"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" () is a song by South Korean girl group Blackpink, recorded for their first Korean extended play, Square Up (2018). The song was written by YG collaborator Teddy Park, while production and composition were handled by Teddy, 24, Bekuh Boom, and R. Tee. It was released as the extended play's lead single to digital outlets on June 15, 2018. The Japanese version of the single was released through YGEX on August 22, 2018, and was distributed in three physical formats. A trap and pop rap song infused with bubblegum pop and EDM sounds, it uses oriental percussion rhythms and whistling while the title imitates the sound of a gunshot. Its lyrics contain messages of strength and self-assurance.
"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" drew generally favorable reviews that complimented its production and the group's performance. It was named the Song of the Year in a public survey conducted by Gallup Korea in 2018, and appeared on Melon and Rolling Stones lists of the best Korean pop songs of all time. It was the top song on the South Korean Gaon Digital Chart for three weeks, Blackpink's second number-one single in the country. It reached number one in Singapore and Malaysia and on the Billboard K-pop Hot 100 and World Digital Songs charts. The song peaked at number 55 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and became the first song by a K-pop girl group to enter the UK Singles Chart. It was certified double platinum for streaming and platinum for digital sales in South Korea, platinum in France, Japan and New Zealand, gold in the United States, and silver in the United Kingdom.
An accompanying music video features the group members in high-end looks on pink-and-black-hued sets. It became the most-viewed online video by a Korean act within a day of its release, the second-most-watched music video of all time within two days. It is the first music video by a K-pop group to reach two billion views, and remains the most-viewed music video by a K-pop group on YouTube to date. Blackpink promoted "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" with appearances on the music programs Show! Music Core and Inkigayo in South Korea. The song's "finger gun" choreography became a dance move. The group sang the song during their three concert tours, at California's Coachella festival, and the BST Hyde Park festival in London.
Background and release On June 4, 2018, YG Entertainment confirmed via YG Life that Blackpink would release their debut Korean-language extended play (EP), Square Up, on June 15, with "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" serving as its lead single. It was the group's first original release in a year since "As If It's Your Last" in June 2017. The odd name was said to be reminiscent of an onomatopoeia. Blackpink were quoted as saying, "As it is our debut EP and comeback after one year, we prepared each song with a lot of sincerity and affection." Member Jennie said, "I am confident and I look forward to our comeback. I am happy to be able to express the musicality of Blackpink in various ways."
"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was released via digital download and streaming on June 15, 2018, in conjunction with the release of Square Up. It was written and produced by Teddy Park and co-produced by Park, Bekuh Boom, 24, and R. Tee. On August 17, YGEX announced that a Japanese version of the track would be released as the group's debut single in Japan on August 22, 2018. The release featured additional lyrics by Sunny Boy. It was subsequently distributed in three physical formats: a CD-only regular edition, a limited edition CD+DVD, and a CD member edition. The regular and limited editions include all the tracks from Square Up, in addition to the Japanese version of the single. The limited edition DVD contains behind the scenes footage from the music video as well as a dance practice video. The member edition was packaged as a four-version CD single—one version for each member, and contains only the original version of the track. On April 5, 2019, a remix of "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was included as an album track on Blackpink's second Korean extended play, Kill This Love.
Composition and lyrics
Music journalists have characterized "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" as a "fierce" pop-rap track that "features a prominent trap beat" infused with bubblegum pop sounds. It combines instrumentations of oriental percussion rhythms and whistling with a trap production. Park Bo-ram from Yonhap News Agency described the single's production as primarily hip-hop laced with "aggressive trap" beats, while Im Eun-byel from The Korea Herald noted how the song's title resembled the sound of a gunshot, but also likened it to that of "a spell". Jennie commented how the group reacted when they heard the demo for the song: "When we first listened to the lead track 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du,' we all thought, 'This is it.'"
"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" incorporates the use of trap synths, which is repeated multiple times throughout the first verse. Music producer Azodi commented that its "biggest riff" is already heard in the beginning, "but keeps a lot of space in the verses and chorus for a strong lead vocal line". Its production makes use of percolating synthesizers, while the chorus sees the group members delivering the refrain: "hit you with that 'ddu-du ddu-du'". Azodi observed that, "By the time the chorus is here, you would've heard the hook about four to eight times roughly so it's already been passively drilled into your skull without you realizing". The lyrical content, such as "In my hands is a fat check/ If you're curious, do a fact check", celebrate the members' success. In the Japanese rendition, the new English rap verses feature Lisa making references to the character Patrick Star from SpongeBob SquarePants ("Bitch, I’m a star, but no Patrick") and rapper Ice-T ("Like Ice-T, I'm OG"). Jennie’s rap highlights the group's cover of GQ Japan; they were the first female group to have a solo cover shoot ("All my GQ's spread like hummus").
