Flower (Jisoo song)

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. 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.[4][5] 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.[6] On March 5, teasers were uploaded to Blackpink's social media accounts, confirming that her project would be released on March 31, 2023.[7] On March 19, the album's lead single was confirmed to be "Flower" with a teaser poster including the title written in hangul in the shape of a flower.[8] On March 28, the music video teaser for "Flower" was released.[9] "Flower" was released for digital download and streaming as the lead single from Me on March 31, 2023, by YG Entertainment.[2]

"Flower" was written by Vince, Teddy, Kush, and VVN and composed by the latter two alongside 24, who also handled the production.[10] It is a mid-tempo dance, pop and trap song that incorporates traditional Korean melodies and Caribbean elements.[1][2][3] It is characterized by a "distinctive" bass sound, minimal arrangement, poetic lyrics, and "Jisoo's unique vocals."[11] Its lyrics talk about overcoming a toxic relationship,[1] "leaving behind nothing but the whiff of flora."[3] 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."[12] In terms of musical notation, the song was written in the key of A minor and has a tempo of 124 beats per minute.[13]

Rhian Daly writing for NME praised the poetic lyricism as well as the fresh production of "Flower", naming it one of the best K-pop songs of the year. Daly noted that the song successfully managed "to mix elegance with inventiveness and elements of modern production with more traditional sounding sonics."[14] Writing for Rolling Stone, Tim Chan commended the song's "finger-snapping production" as well as Jisoo's confident vocal delivery, which he felt managed to make the lyrics feel very personal as well as keep the listener's attention.[15] Samantha H. Chung for The Harvard Crimson labeled "Flower" a "classy, laid-back debut", with appreciation for the verses's "sophisticated, mature groove that creates an almost indie sound" and the song's "compelling hook", although she criticized its "meandering cadence". Chung found that the song was well-fitting for Jisoo and praised her "understated charisma" for carrying the track.[16]

"Flower" debuted at number two on the Billboard Global 200 with 108.7 million streams and 21,000 downloads sold worldwide, marking Jisoo's first solo entry and top-ten song on the chart. It earned the third-biggest streaming start for an artist’s debut track behind bandmate Lisa's "Lalisa" and Olivia Rodrigo's "Drivers License". The song also debuted at number two on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. with 103.3 million streams and 16,000 downloads sold outside the U.S., marking Jisoo's first top-ten song on the latter chart as well.[17] Jisoo became only the third K-pop female soloist to score a top-ten entry on the global charts, following her bandmates Rosé and Lisa.[18] "Flower" surpassed 100 million streams on music streaming platform Spotify in just 32 days after its release, breaking the record held by Lisa for the fastest song by a female K-pop soloist to do so.[19]

In South Korea, "Flower" debuted at number 33 on the thirteenth issued week (March 26–April 1), with less than two days of tracking.[20] The following week, it rose to a peak at number two for the period dated April 2–8, marking her first top-ten solo entry.[21] In the United Kingdom, it debuted at number 38 on the UK Singles Chart, becoming the highest-charting song and the first top-40 hit by a K-pop female soloist on the chart.[22][23] In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 40 on the NZ Singles Chart, earning the first entry on the chart by a Korean female soloist. In the United States, "Flower" did not debut on the Billboard Hot 100, but entered the Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart at number four. It peaked at number ten on the Billboard Digital Song Sales chart and number two on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart with 6,000 downloads sold.[24] With this, Jisoo became one of five K-pop female solo artists to earn a top-ten hit on the Digital Song Sales chart, after her bandmates Rosé and Lisa as well as Youjeen and So-yoon.[25] In Canada, "Flower" debuted at number 30 on the Canadian Hot 100 and became the highest-charting hit by a K-pop solo female artist in the country.[26]

Jisoo performing “Flower” at Coachella 2023

On April 8, Jisoo performed "Flower" for the first time live during Blackpink's concert at the Tokyo Dome as part of the Born Pink World Tour.[29] She performed the single on SBS's Inkigayo on April 9,[30] and April 16.[31] "Flower" was also performed by Jisoo during Blackpink's set as the headlining act of Coachella in Indio, California on April 15.[32] On July 2, she performed the song during Blackpink's set as the headlining act of BST Hyde Park in London.[33]

"Flower" won 9 first place trophies on music programs in South Korea.

• Jisoo – vocals, creative director
• Vince – lyricist
• Kush – lyricist, composer
• VVN – lyricist, composer
• Teddy Park – lyricist
• 24 – composer, arranger, record producer, keyboard
• Lyn - background vocals
• Zach Szydlo – immersive mix engineering