Kiss and Make Up

"Kiss and Make Up" is a song that delves into the turbulent moments of a romantic relationship on the verge of collapse. The central theme is the plea to bypass circular arguments and verbal apologies in favor of physical affection as a means of reconciliation. The lyrics articulate a deep frustration with communication breakdown—the feeling of "saying the same old things" without resolution. It portrays a scenario where talking has become counterproductive, and the protagonists believe that a simple, intimate act like a kiss can bridge the emotional distance that has grown between them. The song captures the desperation of wanting to save a significant relationship, suggesting that physical connection can sometimes be a more powerful and immediate solution than words. BLACKPINK's Korean verse adds a layer of poignant introspection, acknowledging the potential end of the relationship but still clinging to the hope of fixing what's broken, further emphasizing the song's universal message of longing for reconciliation in the face of conflict.

The narrative opens with a sense of frustration and distance. The speaker, voiced by Dua Lipa, hasn't spoken with her partner all morning and feels like she's at her wit's end, metaphorically banging her head against a wall. She's consumed by the fear of the relationship ending, feeling a complete loss of control. There's a palpable exhaustion from repetitive, circular arguments—saying the same things over and over without resolution. Despite this, she emphasizes the deep importance of the love they share, expressing a desperate plea not to lose her partner in this manner. The tension builds to a critical point where a breakup feels imminent. This feeling is a shared sentiment, echoed in the pre-chorus by both Dua Lipa and BLACKPINK's Rosé. Instead of letting the relationship fracture, the central desire is for one final, conciliatory act: to just "kiss and make up."

The chorus serves as the song's emotional and thematic core, a direct and impassioned request for reconciliation through physical intimacy rather than words. The lyrics call for a unique and meaningful touch, a physical connection that sets their bond apart. There's an explicit weariness with apologies; words have become empty and insufficient. The proposed solution is to escape their current environment, to leave the party and be alone together, where their focus can be solely on each other. The repetition of "kiss and make, kiss, kiss and make up" becomes a mantra, a rhythmic plea to erase the conflict and reconnect.

The song then transitions to BLACKPINK's perspective, with Jennie and Jisoo singing in Korean. Their verse adds a layer of complexity and resignation. They acknowledge the broken state of their relationship and question why they are still holding on. There's an underlying awareness that the end might be inevitable, that someday it will be over. However, this realization is juxtaposed with a question: can't they try to fix what's broken? They plead for silence, to stop the talking, because they don't want to accept that this could be the final moment. This bilingual shift highlights the universality of the song's conflict while grounding it in the specific context of this cross-cultural collaboration.

The pre-chorus, now led by Lisa and Rosé, reiterates the feeling that a breakup is looming, reinforcing the urgency of their desire to kiss and make up one last time. The final choruses bring all the voices together, amplifying the central plea. The message is clear: the path to mending their connection lies in bypassing the fraught verbal landscape and returning to a fundamental, physical expression of their love and desire. The song concludes with the repeated phrase "Kiss, kiss and make up," fading out on this singular, hopeful, and urgent command.

"Kiss and Make Up" was originally written by Dua Lipa and British songwriter Chelcee Grimes around 2017. Lipa felt the song was a strong contender but didn't quite fit the sonic direction of her self-titled debut album. She held onto it for about a year and a half, believing it needed to be a collaboration. The idea for the collaboration sparked in May 2018, when BLACKPINK members Jennie and Lisa attended Lipa's concert in Seoul during her Self-Titled Tour. Lipa, who had a great time with them, felt they would be the perfect fit for the track. She sent them the song, and the K-pop group accepted the offer, translating parts of the lyrics into Korean and recording their vocals. The song was produced by the Canadian duo Banx & Ranx. It was officially announced on September 4, 2018, and released on October 19, 2018, as a promotional single for Dua Lipa: Complete Edition, the super deluxe reissue of her debut album. Despite discussions, a music video was never filmed due to the artists' conflicting busy schedules.

