Blackpink<\/a> are back together. And their Deadline World Tour didn\u2019t just reunite the group: it reminded Blinks why they shine brightest together.<\/p>\n\n\tOn Saturday night, Blackpink kicked off their latest tour at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, filling the 70,000-seat venue with the kind of poptimism and electric choreography we\u2019ve come to expect from the greatest girl group of this generation. It felt as if they had never left\u2014picking up right where they left off, stronger than ever.<\/p>\n
\n\tThe show opened with an intro of Ros\u00e9 driving a classic Buick throughout the city of Los Angeles, picking up each of the girls on their way to Las Vegas. They opened the show with \u201cKill This Love,\u201d their massive 2019 hit that sent the crowd flying to their feet.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n\tWhat stood out from the show was how much each of the girls\u2019 individuality shone throughout the performances. During \u201cPlaying With Fire\u201d and several other songs, each member stood in front of her own moving screen to perform her verse, with their face projected onto the large screens behind them.\u00a0It\u2019s clear that the time away has allowed each of the girls to hone in on what makes them great as individuals, and it makes Blackpink as a group work even better. <\/p>\n
\n\tIn between group acts, each star also got to showcase music from their solo eras: First came Jisoo who played a mashup of \u201cEarthquake\u201d surrounded by 20 dancers before she went into sexy chair choreography for \u201cYour Love\u201d as confetti rained on the crowd for the first time. Then, landed Lisa in a Wonder Woman-esque outfit as she performed \u201cThunder\u201d and \u201cFxck Up the World,\u201d changing up her cyberspace-inspired section from the set she played at the tour opener in South Korea last week.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n \t\tEditor\u2019s picks<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n
\n\tFor the third act, the girls came out to perform \u201cPretty Savage\u201d as Ros\u00e9 introduced the members of their live band, which would emerge from behind the large screens at several points during the show, showcasing how live instrumentation elevates a pop stadium spectacle. Before \u201cWhistle,\u201d Lisa and Ros\u00e9 giggled onstage about the \u201cRockstar\u201d choreo she didn\u2019t perform before Jennie led the crowd in a chant of \u201cJisoo, Jisoo.\u201d The sisterhood was palpable.<\/p>\n
\n\t\u201cIt\u2019s been a minute since we\u2019ve all came together. We\u2019re back and this is the beginning of the U.S. leg,\u201d said Ros\u00e9 onstage. \u201cI hope you\u2019re all having so much fun.\u201d<\/p>\n
\n\tThe only drawback of the night was the show\u2019s storyline and the lack of grand stage production moments. With stadium acts, we expect cohesive storytelling and dynamic elements like flying performers or moving stage pieces. However, here the interlude narratives and extra visual effects were missing. Between acts, videos showed the girls stuck in the desert or cruising down a highway, and at one point, Ros\u00e9\u2019s classic car floated across neon Las Vegas signs. Visually, it didn\u2019t quite connect with the onstage action or the graphic aesthetic of the \u201cDeadline\u201d theme. Still, this didn\u2019t diminish the strength of the performances,\u00a0and the Blinks in the crowd didn\u2019t need the bells and whistles to be entranced.<\/p>\n
\n\tFor Act 4, Jennie and Ros\u00e9 took over the solo sections. Jennie led the show with a medley of \u201cMnatra\u201d and \u201cWith the IE\u201d as the whistles of JLo\u2019s \u201cJenny From the Block\u201d rung throughout the stadium. Ros\u00e9 then took the stage and slowed things down with \u201c3am,\u201d sharing the story behind the song as she interacted with the crowd. It served as a sweet, intimate moment despite the huge crowd. She couldn\u2019t finish her solo part of the show without playing \u201cAPT.\u201d which made the crowd go wild. (Bruno, where were you?)<\/p>\n\n\n \t\tTrending Stories<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n\n\n \t\tRelated Content<\/p>\n<\/h2>\n<\/section>\n
\n\tThe show\u2019s final act opened with the group\u2019s new single \u201cJump,\u201d which transported SoFi Stadium to a Euro-techno nightclub. The single is a smash that sent the crowd into an uproar \u2014 and it even got a reprise during the encore. The venue was filled with lasers as the group hit the song\u2019s choreo to perfection. (For this part of the show, the girls\u2019 Western-inspired outfits brought to life the \u201cdesert\u201d aesthetic of the interludes.) During the alluring \u201cBoombayah\u201d and \u201cDDU-DU DDU-DU\u201d choreography, the girls\u2019 shone brightest, reminding fans of the group\u2019s early days and the talent that\u2019s made them stars.<\/p>\n
\n\tEven after a long stretch apart, the group\u2019s chemistry remains electric. Every move felt instinctual. Don\u2019t call this a Blackpink comeback \u2014 they never left. And if this show is any indication, they\u2019re only getting started.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n