Freedom, Identity and Other Hidden Messages in BlackPink's "Ddu-du Ddu-du" Video

Ddu-du Ddu-du has now been viewed 55 million times and broken more records, just as expected. But this music video pushed the envelope even a bit further with empowering messages underneath the sequined surface. Here is a list of some of those symbols and messages" the group sent in their newest music video.

1. Lisa's Powder Wings

Pretty early in the "Ddu-du Ddu-du" music video, Lisa throws her open hands in the air and flings multi-colored powder out on both sides of herself. This effect looks a lot like wings.

If you pay attention later in the video, Lisa is briefly captured holding a beautiful, brightly-colored bird. These wings can represent freedom, or reaching one's potential, taking full flight, etc.

The pink color of the cockatoo's feathers, according to AbsoluteSoulSecrets.com, is a symbol of fearlessness, and thus just the first of many powerful messages from BlackPink in this new music video!

2. Jennie The Queen

Not only is Jennie literally donning a beautiful crown, dressed in a rainbow-colored gown, but she is also sitting atop a thrown that is shaped like the queen chess piece. Moreover, this throne is sitting on a chess board, and her throne is rising high above all the others.

The Queen is the most important piece on the chess board. And Jennie is that piece. As I have mentioned in a previous story, "the game" or something about a game seems to be a prevalent theme here in this comeback. Jennie is not only the most important player in this game, she is making a bold statement. In the same scene, she can be seen knocking over the white king with her black pawn, essentially "winning" the game. So not only is she running the game. She's winning it.

This is so true for this group right now, and ever since their comeback. They have been running the Kpop game, and they have been winning.

3. The Book

Going back to Lisa's scene with the bird, there is a small collection of books in the background. One of these books is "Escape From Camp Fourteen". It's a powerful, true story about a man who escapes from North Korea and survives. This is yet another message about breaking free.

4. Under Jisoo's Umbrella

Jisoo can be seen holding an umbrella effortlessly, guarding herself from the sparks that fly and flurry around her, threatening to burn her. It's an obvious message of survival, of not letting things get to her.

5. Black and White

Rosé and Jennie are both playing two different roles in the same scene during one of each of their solos. Rosé plays a goddess and a normal girl looking up at the goddess. Jennie plays the fashionista or diva that the world sees her as, and also a powerful woman in black atop a mirrored tank, eating popcorn.

Both these scenes contain the idols' public image (white version) as well as what they really are (black version), and send a strong message about image and being oneself.

6. Attack on Jisoo

In one of Jisoo's solo scenes, she also appears twice, but one is just a big, beautiful photo of her on the wall. Everyone around her is pointing their cameras (smart phones) at the lovely wall image that is the Korean standard of beauty. When Jisoo trips and falls, however, all the cameras are pointed directly at her, and the cases in which they are held are shaped like pistols.

Jisoo is famously a classic Korean beauty, and officially the visual member of the group. This scene feels like a message from her about what the real Jisoo is like, and how when she is being herself, and makes a mistake, she feels she is under attack.

7. Pink

Yes, it is one half of the group's name, but in the "Ddu-du Ddu-du" music video, the color pink has special, individual meanings for each of the members.

For Jennie, the color pink was the color of her Queen throne on the chess board. So the color pink was elevating her to such high status.

For Rosé, I think the pink color was in the beautiful flowers growing in darkness, hanging from the ceiling during one of her solo scenes. Growing in darkness, outside their natural environment, and enhancing the beauty of the drab, stone structure from which they hang, they could represent Rosé being a regular, down-to-earth person who is thriving in a foreign environment, enhancing the beauty of the Kpop scene with her talent.

Lisa has several pink symbols in the video, like the wings and the bird representing freedom, but also the raining money and the katana. Certainly, she has gained significant income from being famous, and the katana represents power. So she is safe and protected now that she has this status as a superstar in Kpop and all over the world.

Jisoo's electric pink wig is probably one of the most powerful and memorable symbols in the video, although there certainly are many. In Korea, bright hair colors symbolize rebellion. Jisoo is rebelling against the image the world expects from her, and her inner self is going to emerge whether they like it or not.

Thank you for reading!