The song is built on a foundation of danceable, upbeat electropop and reggaeton rhythms, characterized by a driving beat that encourages movement. The tempo is brisk, contributing to the sense of urgency in the lyrics. The rhythmic structure is straightforward and repetitive, particularly in the chorus, which makes it highly infectious and memorable. Lyrically, the rhyme scheme is relatively simple and direct, often using perfect rhymes to create a pop-friendly flow (e.g., "wall" and "falling," "me" and "sorry"). The pre-chorus builds tension with its staccato, repetitive "I, I, I, I..." chant, which rhythmically mimics a feeling of mounting anxiety before resolving into the main hook. The interplay between the English and Korean sections is smooth, with the cadence of the Korean lyrics matching the overall rhythmic flow of the song, ensuring a cohesive listening experience despite the language shift.

"Kiss and Make Up" is a bilingual dance track that skillfully blends Western pop with K-pop. Musically, it employs a vibrant mix of electropop and reggaeton with a prominent, danceable dembow rhythm and bass synths. The production features vocoder effects in the intro and a simple, repetitive song structure that emphasizes the hook, making it incredibly catchy. The vocal delivery from both Dua Lipa and the members of BLACKPINK is assertive and flirty, with their voices often layered to create a sense of unity. The seamless transition between English lyrics sung by Lipa and Korean lyrics from BLACKPINK is a key stylistic choice, normalizing the use of Korean in a mainstream Western pop hit. Lyrically, the song uses repetition extensively, particularly in the pre-chorus ("I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I") and the chorus ("Kiss and make, kiss, kiss and make up"), which enhances its anthemic and memorable quality. This repetition functions as a rhythmic and lyrical hook, embedding the central theme in the listener's mind.

"Kiss and Make Up" was a significant cultural moment, marking a high-profile collaboration between a major Western pop star and a leading K-pop group. Commercially, the song was a success, charting in the top 40 in nineteen countries and reaching number one in Malaysia and Singapore. It peaked at number 36 on the UK Singles Chart, making BLACKPINK the first K-pop girl group to enter the UK top 40. In the US, it reached number 93 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song received platinum certifications in Australia and New Zealand. Its inclusion of Korean lyrics on a major Western artist's album was seen as a significant step in the global normalization of K-pop. The collaboration was praised for its seamless blend of styles and languages and became a fan favorite. BLACKPINK included the song in the setlist for their successful "In Your Area World Tour," and Dua Lipa made a surprise guest appearance to perform it with them at their show in Newark, New Jersey. A pop-funk remix of the song was later included on Lipa's remix album, Club Future Nostalgia (2020).

The primary metaphor in "Kiss and Make Up" is the act of kissing itself, which symbolizes a shortcut to emotional resolution and intimacy. It represents a desire to transcend the complexities and frustrations of verbal communication. When words fail and apologies like "sorry" become tiresome, the kiss is presented as a pure, direct, and restorative action. The phrase "leave this party" also serves as a metaphor. The "party" can be interpreted as the public space, the noise of external life, or even the chaotic and crowded space of their own arguments. Leaving it symbolizes a retreat into a private, intimate world where the couple can focus solely on each other and their physical connection to heal their emotional rift. The act of "banging my head against the wall" is a vivid metaphor for the frustration and futility of their repetitive conflicts.

The most significant recurring phrase is the song's title, "Kiss and make up," which is repeated extensively throughout the chorus and outro. This repetition acts as the central thesis of the song, a mantra that reinforces the main message: the desire to use physical affection to resolve conflict. The phrase "Tired of hearing sorry" also recurs, highlighting the exhaustion with empty apologies and the need for a more tangible form of reconciliation. Another repeated line, "How about we leave this party?", serves as a recurring motif for escaping the public or confrontational space to find intimacy and resolution in private. The chant-like repetition of "I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I" in the pre-chorus is a distinctive musical motif that builds anticipation and reflects the internal turmoil and racing thoughts before the plea in the chorus.