Ice Cream (with Selena Gomez)

"Ice Cream" is a fun, flirty, and upbeat song that uses extensive double entendres and metaphors related to ice cream and other sweet treats to explore themes of attraction, confidence, and self-worth. On the surface, it's a playful summer anthem, but the lyrics contain a layer of suggestive innuendo, comparing the artists' allure and appeal to the dessert. The central message is about knowing one's value and presenting a personality that is cool and confident on the outside ("icy," "frozen") but also sweet and desirable for the right person. Lines like "You could take a lick, but it's too cold to bite me" and "I know that my heart can be so cold, but I'm sweet for you" encapsulate this theme of selective affection. The lyrics also project a strong sense of female empowerment and control; the women are aware of their desirability and choose who is worthy of their attention. Lisa's rap verse, with the line "Mona Lisa kinda Lisa," further reinforces this idea of being a unique, priceless work of art who deserves to be treated as such. Ultimately, the song is a celebration of playful flirtation, confidence, and the excitement of a new romance, all wrapped in a candy-coated, pop-friendly package.

The narrative of the song unfolds as a confident and playful declaration of self-worth and allure, using the central metaphor of ice cream to articulate its themes. It begins with an invitation from a self-assured woman to a potential partner, who appears captivated or "thirsty." She promises to make things better, using a series of clever, sweet-treat-related wordplays like "sip it like a Slurpee." The lyrics establish a persona that is both desirable and slightly aloof, summarized by the line, "You could take a lick, but it's too cold to bite me." This suggests an intriguing mix of warmth and coolness, inviting admiration but also setting boundaries, making the chase more exciting.

The chorus reinforces this imagery, directly comparing the woman's appeal to ice cream—looking "so good, yeah, look so sweet, lookin' good enough to eat." The line "coldest with this kiss" further plays on this duality. Her value is highlighted with "Diamonds on my wrist, so he call me ice cream," linking her desirability to luxury and high value. The permission to "double dip" is a flirty acknowledgment of the admirer's keen interest.

In the second verse, the song delves slightly deeper into this persona. The line "I know that my heart can be so cold, but I'm sweet for you" reveals a layer of vulnerability beneath the cool exterior, suggesting that this sweetness is reserved for a special someone. The lyrics express a singular devotion, stating her partner is her "favorite flavor, always gonna pick him," and desires him to be the "cherry piece just stay on top of me." This part of the narrative emphasizes exclusivity and a deep-seated preference for one person above all others.

The bridge, delivered with a shift in rhythm and flow, injects a dose of braggadocio and swagger. Lisa's rap verse contains lines about moving fast, making money ("Makin' millis billis everyday"), and being a unique work of art, comparing herself to the Mona Lisa. This section elevates the woman's status from simply being a desirable object to a powerful, independent individual who knows her value and requires a partner who can keep up with her and treat her accordingly. The song concludes by circling back to its catchy, chant-like hook, solidifying the central theme that she is a delectable, high-value 'treat' who is in full control of who gets to enjoy her sweetness.

"Ice Cream" was released on August 28, 2020, as the second pre-release single from BLACKPINK's first full-length Korean studio album, "The Album". The song is a high-profile collaboration between the K-pop group and American singer Selena Gomez. The creation process involved a star-studded lineup of writers and producers. The lyrics were primarily penned by Bekuh BOOM, Victoria Monét, and Teddy Park, while the composition credits include Tommy Brown, Mr. Franks, Teddy, Bekuh Boom, Victoria Monét, 24, Selena Gomez, and notably, Ariana Grande. Ariana Grande confirmed her involvement on social media, expressing her pride in the project and the team. Fans had initially speculated that Grande might be the featured artist before Gomez was officially announced on August 11, 2020. The collaboration was conducted remotely due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Gomez and BLACKPINK filming their parts of the music video in the United States and South Korea, respectively. In a teaser video, Gomez expressed her excitement, stating she had been a fan of BLACKPINK for a long time and that the collaboration was a "big, big dream" for her. The song was recorded at The Black Label's studio in Seoul.

"Ice Cream" features a simple and effective rhyme scheme that prioritizes catchiness, typical of pop music. The verses often follow an AABB-like structure or use couplets, such as "thirsty" with "Slurpee" and "Willy" with "wheelie." This straightforward rhyming makes the lyrics easy to follow and sing along to. The song's rhythm is built on a mid-tempo 80 beats per minute, creating a laid-back yet danceable groove. The production is rooted in electropop and trap-pop, with a prominent and bouncy 808 bass drum pattern driving the track. There is a distinct rhythmic interplay between the different sections. The sung verses and choruses have a smooth, melodic flow, while Lisa's rap verses introduce a more complex, syncopated lyrical rhythm that contrasts with the steady beat. This rhythmic shift adds texture and energy to the song, breaking up the otherwise consistent melodic structure. The overall feel is light and playful, with the rhythm and simple, repetitive melodic hooks contributing to its "playground-chant approach."