Critical reception "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" was met with generally favorable reviews from music critics. Hwang Seon-up, a critic from South Korean webzine IZM, awarded the song a 3.5 out of 5; he noted the unexpected blend of an "ordinary trap beat" with synth instrumentals, which he felt created an "outstanding" climax in the "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" drop. Chase McMullen, writing for The 405, described the song as both "boisterous" and "beautifully ludicrous", and regarded the chorus to be "essentially nonsense". He emphasized that "what's being said [is] less important than how they say it", and praised the song for its "irresistible cadences" and a seamless flow of verses. Jeff Benjamin, for Paper, commended the song's musical arrangement and placed it at number 13 on their Top 20 K-Pop Songs of 2018 list, remarking that the song perfectly blended "hard hip-hop, honeyed harmonies", and a touch of hazy EDM. Furthermore, Benjamin added, "From the opening shoutout of their group name, Blackpink delivers one of the year's strongest anthems."
Writing for NME, Rhian Daly ranked "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" the best song in the group's discography in May 2019, writing, "It's a no-holds-barred, powerful anthem packed full of supreme self-confidence and swagger." She ranked it the 26th best K-pop song of all time in a piece published by The Forty-Five in May 2023, remarking that it is rare for K-pop intros to be as recognizable as entrance of "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du", and complimented the "perfect combination of rap braggadocio from Jennie and Lisa and powerhouse vocals from Rosé and Jisoo". Taylor Glasby from British GQ felt the song embodied the essence of "over the top" K-pop, highlighting the "hooky title refrain", the rappers' sly confidence in the verses, and the emotional build into the chorus that gave the members space to demonstrate their vocal ability. On the other hand, Business Insiders Palmer Haasch was not impressed with the song's production, opining that despite its "dramatic" flair and overflowing confidence, the track lacked the "thematic substance" found in songs like "Kill This Love", even though it followed a similar structure. She further noted that the "bridge and final bars don't feel like a particularly satisfying conclusion".
+"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" on select listiclesCritic/PublicationYearListRank British GQ 2019 Best K-Pop songs of the decade No order The Forty-Five 2023 The 45 best K-pop songs of all-time 26 Gallup Korea 2024 10 Most Beloved K-pop Songs of the 21st Century 5 Melon 2021 Top 100 K-pop Songs of All Time 13 The New York Times 2018 The 65 Best Songs of 2018 31 Paper Top 20 K-pop Songs of 2018 13 Rolling Stone 10 Best Music Videos of 2018 8 2023 100 Greatest Songs in the History of Korean Pop Music 6 2025 The 250 Greatest Songs of the 21st Century So Far 142
Accolades
"Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" won 11 first place awards on South Korean music programs, including a quadruple crown on Show! Music Core and triple crowns on Inkigayo and M Countdown. It additionally won three weekly Melon Popularity Awards from July 2 to July 16, 2018. +Awards and nominations for "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" Year Organization Award Result 2018 BreakTudo Awards Video of the Year Genie Music Awards Best Female Dance Performance Song of the Year Korea Popular Music Awards Best Group Dance Song of the Year Melon Music Awards Best Dance – Female Song of the Year Mnet Asian Music Awards Song of the Year Best Dance Performance Female Group Best Music Video MTV Video Music Awards Japan Best Dance Video 2019 Gaon Chart Music Awards Artist of the Year – Digital Music (June) Golden Disc Awards Best Digital Song (Bonsang) Song of the Year (Daesang) Teen Choice Awards Choice Song: Group 2020 Bugs Music Awards 20th Anniversary – Most Loved Music
+Music program awards Program Date Show! Music Core June 23, 2018 June 30, 2018 July 7, 2018 July 14, 2018 Inkigayo June 24, 2018 July 1, 2018 July 8, 2018 M Countdown June 28, 2018 July 5, 2018 July 12, 2018 Music Bank June 29, 2018
Commercial performance In South Korea, "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" debuted at number three on the Gaon Digital Chart for the week of June 16. The following week, the song ascended to the number one position and scored the highest weekly points in the Gaon Digital Chart. "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" also achieved a perfect all-kill upon its release, retaining the status for eleven consecutive days. The song remained atop the Gaon Digital Chart for three weeks and subsequently spent over 50 weeks in the top 100."Ddu-Du Ddu-Du"'s chart position in South Korea:
Digital: Download: Streaming: It was then certified platinum twice by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) for accumulating 100 million streams on November 8, 2018, and 2.5 million digital downloads on April 11, 2019. Elsewhere in Asia, the song peaked at number one on the digital streaming record charts in Malaysia and Singapore. The Japanese version of the single debuted at number six on the Japanese Oricon Daily Singles Chart and peaked at number two six days later, selling 3,725 units. On the chart's weekly issue, the song debuted at number seven with 24,385 physical copies sold. The song was certified platinum in Japan for 100 million streams by the Recording Industry Association of Japan (RIAJ) in January 2024.