groove that's still packed with the group's characteristic swagger.

It's the most cohesive track on "Square Up," but still feels flat compared to the driving force of the rest of the album and doesn't have any standout moments.

Song highlight: "That playlist, my favorite, so play it / But baby, F a love song / I need you to say it, say it."

"Hope Not" is an easy song to miss among BLACKPINK's other tracks. A stripped-down pop ballad with a sparse, guitar-driven instrumental, "Hope Not" allows the group's vocals to truly shine as they sing about love and regret.

As Michelle Kim noted in a Pitchfork review, "Hope Not" is an odd choice to round out the group's second EP, "Kill This Love."

Still, its soft backing vocals, minimalist production, and emotional draw make it a valuable black sheep among the group's EDM- and trap-propelled discography.

Song highlight: The harmonies and reverb on Rosé's final line.

"You Never Know" is the pop ballad-esque closer on BLACKPINK's full-length album. While it's a bit of an odd choice to finish out the album, it serves its ballad function well, layering soaring vocals over a mostly piano-backed instrumental.

While "You Never Know" doesn't have the same earnest effect as the 2016 ballad "Stay," it has a vulnerability and assertiveness that make it worth a listen.

Song highlight: The final chorus, which cuts back to Rosé and a string-based instrumental.

"Kick It" is breezy and fun, relying mostly on a punchy synth bass and light percussive elements to keep it moving along.

It rounds out the eclectic nature of BLACKPINK's second EP, "Kill This Love," but doesn't quite reach the anthemic tracks of the title track or "Don't Know What To Do."

"Kick It" also notably plays with beat more than other tracks in the group's discography, oscillating between different beats in the verses and cutting back to a cool half-time in the chorus.

It's energetic ear candy that keeps you on your toes.

Song highlight: The breakdown of this song: "I'll kick it how I wanna kick it / When I wanna kick it / No, you can't tell me not to kick it / 'Cause I'm 'bout to kick it."

"Boombayah" is a pure dance banger, but its repetitive nature makes it the weakest out of BLACKPINK's four 2016 singles that set them on the path to superstardom.

While the chorus would be perfect to jump to on a dance floor, it's marred by a whooping sound in the chorus that's accompanied by a hand-over-mouth gesture in the song's choreography, harkening back to harmful Native American stereotypes.

In many ways, "Boombayah" is a blueprint for many of the group's other singles, which feature relentless, but vocally bereft, choruses, and lean into repetition as a closing force (and, of course, the iconic "BLACKPINK in your area").

That being said, "Boombayah" also includes some of Jennie and Lisa's most iconic verses, which are the most memorable part of the song.

Song highlight: The triplet-based flow on the back half of Lisa's verse.

"Crazy Over You" feels like it's trying to fuse three separate songs together.

To a certain extent, it works: the song's frequent beat shifts can be jarring, but there are enough moments of sonic pleasure, like the synth strings that come in during the chorus, that they don't feel too laborious.

By the time the second verse hits, the groove feels familiar enough that it's not too difficult to ease back into, but this song's novel elements keep you on your toes.

Song highlight: Jisoo's "like eee eee eee" on the chorus, particularly the high note she hits at the top of the phrase.

"Pretty Savage" is, without a doubt, BLACKPINK's cockiest song to date, and it totally works.

The song flips the group's calling card on its head, turning it into a vocal hook at the beginning of the song. The track itself is littered with casual insults and assertions of the group's dominance.

The line "Yeah, we some b----es you can't manage" perfectly encapsulates the song's vibe, but it doesn't reach quite the same impact as tracks like "Ddu-du Ddu-du" or "Kill This Love."

Song highlight: The bridge, which cuts back to Rosé's voice, a minimalist bass, an acoustic guitar, and some open snare hits.

"Ddu-du Ddu-du's" most defining feature is Jennie's rapid-fire rap verse, which hits you like a ton of bricks after the song's first chorus.

The song is dramatic and filled to the brim with confidence, but it doesn't have the same kind of thematic substance as tracks like "Kill This Love," despite following a similar structure.

Its bridge and final bars don't feel like a particularly satisfying conclusion as the group repeats the lyric, "tteugeowo tteugeowo tteugeowo like fire" along with the odd "BLACKPINK!" over an instrumental that dials the song's flute-like hook up to 11.

Song highlight: The speed of Jennie's rap verse, and the fact that she delivers it from the top of a bedazzled tank in the music video, makes it one of her most iconic.

"Stay" is perhaps the biggest outlier in BLACKPINK's entire discography. An almost country-esque ballad propped up on an acoustic instrumental, "Stay" is deceptively good in its subtlety.

It's a departure from the group's typical self-assured fare, instead offering a simple plea: "Stay."

Even given the stylistic shift, "Stay" gives Jennie and Lisa a rap verse, allowing them to show that they can pull off a more emotive style that doesn't always come through in their typical rapid-fire lines.

While "Stay" is indubitably the black sheep of Blackpink's first two single EPs, it was early evidence that they could hold their own outside the realm of dance-pop and set a precedent for later tracks like "Hope Not."

Song highlight: The song's chorus, which highlights all of the members' distinct, but complementary, vocal colors.

"Bet You Wanna" is a playful track that enlists Cardi B to deliver the song's second verse. It's one of the breeziest tracks on "The Album," and also one of the strongest.

The song's bass-driven instrumental allows for both Cardi's verse and BLACKPINK's beautifully layered vocals to pop.

It's coy, confident, and vocally strong, with a teasing refrain that leads to a triumphant chorus. It's easily one of the group's most fun tracks, and most successful collaborations.

Song highlight: "BLACKPINK... Cardi!"

