Play in this article ↓BLACKPINK SQUARE UP: DDU-DU DDU-DU and the First Mini Album
- Category: Album & Song Guide
- Artist: BLACKPINK
KPOP NO1 Editorial · Sources checked October 25, 2026
For their first mini album, BLACKPINK picked a title with a double meaning. According to YG Entertainment, SQUARE UP means both “let’s stick together” and “let’s fight,” with one message underneath: face it confidently. Its title track, DDU-DU DDU-DU, became the group’s most-watched video. By August 2025, YG counted 2.3 billion views.
The end of the SQUARE series
BLACKPINK debuted in 2016 with two single albums, SQUARE ONE and SQUARE TWO. SQUARE UP, released on June 15, 2018, finished that series. YG’s official introduction calls it “an extension of their ongoing ‘SQUARE’ series” and says it shows BLACKPINK’s “more mature and powerful music and concept.” YG: SQUARE UP
It was also their first release in about a year. At the album’s press conference, the members said they had prepared harder than ever because they were coming back after a full year, as reported on YG’s official blog, YG LIFE. YG LIFE: press conference
How the comeback was announced
YG revealed the album piece by piece on its official blog:
| Date | What YG posted |
|---|---|
| June 4, 2018 | A teaser image naming the title track, DDU-DU DDU-DU |
| June 5, 2018 | The full track list |
| June 12–13, 2018 | Group and member teasers |
| June 15, 2018, 6 p.m. KST | The album and the DDU-DU DDU-DU video |
Sources: YG LIFE: title track, YG LIFE: track list, YG LIFE: teasers
The title-track teaser was simple: the BLACKPINK name inside a pink square on a black background, the two colors of the group’s name. The official
followed on the BLACKPINK channel the day before release.
DDU-DU DDU-DU: a title that sounds like a spell
Like everything BLACKPINK had released until then, the title track came from producer TEDDY. He wrote the lyrics and composed it with 24, R.Tee and Bekuh BOOM, according to the credits YG announced. YG LIFE: title track
What does “ddu-du ddu-du” mean? At the press conference, the members said it stands for the sound of gunshots and for a spell they chant, a way of delivering their message with force. YG LIFE: press conference
Official video · BLACKPINK / YouTube
Watch the original on YouTube ↗The next day, the channel posted a
Official video · YouTube / YouTube
Watch the original on YouTube ↗from the video shoot.
The finger-gun move
The choreography is built around that idea. In the chorus, the members fire finger guns. YG explained the move directly: “We wanted to shoot down the public’s hearts with the shooting choreography.” It added that the dance uses strong, sharp moves to match the blunt lyrics and the energy of the track. YG LIFE: dance video
YG also noted that this was BLACKPINK’s first dance video filmed in a “moving version,” with the camera following the members around the room.
Official video · BLACKPINK / YouTube
Watch the original on YouTube ↗Our take: The finger gun is the kind of move you can copy from your seat. Try it the first time you watch.
Four songs, all produced by TEDDY
YG said TEDDY handled production on all four tracks. Here are the songs with the credits YG announced: YG LIFE: track list
| # | Song | Credits, per YG |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | DDU-DU DDU-DU (title) | Lyrics: TEDDY · Music: TEDDY, 24, R.Tee, Bekuh BOOM |
| 2 | Forever Young | Lyrics: TEDDY · Music: TEDDY, FUTURE BOUNCE · Arrangement: TEDDY, FUTURE BOUNCE, R.Tee |
| 3 | Really | Lyrics: TEDDY, Danny Chung · Music: TEDDY, CHOICE37 · Arrangement: CHOICE37 |
| 4 | See U Later | Lyrics: TEDDY · Music: TEDDY, R.Tee, 24 · Arrangement: R.Tee, 24 |
YG explained the album’s place in the series: SQUARE UP continues SQUARE ONE and SQUARE TWO, so it shows BLACKPINK’s music world as it keeps developing.
Ahead of release, LISA said each of the four songs has its own charm. JISOO said the group wanted to show a stronger side this time, and to prove they could take on something new and make it their own. YG LIFE: teasers
Forever Young: the follow-up
In July 2018, BLACKPINK moved on to Forever Young as their follow-up song. YG LIFE’s coverage of the follow-up describes it as a dance song on a moombahton rhythm, contrasting bright verses with a chorus full of charisma, with a message to burn through your youth without regret. YG LIFE: Forever Young
Official video · BLACKPINK / YouTube
Watch the original on YouTube ↗How it did
YG LIFE’s reports from that summer note these results:
- Melon: No. 1 on the daily chart for 30 days in a row from June 15. YG LIFE: 30 days
- Billboard: SQUARE UP entered the Billboard 200 at No. 40, and DDU-DU DDU-DU the Hot 100 at No. 55. It was the first time a Korean girl group had entered both main charts. YG LIFE: Billboard
- YouTube: YG later counted DDU-DU DDU-DU among BLACKPINK’s nine billion-view videos, with 2.3 billion views by August 2025, the most of any of them. YG: Pink Venom 1 billion
Official videos from this era
| Date (KST) | Video |
|---|---|
| June 14, 2018 | DDU-DU DDU-DU M/V teaser |
| June 15, 2018 | DDU-DU DDU-DU M/V |
| June 16, 2018 | DDU-DU DDU-DU M/V making film |
| June 18, 2018 | DDU-DU DDU-DU dance practice (moving ver.) |
| June 21, 2018 | Forever Young dance practice (moving ver.) |
All are on the official BLACKPINK YouTube channel. Dates are upload dates in Korea time.
The release at a glance
| Format | 1st mini album, four songs |
| Released | June 15, 2018, 6 p.m. KST |
| Title track | DDU-DU DDU-DU |
| Follow-up | Forever Young |
| Producer | TEDDY (all four songs) |
| Title meaning | “Let’s stick together” and “let’s fight” |
How to listen for the first time
- Watch DDU-DU DDU-DU. Look for the finger guns in the chorus.
- Then the moving-version dance video. It was the first time BLACKPINK filmed one this way.
- Play all four songs in order. Then decide which side you prefer: the “fight” of DDU-DU DDU-DU or the brighter Forever Young.
Where to go next
- New to BLACKPINK? Our BLACKPINK beginner guide covers the members and the story from 2016.
- What came next: KILL THIS LOVE, the second mini album, ten months later.
Sources
- YG Entertainment discography: SQUARE UP
- YG LIFE (YG’s official blog), 2018: title track (Jun 4), track list (Jun 5), teasers (Jun 13), press conference (Jun 15), dance video (Jun 18), 30 days and Forever Young (Jul 15), Billboard (Aug 3)
- YG Entertainment news: Pink Venom 1 billion views (Aug 4, 2025)
- BLACKPINK official videos: see “Official videos from this era”