Blackpink have already cemented themselves as not just one of the most important girl groups in pop right now, but one of the most important K-pop acts in the world. With their debut full-length The Album dropping last year to immense acclaim, they shattered records and broke through in America in a big way. And while the group is still very much together, and probably highly anticipating the chance to tour again very soon, one of the crew’s members is breaking out on her own as a solo star. Rosé dropped two songs of her own to kick off a solo career, with the clubby “On The Ground” and the B-side “Gone.”
Instead of going bigger with a short EP or a mixtape, all Rosé needed to do to establish herself was drop a pair of singles, calling the project R. You can watch the dramatic video for “On The Ground” above, or go here to stream or download the pair of songs on your platform of choice. While “On The Ground” is the more upbeat of the two, “Gone” is a slower, more melancholic offering, nostalgic and acoustic, which is a nice change of pace from the blistering pop of the group. Clearly this is just the beginning for both Rosé and her group, but it’s nice to see a member release solo music now, while the group is still active, than at the expense of the crew as a whole. Her singles follow up Blackpink member Jennie’s debut in 2018, “Solo.”