Musically, "Ice Cream" is an electropop and bubblegum pop song with a trap-influenced beat, characterized by a bouncy, minimalist production. The song's structure is simple, using a repetitive two-bar hook and alternating clap/808 patterns, which creates a catchy and radio-friendly feel. It employs a sing-song, nursery rhyme-like melody that is consistent throughout the verses and chorus, making it highly memorable. The arrangement creates a juxtaposition between the smooth, melodic vocal delivery of Selena Gomez and BLACKPINK's vocalists (Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé) and the harder, more rhythmic rap verses delivered by Lisa. Lyrically, the song is dominated by the use of metaphor and double entendre, with nearly every line relating back to ice cream or sweets to discuss attraction and romance. There are numerous cultural references, including nods to "Free Willy," Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean," and the Mona Lisa. The songwriters also cleverly incorporated the serving sizes from the Cold Stone Creamery ice cream chain with the line "Like it, love it, lick it." The use of repetition is a key technique, especially in the post-chorus with the catchy chant "Ice cream chillin', chillin'," which functions as the song's main hook.

"Ice Cream" had a significant cultural impact upon its release, primarily as a major global collaboration between one of K-pop's biggest groups and a Western pop superstar. The song achieved considerable chart success, peaking at number 13 on the US Billboard Hot 100. This made it the first single by a female Korean act to enter the top twenty of the chart and, at the time, the longest-charting song by a female Korean act on the Hot 100, spending eight consecutive weeks. The music video was a massive success, garnering huge viewership numbers and trending at #1 on YouTube upon its release. The song's release was also a major marketing event; Selena Gomez, who has an ownership stake in the ice cream brand Serendipity, released a custom flavor called "Cookies & Cream Remix" to coincide with the single's drop. Critically, the song received generally positive reviews for its catchy, fun nature, though some critics found the lyrics and production simplistic. The song served as the second pre-release single for BLACKPINK's highly anticipated debut Korean studio album, "The Album," successfully building hype for the record's eventual release.

The song "Ice Cream" is built around a central, extended metaphor where the artists compare themselves to ice cream. This metaphor operates on several levels. Desirability and Temptation: The most direct symbolism is that of being a desirable "treat" that is "good enough to eat." This presents the singers as alluring and tempting to a potential romantic partner. Duality of Personality: The lyrics frequently play with the temperature of ice cream to symbolize a complex personality. Lines like "Even in the sun you know I keep it icy" and "I know that my heart can be so cold" suggest a cool, confident, and perhaps hard-to-get exterior. This is contrasted with the promise of being "sweet for you," indicating a warmer, more affectionate side reserved for a chosen partner. Sexual Innuendo: Many of the lyrics use the ice cream metaphor as a vehicle for flirty and sexual double entendres. Phrases such as "You can double dip 'cause I know you like me," "Like it, love it, lick it," and "Get the bag with the cream, if you know what I mean" carry suggestive meanings beneath their innocent, confectionary surface. Value and Uniqueness: The metaphor extends to notions of high value. The line "Diamonds on my wrist so he call me ice cream" directly links the artists' appeal to luxury. Lisa's self-referential line, "Mona Lisa kinda Lisa," uses the iconic painting as a metaphor for being a unique and priceless masterpiece.

The most prominent recurring motif in the song is, unsurprisingly, ice cream and other sweet confections. This central theme is woven throughout the lyrics, from direct mentions of "ice cream," "Slurpee," and "snow cone" to actions like "lick," "scoop," and "double dip." This motif serves as the foundation for the song's primary metaphor about attraction and desirability. The key recurring lyrical phrase is the post-chorus hook, "Ice cream chillin', chillin', ice cream chillin'." Its repetition makes it the most memorable part of the song, functioning as a simple, catchy earworm that anchors the track. Another recurring lyrical idea is the juxtaposition of hot and cold imagery, such as "Even in the sun you know I keep it icy" and "my heart could be so cold, but I'm sweet for you," which reinforces the theme of a complex, alluring personality. Lisa's rap includes the repeated line, "Keep it movin' like my lease up, think you fly boy where ya visa?" emphasizing a fast-paced, high-status lifestyle.