Whistle (Blackpink song)
"Whistle" () is a song recorded by South Korean girl group Blackpink. It was released through YG Entertainment on August 8, 2016, simultaneously with "Boombayah"; both tracks are on the group's debut single album titled Square One (2016). An acoustic version of the song was also included in the group's second single album Square Two (2016). "Whistle" was written and produced by YG Entertainment collaborators Teddy, Bekuh Boom, and Future Bounce, with additional lyrics penned by labelmate B.I of iKon. Musically, the song consists of a minimal drum and bass beat over a "booming", "exotic" hip-hop melody and integrates a variety of instrumentations, including heartbeats and whistles—alluding to the title of the track. "Whistle" received generally positive reviews from music critics following its release, who praised the song's musical styles and composition. It was named among the best releases of the year by Billboard magazine. A commercial success, "Whistle" claimed the number-one position on the Gaon Digital Chart in South Korea for two weeks, marking their first number-one single of their career. Directed by Beomjin J of VM Project Architecture, the song's accompanying music video garnered over ten million views within five days of its release and was awarded the Best Music Video of the year at the 2016 Mnet Asian Music Awards. Blackpink made their debut stage with "Whistle" on SBS's Inkigayo on August 14, 2016, and continued to promote the song on the music program throughout August and September. Background and composition On June 29, 2016, YG Entertainment officially confirmed that Blackpink would soon debut as a four-member girl group, marking the agency's first girl group in seven years, since the debut of 2NE1. On July 6, the group uploaded their first dance practice video to their official YouTube channel, which attracted attention among the public in regards to the group's potential style and concept. On July 29, YG announced that Blackpink's debut would take place on August 8. On August 6, the tracks "Whistle", along with "Boombayah", were revealed to be the two title tracks for their debut single album Square One. Both of the singles were released as planned in conjunction with the single album on August 8, 2016. The song was written by B.I, Teddy and Bekuh Boom, with production being handled by the latter two and Future Bounce. A Japanese version of the song was included as part of the group's first eponymous Japanese EP, which was released on August 29, 2017, by YGEX. Composed in the key signature of B major, the track contains a tempo of 103 beats per minute and has a runtime of 3:31. Stylistically, "Whistle" has been described as a hip-hop number with a dreamy rhythm and a mature feel, integrating whistle hooks over a minimal drum 'n' bass melody. Beginning with the gentle whisper, "Hey boy," the song transitions into a hip-hop beat which integrates instrumentations of snaps accompanied with the predominant whistling melody. Just prior to the chorus, the melody shifts into an increase of percussion and