Song Information
Title: Playing with Fire
Artist:
BLACKPINK
Composer: TEDDY, R.Tee
Lyricist: TEDDY
Album:
SQUARE TWO
Track Length: 03:17
About the Song
“Playing with Fire” is one of BLACKPINK’s early breakthrough hits, released on November 1, 2016 as part of their second single album Square Two, alongside “Stay.” Written by Teddy and co-produced with R. Tee, the track blends emotional tension with a moody, tropical-pop sound that marked a new direction in BLACKPINK’s early discography.
Upon release, “Playing with Fire” quickly became a major commercial success. It debuted at No. 3 on the Gaon Digital Chart and topped Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart, giving BLACKPINK the record for the most No.1s among K-pop girl groups at the time. The song was also historic globally—it became the first song by any Korean girl group to enter the Canadian Hot 100, signaling BLACKPINK’s fast-growing international impact.
Ahead of the release, YG Entertainment built anticipation by unveiling individual teaser images of Jennie, followed by Lisa, Rosé, and Jisoo. A behind-the-scenes video dropped a day before launch, and the group performed their comeback stages on Inkigayo and M Countdown shortly after.
The track proved to have strong longevity as well: by 2018, it surpassed 2.5 million digital downloads and 100 million streams in South Korea alone. Internationally, it continued to perform steadily, including over 10 million streams in the United Kingdom.
Overall, “Playing with Fire” solidified BLACKPINK’s rising global presence and showcased their ability to blend emotional storytelling with striking, atmospheric production.
[Full Lyrics – Romanization & English Only]
uri eomman maeil naege malhaesseo
my mom told me every day
eonjena namja josimharago
to always be careful of boys
sarangeun machi buljangnan gataseo
because love is like playing with fire
dachinikka eh
because you get hurt, eh
eomma mari kkok majeuljido molla
maybe my mom was right after all
neol bomyeon nae mami tteugeopge daraolla
when i see you my heart heats up
duryeoumbodan neol hyanghan kkeullimi deo keunikka eh
because my pull toward you is stronger than my fear, eh
meomchul su eomneun i tteollimeun
this trembling that i cannot stop
on and on and on
nae jeonbureul neoran sesange
i want to throw my whole self
da deonjigo sipeo
into the world that is you
look at me look at me now
ireoke neon nal aetaeugo itjana
you’re making me burn like this
kkeul su eopseo
i can’t put it out
uri sarangeun buljangnan
our love is playing with fire
my love is on fire
now burn baby burn
buljangnan
playing with fire
my love is on fire
so don’t play with me boy
buljangnan
playing with fire
oh no nan imi meolli wabeoryeonneungeol
oh no i’ve already gone too far
eoneusae i modeun ge jangnani anin geol
before i knew it none of this was a joke
sarangiran ppalgan bulssi
love is a red spark
bureora baram deo keojyeoganeun bulgil
blow, wind, and make this flame grow bigger
ige yaginji doginji uri eommado molla
whether this is medicine or poison even my mom doesn’t know
nae mam doduginde wae gyeongchaldo molla
you stole my heart, why don’t even the police know
bul buteun nae simjange deo bueora neoran gireum
pour more of your gasoline onto my burning heart
kiss him will i diss him i don’t know but i miss him
jungdogeul neomeoseon i sarangeun crack
this love beyond addiction is crack
nae simjangui saekkkareun black
the color of my heart is black
meomchul su eomneun i tteollimeun
this trembling i cannot stop
on and on and on
nae jeonbureul neoran bulgil sogeuro
i want to throw my whole self
deonjigo sipeo
into the fire that is you
look at me look at me now
ireoke neon nal aetaeugo itjana
you’re making me burn like this
kkeul su eopseo
i can’t put it out
uri sarangeun buljangnan
our love is playing with fire
my love is on fire
now burn baby burn
buljangnan
playing with fire
my love is on fire
so don’t play with me boy
buljangnan
playing with fire
geodjabeul suga eomneun geol
i can’t control it
neomuna ppalli peojyeo ganeun i bulgil
this fire is spreading too fast
ireon nal meomchuji ma
don’t stop me like this
i sarangi oneul bameul taewobeorige whooo
let this love burn up the night, whooo
Practice Korean Words
Meaning: Playing with fire Literally meaning “playing with fire,” it is used here metaphorically to describe a dangerous or risky love affair that can lead to getting hurt, just as playing with actual fire can cause burns.
Meaning: Heart Refers to the anatomical heart, but in lyrics, it represents the center of emotions and feelings. In the song, the “heart” burns up and changes color, symbolizing intense passion and the loss of control.
