#the raj quartet

[proverbialschoolmarm]

#the jewel in the crown #bbc #art malik #susan woolridge #jim obrien #christopher morahan #paul scott #the raj quartet #summer break 23

[alumi-san]

Headcanons for sport quartet (+rajbow)

- Raj has a dog named Snowball, and Wayne has a cat named Snowflake.

- Wayne and Raj are actually childhood friends.

- Wayne and Raj like to share clothes with each other.

- They also stay for the night in each other's houses pretty often.

- Wayne has one younger sibling. He's *THE* biggest big bro you can imagine.

- Raj is indian, canadian.

- When Raj came out to his family as gay (despite them already knowing that because of Total Drama), they were really happy and supportive of him.

- Bowie is glad that his bf family is so supportive. He wishes his own could be like this.

- Raj family loves Bowie! They always invite him to stay on dinner.

- Raj has two older siblings who love to tease him (lovingly, of course). He loves them.

- Wayne and Raj have a rule called "you're sibling my sibling." So yeah, they share siblings.

- Bowie is the only child, but if he had a sibling, he would kill them.

Raj: Oh, come on, Bow, don't say that! Look at me and my siblings. Sure, they can be a little annoying, but I still love them!

Bowie: Raj honey, you and your siblings have the same DNA and were raised by the same people as you. So they like big annoying but still sweet copies of you. If I had an older/younger sibling with the same DNA, living with me and being a big/little annoying, sassy copie of me. In that case, if not me, then they will kill me. This world is too big for two Bowies, and I would want to make sure that the best one survives.

- Bowie calls Raj "Ra-Ra," and Raj calls Bowie "Bow," "Bower," and "Snowie."

- Someone say that Raj is carrying Bowie, others, that Bowie carries Raj. Wrong! They both carry each other.

- Chase was Emma's first boyfriend.

- I already mentioned this. Bowie, Wayne, and Raj are protective of Emma when it comes to Chase.

- Emma is not actually her name. Her real name is Emily. The reason why she uses a different name is because when she and Chase started dating, he said that "Emma" sounds a lot cooler for their show. So, she started to refer herself as Emma on social media. When she tells this to the boys, they immediately say that Emily sounds better than Emma.

Bowie: Plus, nobody will confuse you with Emma from TRR now.

After TDI, she started to use her real name (while the boys have another reason to kill Chase).

- Emma is a tennis girl. It's the only sport she's invested in.

- Favorite ice cream tastes: Wayne- vanilla; Raj- strawberry; Bowie- chocolate; Emma- gum.

- Bowie is the brain, Wayne and Raj are the strength, and Emma is the heart of the group.

- The sport quartet is very protective of each other.

#total drama #total drama 2023 #td #tdi 2023 #td bowie #tdi emma #td wayne #td raj #td chase #rajbow #total drama headcanons #sport quartet

[troublewithangels]

this

#mcu wishes it was the rqcu (raj quartet cinematic universe)

[metamatar]

[...] I do not know of any fictional narrative in Urdu, in roughly the last two hundred years, which is of any significance and any length (I am making an exception for a few short stories here) in which the issue of colonialism or the difficulty of a civilizational encounter between the English and the Indian has the same primacy as, for example, in Forster’s A Passage to India or Paul Scott’s The Raj Quartet. The typical Urdu writer has had a peculiar vision, in which he or she has never been able to construct fixed boundaries between the criminalities of the colonialist and the brutalities of all those indigenous people who have had power in our own society. We have had our own hysterias here and there – far too many, in fact – but there has never been a sustained, powerful myth of a primal innocence, when it comes to the colonial encounter. The ‘nation’ indeed became the primary ideological problematic in Urdu literature only at the moment of Independence, for our Independence too was peculiar: it came together with the Partition of our country, the biggest and possibly the most miserable migration in human history, the worst bloodbath in the memory of the subcontinent: the gigantic fratricide conducted by Hindu, Muslim and Sikh communalists. Our ‘nationalism’ at this juncture was a nationalism of mourning, a form of valediction, for what we witnessed was not just the British policy of divide and rule, which surely was there, but our own willingness to break up our civilizational unity, to kill our neighbours, to forgo that civic ethos, that moral bond with each other, without which human community is impossible. A critique of others (anti-colonial nationalism) receded even further into the background, entirely overtaken now by an even harsher critique of ourselves. The major fictions of the 1950s and 1960s–the shorter fictions of Manto, Bedi, Intezar Hussein; the novels of Qurrat ul Ain, Khadija Mastoor, Abdullah Hussein – came out of that refusal to forgive what we ourselves had done and were still doing, in one way or another, to our own polity. No quarter was given to the colonialist; but there was none for ourselves either. One could speak, in a general sort of way, of ‘the nation’ in this context, but not of ‘nationalism’.