A track that was promoted alongside "Kill This Love," "Don't Know What To Do" cuts back into the group's pop core and draws from mid-2010s pop/EDM influences.

While the chorus is sparse, a throbbing bass, whistle-like hook, and floating vocalization from Jisoo make it impactful.

"Don't Know What To Do" is a standout, however, mostly because it's such a refreshing departure from the group's typical trap-leaning sound, which comes through stronger than ever on the "Kill This Love" EP.

It's a testament to Blackpink's ability to pull more tender concepts while still maintaining their own recognizable identity.

Song highlight: Every time Rosé or Jennie sings "don't know what to do" leading into the chorus.

"Kill This Love" is BLACKPINK's most aggressive single, balanced out by a cut-down pre-chorus that relies on vocalists Jisoo and Rosé to deliver the song's emotional impact.

Defined by crisp snares and a synth brass sound that set the song's militant tone, the track's stripped-back moments allow its chorus to back a big punch, even with minimal vocals.

As a result, "Kill This Love" has a better sense of momentum than some of the group's later singles, which round out with dissatisfying payoffs. Its final moments are bombastic, but more importantly, they feel earned.

Song highlight: Jisoo singing about crying tears of blood while looking like an out-of-this-world mermaid, and Rosé crying while angstily driving a car, in the song's music video.

"Playing With Fire" was BLACKPINK's first true venture into angst, and they pull it off with aplomb.

Given that it was released on "Square Two," it's easy to see how this track paved the way for the group's future releases both thematically and musically. "Playing With Fire" is sparse, but drives home the theme of the song with couplets like "My love is on fire / Now burn, baby, burn."

Song highlight: The catchy synth line in the chorus, and all four members trading lines back and forth over it.

"Love To Hate Me" is a standout on BLACKPINK's first full-length album, giving each member a chance to shine.

Rosé's "No, no, no drama in my life" is a perfect lead into a simmering chorus that highlights Jennie's ability to deliver snappy likes like "Wake up, yeah, make up, maybe." Jisoo's slide on "I'ma let you fade into the background" is dramatic and subdued all at once, and Lisa's rap on this song is one of the best verses she's ever delivered.

Overall, this song is pure ear candy, from the buzzy hi-hats to the tight snare sounds to the vocal harmonies that add depth to the song's snappiest lines.

"Love To Hate Me" balances intensity with effortlessness in a way that gives the song a perfect sense of momentum.

Song highlight: "I could do bad by myself, don't need help / One of a kind, the hand that I was dealt, like oh, well."

"Whistle" far surpasses its counterpart "Boombayah." From Jisoo's opening "Hey boy," it's cool and confident, stitched together with a whistle hook and minimalist production elements that allow the members' vocals to shine through.

The ebb and flow of "Whistle" ultimately build to a concluding chorus that's sure to make you feel hyped up, but it's relaxed confidence — particularly in comparison to "Boombayah" — are what make it great.

Song highlight: Jisoo's "hey boy" — it perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the song.

"As If It's Your Last" is BLACKPINK at their poppiest, and it's triumphant.

The song, released as a standalone single during summer 2017, was the group's only music drop for that entire year, but it delivered. Its chorus is one of the most memorable out of BLACKPINK's entire discography.

The track's hiccup comes in Lisa's rap verse, which marked the group's first verse entirely in English. One lyric, "Imma fall in love baby / You gon' finna catch me" trips up while using "finna," a word drawn from African-American Vernacular English (AAVE) that's best paraphrased as "going to" in mainstream English.

In this case, "finna" is used redundantly and in a way that seems to be solely for highlighting a proximity to Blackness.

Ultimately, "As If It's Your Last" encapsulates all of the best parts of the group's sound, from the EDM influences that define much of their work to the charisma and vocal talents of the members themselves.

We'd be remiss if we didn't note that it contains the best placement of BLACKPINK's calling card at the tail end of the bridge.

Song highlight: It has the most perfect placement of a "BLACKPINK in your area" in BLACKPINK's entire discography.

"Lovesick Girls" is effervescent, and a perfect main track for Blackpink's first-ever full-length album.

It's both novel and nostalgic, calling back to bygone pop eras by blending acoustic and EDM elements — as well as a synth sound during Lisa and Jennie's rap verse that gives the song an early 2010s pop quality.

While it feels like a natural follow to 2017's "As If It's Your Last," it's still a hit in 2020.

"Lovesick Girls" is anthemic, tender, vulnerable, and confident all in one, and it never loses its momentum. While the production is great, what really sets this song apart from the rest of BLACKPINK's discography is its effect and paradoxical sense of both desperation and assuredness.

It reaches a kind of maturity and depth, best demonstrated in Rosé and Jisoo's shared bridge, that BLACKPINK hasn't always reached in its previous main tracks. There's an assertiveness in declaring that "we are the lovesick girls" while still admitting that they're "still looking for love," showing a paradoxical vulnerability and assuredness all in one.

Ultimately, its a testament to BLACKPINK's most impressive skill, arguably first demonstrated in 2016's "Playing With Fire:" delivering angst in the form of an absolute bop.

Song highlight: The last chorus, which switches up the chord progression of earlier choruses and gives the song's final moments a beautiful sense of urgency.

• Read more:
• Meet Blackpink, the K-pop girl group breaking internet music records
• The 34 best music videos of 2020 (so far), ranked
• K-pop fans are organizing to keep Lady Gaga and Blackpink's latest single from trending online out of respect for #BlackLivesMatter
• Celebrities like Dolly Parton are using a K-pop idol's 'sexy legs' in the latest meme taking over the internet