JISOO CELEBRATES VALENTINE'S DAY WITH 1ST MINI ALBUM 'AMORTAGE' • POP TOKKI

Love is often like a movie, a concept BLACKPINK member JISOO aims to convey in her first mini album. ‘AMORTAGE’ is JISOO’s first musical release under her new self-established label, BLISSOO. It contains four songs, two of which – “Hugs & Kisses” and “Your Love” – are sung fully in English. The album’s title is a portmanteau of the French word for love, “amor,” and the word “montage,” which is a technique used in films to tell a story. As such, JISOO uses each of the EDM/dance-pop songs in the EP to tell a cinematic love story. The album portrays a montage of love, reflecting the characters’ initial meeting, subsequent passionate relationships, and eventual heartbreak. Appropriately, ‘AMORTAGE’ launched on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day, commemorating love and romance.

“earthquake”

The lead single of ‘AMORTAGE’, “earthquake,” opens the plot of the romance. This soft EDM song recounts the breathtaking feelings of falling in love. A strong bass line is the song’s highlight, accompanied by synth snare drum beats emphasizing every second and fourth beat. It establishes the moments leading up to a relationship where emotions feel electric, exciting, and earth-shattering.

“Your Love”

The next stage in a love story is the happiest when both characters are deeply in love. This is the honeymoon stage, in which the relationship seems perfect, and the universe revolves around each other. “Your Love” encompasses this euphoria in another soft EDM track. The song is also set apart from the other songs in ‘AMORTAGE’ is the house piano chords present in the pre-chorus, giving the song a sweet ballad-like sound.

“TEARS”

Unfortunately, heartbreak and tears are often inevitable parts of love. In the song “TEARS, “JISOO laments the end of the relationship and bids goodbye to the doomed love story. Along with the tears comes a new resolve to leave the sadness behind and overcome the heartbreak. “TEARS” contains some elements of the rock genre, straying away from simple synth beats in the chorus and substituting them with snare drums. Furthermore, an electric bass guitar provides a steady rhythm throughout the song.

“Hugs & Kisses”

The last song of ‘AMORTAGE,’ “Hugs & Kisses,” describes freedom, a relief that comes with getting over a relationship. Lyrically, this track is empowering and liberating. Like the previous track, “TEARS,” this song also contains rock elements in the form of a strong bass guitar line. However, unlike “TEARS,” the bass rhythm is more straightforward than syncopated. The snare beats are also less pronounced in favor of the bass drum.