Aijaz Ahmed, In Theory: Nations, Classes and Literatures. Emphasis mine

#sorry but this vision of urdu literature deeply moved me #i think its sentimental and a little too forgiving of the hysterias but #aijaz ahmad

[itsprjc]

With Wayne, Raj and Bowie finishing their summer jog, they meet up with Emma shortly after her tennis practice for some ice cream. While they share casual banter, Wayne tries eating his with no hands...good luck with that. Now that I got the whole cast drawn, it's time to get creative with these characters! And I got to say, I feel quite happy with this piece. I chose to use softer colors this time for more of an afternoon summer vibe.   As for why I had Emma with a tennis bag...Being honest, her design just gave me "goes to a tennis club" vibe to begin with. This quartet of characters was definitely my favorite in the new season, and I can't wait to see more of them in Season 2. Total Drama Island belongs to FreshTV.

#tdi bowie #tdi wayne #tdi raj #tdi emma #total drama #tdi reboot #tdi23 #cartoon network #teletoon #digital design #running and jogging #rajbow #total drama island

[real-total-drama-takes]

Whoever it was that decided that Damien, Zee, Wayne, and Raj are a quartet is a genius.

.

#total drama #total drama 2023 #td Damien #td zee #td wayne #td raj

[hirazuki]

Thanks for tagging me @cilil!! ♡

Rules: List ten books that have stayed with you in some way, don’t take but a few minutes, and don’t think too hard - they don’t have to be the “right” or “great” works, just the ones that have touched you.

The Silmarillion - J.R.R. Tolkien

The Lymond Chronicles - Dorothy Dunnett (it's a highly self-integrated series of novels, it still only counts as one! XD)

The Raj Quartet - Paul Scott (same as above; also notable for being the last new-to-me (fiction) book I've read to date)

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man - James Joyce

Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad

Dracula - Bram Stoker

The Prince - Niccolò Machiavelli

Death on the Nile - Agatha Christie (any book of hers tbh, though I'm more of a Poirot than Marple person; favorite childhood bedtime reading ♡ explains a lot about how I view humans as an adult lmao)

A Passage to India - E. M. Forster

Frenchman's Creek - Daphne du Maurier

No pressure tagging: @baked-hylian, @dear-kumari, @nomadicism, @cruelfeline, @ruiniel

#i have to say i read all of these from childhood through the age of 21 and it's like a showcase of both #where my tastes/preferences as an adult come from but also an itemized list of exactly what's wrong with me lmao #withoutwords

[thesinglesjukebox]

DILJIT DOSANJH FT. SAWEETIE - "KHUTTI"

Per the Punjabi Music subreddit: "'Khutti' doesn’t really have one meaning and can be used to mean amazing or larger than life or trouble or similar things"...

[5.80]

Nortey Dowuona: From what I've read, Diljit Dosanjh seems both very nice and deeply ambitious and has spent the last two decades becoming a star of Punjab bhangra and cinema. He began in 2009 with The Next Level, produced by Honey Singh, as well as his lead role in the Lion of Punjab in 2011, in which he and Honey Singh teamed up to make him available to pop rap, opening the door for his following attempts at crossover. However, despite his desires to create a crossover hit on the level of “Gangnam Style,” he had yet to do so, having worked with several other producers but failing to break through as a musician. Finally, he seems to be on the verge, starring in the biopic of the legendary Amar Singh Chamkila for Netflix, as well as this song. A quartet led by HARV, GENT!, John and Pontus make the drums bounce and the synth riff twinkle ever 4 measures, enough for Larry Jacks and Raj Ranjodh as well as Saweetie to team up and make Diljit Dosanjh dazzle. [7]

