Everything you need to know about K-Pop group BLACKPINK
The word K-pop has become more and more synonymous with the letters B, T and S. But there is another record-breaking K-pop group that attracts the attention of the global audience with their music. Founded in 2016 and consisting of 4 women, Blackpink has fans all over the world.
Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa managed to get out of South Korea and reach out to the world. We have compiled what you need to know about Blackpink, which has increased the popularity of K-pop.
Blackpink is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment in 2016. The group consists of four members: Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa and Rosé. The group debuted in August 2016 with their single album Square One, which included "Whistle" and "Boombayah". Their fans are called BLINK.
Blackpink's song 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du' is currently the most watched music video among K-pop groups on YouTube with 2 billion views. (Psy's 2012 single 'Gangnam Style' is still the most watched music video of all time, with over 3 billion hits.)
The group's social media follower count is also breaking records. The principal dancer and the youngest member, Lisa is the most followed female K-pop artist on Instagram with millions of followers.
Why are their names 'Blackpink'?
The band's name is a combination of black, which corresponds to the color pink, which creates a sense of femininity in general.
When they first debuted under the YG Entertainment label, they said they wanted to represent 'more than just beauty' with this name.
On their debut song 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du', Jennie sang the lines that conveyed this message: “I may look cute, but I don't act like that.”
What makes Blackpink different from other groups?
There isn't much in Blackpink's discography. Prior to 'Kill This Love', the group released less than 20 tracks, including Japanese versions of Korean songs. Despite this, they managed to enter the Billboard charts and go viral on social media.
Their signature choreography began to be imitated by other K-pop groups and their fans.
Where does the group's appeal come from? A blend of powerful songs and an elegant style...
While we're used to seeing dark and aggressive concepts in K-pop girl groups, Blackpink manages to double that image in MVs like 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du'.
Jisoo (Full Name: Kim Jisoo), born on January 3, 1995
Jisoo, the oldest member of the group, is a vocal that brings Blackpink's soul. They have an interesting sense of humor and the ability to instantly produce songs on any topic.
Jisoo appeared in many music videos and commercials in the pre-Blackpink years.
Although she is the only member who cannot speak English fluently, she can still sing in three languages, Korean, Japanese and Chinese.
Jennie (Full Name: Kim Jennie), born on January 16, 1996
Jennie returned to South Korea in 2010 after living in New Zealand for a while. She speaks fluent English in addition to Korean and Japanese.
Being the first Blackpink member to release a solo single, Jennie showed off all her talents in her own music video. She changes 20 costumes in the 3-minute clip you see above.
Rosé (Full Name: Park Chaeyoung/Roseanne Park), born on February 11, 1997
Born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, Rosé is the lead singer of the group. You can recognize her distinctive voice in songs as soon as you hear it. She plays the guitar and piano, she can sing in both English and Korean.
Lisa (Full Name: Lalisa / Pranpriya Manoban), born on March 27, 1997
Blackpink's principal dancer, Lisa is the youngest member of the group. Born and raised in Thailand, she trained in a dance team before auditioning for a K-pop idol trainee.
She started learning English, Japanese and Chinese after moving to South Korea in 2011.
Although She raps and sings, she often stands out with her dances. She even becomes the subject of Blackpink's viral videos.
Indeed, Lisa's soft turns, sharp strokes and expressive facial expression while dancing are worth watching.
How did Blackpink become so popular?
Blackpink officially entered the music world in 2016 with the album 'One One', which consists of two songs, 'Whistle' and 'Boombayah'. They were the first girl group to debut on the K-pop scene from the giant producer company YG Entertainment.
The song 'Boombayah' took the group to #1 on the Billboard chart. Thus began the rapid rise of Blackpink.
Duet with Dua Lipa
In 2018, Blackpink gained international attention when they became the first K-pop girl group to reach number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their single 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du' and their EP 'Square Up'.
The song 'Square Up' reached number 40 on the Billboard 200. A few months later, the band sang a duet with Dua Lipa on the song 'Kiss and Make Up'.
They were guests on the most watched programs in the USA.
The potential for globalization was revealed when Blackpink signed with Interscope Records and Universal Music Group in October 2021.
YG Entertainment has partnered with these companies to promote the group internationally.
Shortly thereafter, Blackpink appeared on US television on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, followed by Good Morning America.
Where to start listening to blackpink?
Start listening to Blackpink with 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du'. The song takes its name from gunshots. Its choreography involves swaying hips and fingers firing at the same time.
In the clip, vocalist Jisoo struggles to stumble through a crowd holding phones.
The stance of the phones represents the weapons. This scene of the clip features criticism for how quickly it can go from admiration for celebrities to aggression.
In addition to 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du', songs such as 'As If It's Your Last' and 'Playing With Fire' have energetic melodies with lyrics expressing love and passion.
On the other hand, 'Stay', which you can listen to above, is a special song by Blackpink with its acoustic melody.