Song Information
Title: Don’t Know What To Do
Artist:
BLACKPINK
Composer:
TEDDY,
24,
Brian Lee,
bekuhBOOM
Lyricist:
TEDDY
Album: KILL THIS LOVE
Track Length: 03:21
About the Song
about the song “Don’t Know What to Do” is one of the standout emotional tracks from BLACKPINK’s second mini-album Kill This Love, released on April 5, 2019. Written by Brian Lee and Teddy, and produced with 24, Bekuh Boom, and R.Tee, the song captures a softer, more vulnerable side of the group. While the album’s title track delivers overwhelming intensity, “Don’t Know What to Do” sits on the opposite end—light, melodic, and quietly heartbreaking.
Musically, the song blends airy synths, a bright pop beat, and open-space arrangements that echo the feeling of being lost after a breakup. The lyrics focus on that familiar emptiness: knowing a relationship has ended, but not knowing how to fill the silence that follows. BLACKPINK switches between delicate vocals and emotional harmonies, giving the track a sense of lingering nostalgia rather than dramatic sadness.
Though it wasn’t an official title track, YG promoted “Don’t Know What to Do” as the EP’s subtitle track. BLACKPINK performed it on Inkigayo and Show! Music Core, and the choreography video became one of their most-viewed practice clips thanks to its clean, elegant style. They also brought the song to the Coachella stage in 2019, where its dreamy drop and soft lighting created a memorable contrast against their more explosive performances.
Commercially, the song charted across multiple countries—entering the top five in Malaysia, the Billboard K-pop Hot 100 top ten, and eventually earning a gold certification from ARIA in Australia. Despite being a “b-side,” it grew into a fan-favorite for expressing a more relatable, human emotion: the quiet panic of not knowing what to do when someone you care about is suddenly gone.
[Full Lyrics – Romanization & English Only]
jamkkan nuga siganeul jom meomchwobwa
someone please stop time for a moment
mwonga keuge eogeunnan geol nan neukkyeo
i feel something has gone terribly wrong
aesseo eosaekage useoboda
i try to smile awkwardly on purpose
ijen geureon naega ansseureowo
but now i just feel sorry for myself
anya gwaenchantago malhajiman
i say i’m fine but i’m not
don’t know what to do without you
hachaneun igose hollo nama
left alone in this worthless place
geuryeobon ne gieogeun blue
the memories of you i picture are blue
sarameun byeonhae
people change
wae naman irae
why am i the only one like this
oneulcheoreom yeppeun nare
on a beautiful day like today
eotteoke ireoke modeun ge beokchagiman hae
how can everything feel so overwhelming
don’t know what to do
don’t know what to do without you (x3)
you know i
don’t know what to do
don’t know what to do
jamkkan watda tteonan saramdeulcheoreom
like people who came for a moment then left
geunyang urin anieotdeon geoji mwo
i guess we just weren’t meant to be
hoksirado jeonhwaga ullilkka bwa
afraid my phone might ring
gwaenhan gidael haneun naega miwo
i hate myself for hoping for nothing
jakku ttokttak georineun sigye soriga
the ticking of the clock
yunanhi geoseullyeo
feels unusually irritating
kkwaena meoljjeonghae boijiman
i seem fine on the outside
don’t know what to do without you
ireon nae mam geoure deulkilkka bwa
afraid the mirror might reveal my heart
geuryeobon nae ipsureun blue
the lips i draw are blue
honjaga pyeonhae
being alone is easier
nan geunyang geurae
that’s just how i am
oneulcheoreom yeppeun nare
on a beautiful day like today
eotteoke ireoke modeun ge beokchagiman hae
how can everything feel so overwhelming
don’t know what to do
don’t know what to do without you (x3)
you know i
don’t know what to do
don’t know what to do without you
anya gwaenchantago malhajiman
i say i’m fine but i’m not
don’t know what to do without you
hachaneun igose hollo nama
left alone in this worthless place
geuryeobon ne gieogeun blue
the memories of you i picture are blue
Practice Korean Words
Additional Notes: Describes something or someone as small, unimportant, or pitiful — used in the song to express how empty and lonely the place feels without the person.
Additional Notes: Refers to remembered moments or emotions; in the song, memories turn “blue,” symbolizing sadness and longing after separation.