Katherine St. Asaph: This Punjabi crossover bangs in the way a meteor could be said to bang as it strikes Earth. Diljit's vocals and energy are colossal, and Saweetie mostly holds her own against the force of this, despite occasionally sounding unsure how she got there. [8]

Leah Isobel: I find Saweetie's presence on this sort of baffling. Like, I get that she signifies "hip-hop" and "women" and "United States" in a broad sense - so from a business perspective, she makes sense - but nothing about her performance or presence goes beyond the vague gesture. Her concept-free smoothness doesn't complement Diljit's specific rhythmic and vocal choices, either; instead, she just irons out a song that's already too frictionless. I'm not mad at it, but I don't feel anything either. [5]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: "From the Bay to Punjab" is going to be huge for the Instagram captions of a couple dozen people I knew in college; I wish there was a bit more Bay Area styling on this as opposed to the Atlanta-as-nowhere trap beat by Gent! (a Lil Yachty associate, tragically). Everything here is adequate but not quite satisfying -- Dosanjh seems less comfortable as a yelped than he does as a R&B-leaning loverman, Saweetie does the same thing she's done for the past half decade, fossilized in an eternal pre-pandemic summer. [4]

Jessica Doyle: The execution's on the boring side, but I like the concept. Also how Saweetie says, "Y'all know what time it is," because she informed us it was 8 a.m. local time two minutes earlier. [5]

Taylor Alatorre: Even more of a blatant cut-and-paste job than these cross-border collabs often are; Saweetie framing her verse as the byproduct of a 12-hour red-eye flight is some savvy expectation management. Diljit, or at least his producers, are fluent enough in the lingua franca of trap music to make each part work fine on its own, even if hand-off between the two is unceremonious. [5]

Ian Mathers: Feels oddly like a mirror universe counterpart to Truth Hurts' "Addictive," and if it's not quite the banger that one is, it's still pretty good! [7]

Isabel Cole: On first listen I thought I wanted this to be faster, but after a few more I came to appreciate the unhurried way the beat muscles forward. [6]

Rachel Saywitz: A perfectly fine Punjabi banger with an unsurprisingly middling Saweetie verse. That downward vocal flourish in the chorus gets more and more entrancing as I listen. [6]

Tim de Reuse: Very little is exchanged in this cultural exchange. Dosanjh gives a spirited performance, but the grooveless, sparse beat simply does not function underneath his Bhangra cadence; he is syncopated and energetic, while his surroundings plead for Drake-style triplets. The overall effect is that of a crude mashup that could've stayed on SoundCloud, but at least he's trying to keep us entertained. Saweetie, on the other hand, is on autopilot, bringing nothing specific other than a few off-handed geographic references. And, hey, on that note -- why would you drop that you're getting a visa? Applying for an Indian tourist visa is not a glamorous experience. It's mostly filling out forms for hours on a site that boasts compatibility with Internet Explorer 9. It still uses the HTML <marquee> tag. [5]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

#diljit dosanjh #saweetie #music #punjabi music #music writing #music reviews #music criticism #the singles jukebox #Youtube

[yesabanne]

"Jewel In The Crown" 1984/Ep10 Charles Dance, GeraldineJames, Eric Porte...

#geraldine james

[countenanceblog]

Chapter 67

Chapter 67

The white living room, adorned with pristine furnishings, served as the backdrop for this unexpected reunion. Corey, Rufus, Karen, and Jack were sitting together, chatting animatedly about their recent adventures and escapades while eagerly awaiting the return of their friends.

Suddenly a strange opening materialized in the room, and Aleister, Gwyneth, Wayne, and Francisco emerged from its mystical depths. The atmosphere crackled with excitement as the cool and charismatic presence of Aleister filled the room, and Gwyneth's fiery disposition brought a spark of energy to the air. Wayne, exuding an effortless sense of calm, and Francisco, displaying his sanguine coolness, completed the quartet.

