Most recently, a member of the world’s most popular girl group, BLACKPINK ‘s Rosé released her first single album “-R-“ and it’s a hit. Ever since the release of her band-mate Jennie’s single in 2019, fans have been anticipating Rosé’s solo and not surprisingly, the title track of the album has hit the top of the chart on the Global Billboard 200. The music video even went as far as reaching 41.6 million views within the first 24 hours of release, breaking the record of the most views in 24 hours for a solo K-Pop artist.

With only two songs on the album and completely in English, “On The Ground” is the successor of the two. Although the album seems to be a success, there seemed to be a rocky upbringing. In BLACKPINK ‘s Netflix documentary “BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky,” when light is shed on Rosé’s solo, the idol revealed this: “When I’m in my room by myself, and I go, ‘Should I try and write something?’ I think I’m way more intimidated then.’ Cause it’s just me. I don’t know if my opinions are right, and that scares me,” but despite the hardships, Rosé stayed determined to give fans the best experience.

The second song on the track, “Gone” is best described as a traditional break-up song but it is still greatly different compared to the girl-crush concept that Rosé portrays while performing with BLACKPINK. Many fans thought the album was going to solely be love songs because Rosé gave fans a sneak peek of the album by performing “Gone” on BLACKPINK ‘s virtual concert “The Show,” but fans were proven wrong when they received the opposite.

“I worked my whole life, just to get right, just to be like ‘look at me I’m never comin’ down.’ I worked my whole life, just to realize everything I need is on the, everything I need is on the ground,” says Rosé in the chorus of her song. Many fans find comfort with the song because it’s all about self-love, growth, empowerment and it’s “not just another love song.” It gives fans the message that what they really need is themselves and what they’re searching for is within them.

Fans can see a visual representation of Rosé’s growth in the “On The Ground” music video. While nearing the end of the music video, the audience can see Rosé wearing a pink and black dress, watching over her younger self playing the piano. This adds emotion to the music video while successfully demonstrating her self-growth.

“I’m way up in the clouds and they say I’ve made it now but I figured it out, everything I need is on the ground,” says Rosé in the bridge of the song. These lyrics make the listeners feel the true connection and get over the border between them and the idol. Listeners feel like it’s relatable because of the humbleness being presented.

Overall, the lyrics and meaning of the song are very heartwarming. It gives fans the comfort and the room to empathize with the idol and for those who have been following Rosé for a long time. This song is a way to share a moment of deep connection with the idol. The interpretation of these lyrics is endless but it’s only up to the listeners.

For viewers that are interested, it’s important to keep an eye out for many future BLACKPINK releases. Rosé recently released the music video for “Gone” as a gift to fans and although the date is undetermined, fans will be expecting a physical album of “-R-.” The remaining two members who don’t have solos (Lisa and Jisoo) will release their solo projects before the end of 2021 so unlike usual, fans will be receiving fresh new BLACKPINK content all year long.