"Hey there, old friends," Aleister drawled, a confident grin playing on his lips. His gaze swept across the room, taking in the familiar faces of Corey, Rufus, Karen, and Jack. He looked over Emilya, Logan and Nook lastly.

Gwyneth spoke up second. "It's been too long! Missed you guys," she said, the fire in her voice reflecting the emotions within. "Rufus, how have you been?"

Wayne greeted his companions with a nod. "Good to see you all again. How's everything been going here?"

Francisco, cool and collected, offered a slight smile as he surveyed the room. "Glad to be back with the crew," he said, his voice smooth and composed. 

Corey extended a welcoming hand. "It's great to have you guys back. We've been holding the fort down here," he said, a sense of responsibility evident in his words.

Rufus couldn't resist a playful remark. "Yeah, we've been having so much fun without you," he said, a hint of humor in his voice. "Nice to see you, Gwyn."

Karen greeted her friends with a flourish of her colorful scarf. "Oh, I'm positively delighted to see you all again! We've got plenty of stories to share," she exclaimed. "Most of them aren't as happy as this one will be."

Jack couldn't contain his excitement any longer and jumped to his feet, enveloping Aleister and Gwyneth in a bear hug. "You guys are back! I can't believe it!" he exclaimed, his infectious enthusiasm spreading to everyone in the room. "

Nook, ever the shy one, observed the interactions from a more reserved vantage point, feeling a mix of curiosity and apprehension. She was the odd one out, not having met Aleister, Gwyneth, Wayne, and Francisco before.

Emilya, the airheaded space cadet, chimed in, "Wow, this is like a movie or something! I didn't know we had super cool friends!" she said, her eyes wide with wonder.

Logan, the gruff police officer, observed the sudden appearance of these mysterious individuals with a stoic expression, unsure of what to make of the situation. He was meeting Aleister, Gwyneth, Wayne, and Francisco for the first time and couldn't help but display a mix of curiosity and caution on his face.

Just as the group was settling into their joyous reunion, another unexpected opening formed in the room, but this one was unlike anything they had seen before. From the opening stepped a lithe young man of Indian descent, exuding an air of mystery and power. His presence alone was enough to make everyone freeze in shock and awe.

Raj Dubey had made a grand entrance. At first, he seemed disoriented, blinking as he took in his white surroundings. Then, a playful smile spread across his face, and he chuckled softly. "Well, this is a surprise, isn't it?" he remarked, a glimmer of mischief in his eyes. "I haven't seen you guys in awhile."

Jack's jaw dropped as he recognized the godlike figure before him. "Raj Dubey," he whispered, addressing the newcomer by his full name.

Raj turned to Jack, his gaze steady and perceptive. "Ah, Mandala, always a pleasure," he said, acknowledging Jack's godly alter ego. "It seems like I've stumbled upon quite the gathering here."

Rufus raised an eyebrow, studying Raj with a mixture of skepticism and curiosity. "And who might you be?" he inquired, not recognizing the newcomer.

Karen chimed in, her eccentricity undeterred by the surprise. "Yeah, spill the beans! We know these guys are gods, but what about you? Are you some kind of cosmic traveler or something?"

Raj's smile widened, amused by their questions. "You could say that," he replied cryptically. "I have a pretty good idea of what's happening here, but let's not spoil all the fun, shall we, Nyx?"

Corey couldn't help but feel a sense of respect for Raj's enigmatic presence. "It's an honor to meet you, Raj Dubey," he said, acknowledging the young man's legendary reputation.

Nook observed the scene with wide blue eyes, feeling a mix of wonder and trepidation. "I'm Nook," she said.

Emilya's airheaded demeanor took a moment to register the significance of Raj's appearance, but when it did, her eyes sparkled with excitement. "Wow, another god-like friend! This is getting more and more like a movie!" she exclaimed, almost giddy with delight.

Logan, the gruff police officer, remained cautious, observing Raj with a hint of suspicion. "What's your game, kid?" he asked, his hardened exterior betraying more than a hint of concern. "You got an angle, here?"

Raj's perceptive gaze turned to meet Logan's grim countenance, and he chuckled softly. "No games, my friend," he replied calmly. "I'm just here to see how things unfold. And I'll be here, until the very end."

#countenance

[d-j-a-t-o-m]

The Cherry Red Story at 難波 Mile High Club, 28th January 2023

Cherry Red Night

part 1

La Pluie Fait des Claquettes / Louis Philippe [Él, 1986]

Holiday in Cambodia / Dead Kennedys [Cherry Red, 1980]

Urban Ospreys / the Nightingales [Cherry Red, 1983]

Johnny (du Lump) / Holger Hiller [Cherry Red, 1984]

Letter from America / Thomas Leer [Cherry Red, 1982]

A Girl in Winter / Ben Watt [Cherry Red, 1982]

Don't Come Back / Marine Girls [Cherry Red, 1982]

part 2

Jacob's Ladder (live at Eastern Eye 1985) / the Monochrome Set [Él, 1986]

The Camera Loves Me / Would-Be-Goods [Él, 1988]

Whoops! What a Palaver / the Raj Quartet [Él, 1987]

Lee Remick / the King of Luxembourg [Él, 1987]

Curry Crazy / Bad Dream Fancy Dress [Él, 1988]

If You're Missing Someone / Louis Philippe [Él, 1986]

The Ruben's Room / the King of Luxembourg [Él, 1987]

Walter and John / Ben Watt with Robert Wyatt [Cherry Red, 1982]

Poptones / the King of Luxembourg [Él, 1987]

Got to Be There / Swallow Tongue [Cherry Red, 1983]

Lester Leaps In / the Monochrome Set [Rough Trade/Cherry Red/Él, 1979]

Cecil Beaton's Scrapbook / Would-Be-Goods [Él, 1988]

Turban Disturbance / the King of Luxembourg [Él, 1988]

XOYO / the Passage [Cherry Red, 1982]

What's in Your Mind / Mexico 70 [Cherry Red, 1991]

#mile high club #cherry red #Él #the Cherry Red Story #2023

[alumi-san]

Raj: Is stabbing someone immoral?

Wayne: Not if they consent to it.

Bowie: Depends on who you’re stabbing.

Emma: YES?!?

#total drama #total drama island 2023 #td #tdi 2023 #td raj #td emma #td wayne #tdi emma #sport quartet

[considermycat]

Started #reading A Division of the Spoils, by Paul Scott.

#reading #paul scott #the raj quartet #a division of the spoils #phew! good title #fiction

[dinathalawriter]

Merricks’s only attracted to women whose men he noticed. Daphne’s Hari, his wife’s first husband, who actually considers making a pass at him. Mindblown. It’s also hinted that his marriage is unconsummated.

#ronald merrick #merrick #raj quartet #the raj quartet #closeted #gay villains

[david-dasharath-kalal]

(via GIPHY)

#giphy #harry #raj #quartet #coomer

[blackpinkofficial]

[ARTICLE] BLACKPINK Talk 'The Album': "The Spotlight Shed On K-Pop Is Just The Beginning"

credit: TANU I. RAJ - The GRAMMYS Website

At some point during the conversation, the topic of the pressure of being BLACKPINK comes up. There’s a short silence on the other end of the call. Starkly different from the effervescent laughs until then, it’s pregnant with introspection as the four members of BLACKPINK—Lisa, Jennie, Jisoo and Rosé—think about the title that’s most often associated with their name: "The Biggest Girl Group In The World."

It isn't hyperbole, either. A look at the numbers is enough to prove that. Within 24 hours of its release earlier in June, the first pre-release single from The Album, "How You Like That," broke five Guinness World Records. With 86.3 million views in that time, it became the most viewed YouTube video and the most viewed music video in the world. "How You Like That" also debuted at No. 33 on the Billboard Hot 100, tying with Lady Gaga’s "Sour Candy"—a song the group featured on—making BLACKPINK the highest-ranking female Korean act at the time.

Earlier in 2019, the quartet became the first K-pop group to hit 1 billion views on Youtube with their single "Kill This Love." They followed it up with a sizzling performance of the single at Coachella, making history again as the first K-pop girl group to do so.

Along with the weight of the epithet, thus, the title encompasses a vast journey that the quartet has covered in just a fraction of the time it takes established acts—four years to be precise. So, excuse the members of BLACKPINK for taking a couple seconds to reflect, please.

"It's very surprising to us," Jennie says at last. "Every day we try to acknowledge how grateful we are, but more than the pressure, we are ready to give them back as much as they [their fans, BLINKs] gave us. It just gives us more motivation to go further than we ever dreamed of."

If you’ve been acquainted with the BLACKPINK ethos, you will have seen this coming. For the better part of four years, the members of BLACKPINK have stood tall on the backs of the self-assured, self-aware messages in their music. Whatever the challenge, the BLACKPINK way is to always go up. Now, as they get ready to reacquaint themselves with the world with their first full-length release, The Album, the same determination abounds.

"We tried to put more colors into our music, say black and pink," says Lisa. "I wish each member has a stronger presence on the stage and explores more various genres. I hope people don’t know what to expect from us, except for something better than before. We want to be unpredictable."

Ahead of the release of The Album, GRAMMY.com sat down with BLACKPINK to discuss their career, achievements, motivations and future.

BLACKPINK's Rapid Rise | For The Record

This is going to be your first full-length album after your debut, so the hype is very real. What was the mood when you heard it was happening?

Rosé: At the very start, when they said that we were going to [be releasing] our first album, we were very stoked, because we do know that our fans have been waiting for this moment for a very, very long time. We were very excited but also nervous at the same time because we do know that it is a big deal. It's the first time we were able to put all of our colors into something. We had mixed feelings, but overall it was very positive vibes, and we were very stoked to be able to finally release the full album.

The Album is coming after almost four years of your debut, which is a long time. Why do you think that this is the right moment for it?

Rosé: We had four years to kind of build our own colors as BLACKPINK. Throughout the four years, we got to explore different genres and really find out our exact, distinct colors. So, I feel like [in] this album, we were able to put our prepared music style and contribute with new music genres that we're still exploring recently. [That's why] I think now is the best time to come out, because any later would be too late and any earlier, we might have been in a rush. We definitely feel like, right now, we are fully ready to put out a full completed album.

How do you think this album represents the kind of artists you are? How does it represent your colors?

Jennie: I think we've said this before, but our new album is full of surprises. We like to believe that it's something no one has tried before. We just want to bring something new. The album is cool, you know, and we tried to put together all the colors of BLACKPINK that we've built before into one.

You started this year with some amazing collaborations. What do you look for while working with other artists? Where is that middle ground between your style and their style?

Jennie: Since there are already four of us, we're very adjusted to working with people, so somebody new is always welcome. They bring a new perspective to the group, and it's an amazing experience. It's like stepping outside of our usual boundaries and into a world that we haven’t been to. To create something new with a great artist, like Lady Gaga and Dua [Lipa] and much more to come, it's just a great chance for us as artists and groups.

How was working on The Album different to working on your previous EPs? The Album is more cohesive, it's longer; there are more songs, more opportunities. What was that like?

Rosé: Definitely, because it's not like separate projects that we were working on. In the past, when we were working on individual projects, it was mainly all about that "one" song or that "one" concept that we were coming out with. But, because this was an album, we really had to think about the flow and the meaning behind this. I feel like this time around, we do have personal songs in there, something that tells our story, something that is fun.

And since our name is BLACKPINK, we represent the diversity in our personalities as individuals and as artists. So, we feel like we really had to put that forward and address that as well as we could.

You told me how the album went from concept to final form and how you showed your colors; are there any parts of the production process that you paid special attention to?

Rosé: I feel like we stayed in the studio for a while. We didn't want to just have a bunch of tracks and songs written for us and for us just go and record. We did spend a lot of time in the studio trying to find what we really wanted to sing about, what kind of music we wanted to put out. It took us a while to get together a list of good songs so we could get into recording mode. That's the really big process: just hanging out in the studio and making sure we have fun there so we can be honest.

Let's talk a little bit about your recent achievements. You've broken records that at one point a lot of people thought were unachievable, especially for Asian artists. You performed at Coachella, you’re the most followed K-pop act on YouTube, "How You Like That" broke so many records right after its release. In context of all that, the pressure of being BLACKPINK must be so intense.

Jennie: It's very surprising to us. All the records are the results of our fans, BLINKs, and their unconditional support. Every day we try to acknowledge how grateful we are, but more than the pressure, we are ready to give them back as much as they gave us. It just gives us more motivation to go further than we ever dreamed of.

There's always a line between the persona and the person, so how do you make sure that the expectations people have of you are realistic, that what is going on in your professional life is either a reflection of who you are or a separation from it?

Jisoo: We are grateful, as artists, as individuals, that people have such big expectations of us, and we are ready to take on the burden that comes with the expectations. We chose to do this: we try to send that message in our music, to show our confidence and the boldness to take on the challenge.

I feel like you’ve gone beyond the concept of a traditional girl group now. BLACKPINK is not just a name, it’s sort of become a force of nature where everybody knows who you are. With a position like that, there's always a danger of thinking: "I'm fine here. I'm good. This is comfortable." The position limits growth. How do you guys ensure that you always keep on reinventing?

Rosé: While we are very grateful for the amount of things that we have achieved and everything that follows this, we are just four girls who always really loved music and we just enjoyed performing. So [staying] creative is not too hard, because once we do one thing, we are always looking at the next thing, always dreaming of things that we have always wanted to do. But we definitely don't settle with what we have right now. We're all very greedy when it comes to. [Laughs.]

Jennie: We have each other to look and be inspired by. We let each other know what we're doing and where to head.

Lisa: We're like the same person.

Rosé: I think all of our members try to remind each other of how we're all just human. The hype, we try not to let it get to us. We don't really go: "Oh my god, we broke these many records or da di da..." We just look at each other and like…

Jisoo: We're just happy with how far we've come.

How do you think you've grown since your trainee days?

Rosé: We definitely have become a little more professional when it comes to this job, I guess? When we were trainees, we were only training for the music. This job is actually a job.

Jennie: There is much more stuff to care about than just music, but to carry ourselves as somebody to influence or [somebody to] look up to.

Lisa: We just enjoy every little step of it, and when we're off camera, we're pretty much like, still four girls.

Rosé: Teenage girls. [Laughs.]

Tell me how you're going to relax after the album comes out. Will there be a party, or a girls' night in?

Rosé: The crazy thing is right after our album releases, we're going to be promoting it and trying to get as much content out there for our fans. Definitely there will be a celebration at some point, but I still think we will be at working mode.

Jennie: But an excited working mode, since our fans have the album in their hand.

Lisa: [From the back] We're workaholics!

Rosé: And our biggest celebration is kind of like, staying at home in bed. Sleeping all day, so that's going to happen, hopefully.

A lot of your plans for promotion might have been thrown off course with COVID. How does this synergy with fans affect your performance? What are you expecting this time around?

Jisoo: Even though the opportunity for us to meet our fans in person has decreased, we're very grateful for social media at this point. I actually feel like since we do have social media we have more of a platform to connect with our fans on a bigger scale, so we're grateful for that at this point in time. We just hope to reach out to our fans and give them more hope through our music and content.

You guys are in a position where you are some of the people spearheading the modern K-pop expansion. Since your debut, we have seen K-pop grow so much. What kind of responsibility do you think you personally have towards its global expansion?

Rosé: It's amazing that K-pop is spreading around the world as a culture in itself. There are a lot of other K-pop artists out there who are trying to put out their music right now, and we are really grateful that we get to step in and be a part of that.

Jennie: Since we get such amazing opportunities and records because of the people that are interested in watching K-pop right now, we'd like to take the responsibility. We are fully committed to the work. We want to be proud when we look back on our history when we grow old.

[Rosé laughs.]

Jennie: We want to be proud of ourselves. I don't want to let ourselves down, so we put extra time, extra effort into every single thing we put out. I think that's why it takes a bit of time for us, but we really want to perfect the quality of the stuff we put out, so we can be represented to the world as a K-pop group.

Rosé: It's amazing how things are going. It's a big responsibility but a good responsibility that we have.

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