Blackpink
Blackpink (Korean: 블랙핑크; RR: Beullaekpingkeu, stylized in all caps or as BLɅϽKPIИK) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment and consisting of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. Cited as the "biggest girl group in the world", they are considered the most successful Korean girl group internationally and a leading force in the Korean Wave. They are stylistically associated with the "girl crush" concept in K-pop—exploring themes of self-confidence and female empowerment.
For other uses, see black and pink.
Blackpink debuted in August 2016 with their single album Square One, which featured "Whistle" and "Boombayah", their first number-one entries on South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart and the US Billboard World Digital Songs chart, respectively. It was followed by the single album Square Two in November, whose song "Playing with Fire" was the first by a Korean girl group to enter the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. The group expanded their global reach with "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" (2018), which was the first song by a Korean female group to enter the UK Singles Chart and receive a certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Its music video was the first by a Korean group to surpass one and two billion views on YouTube, and remains the most-viewed by a Korean group to date. Their music videos for "Kill This Love" (2019) and "How You Like That" (2020) each set records for the most-viewed music video within the first 24 hours of release, with the latter breaking five Guinness World Records.
Blackpink is the highest-charting female Korean act on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 13 with "Ice Cream" (2020), and on the US Billboard 200, peaking at number one with Born Pink (2022). Blackpink's studio albums The Album (2020) and Born Pink each broke the record for the best-selling female album of all time in South Korea, becoming the first to surpass one million and two million copies sold, respectively. Born Pink was the first album by a girl group to reach number one on the Billboard 200 since Danity Kane in 2008 and set two Guinness World Records as the first album by a Korean girl group to top the Billboard 200 as well as the UK Albums Chart. The album's lead single "Pink Venom" (2022) was the first song by a Korean group to reach number one on Australia's ARIA Singles Chart and the first by a girl group to reach number one on the Billboard Global 200.
Blackpink have broken numerous records throughout their career; their Born Pink World Tour (2022–23) became the highest-grossing concert tour by a female group, and they were the first Asian act to headline Coachella. They have the most-subscribed and most-viewed music artist channel on YouTube, and are the most-followed and most-streamed girl group on Spotify. Blackpink's other accolades include several Golden Disc Awards, Billboard Music Awards, People's Choice Awards, and MTV Video Music Awards, among them the first Group of the Year win by a girl group in the 21st century. They were the first girl group to enter Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia, and were named Time's 2022 Entertainer of the Year. The group has been ranked among the top of the Forbes Korea Power Celebrity list and recognized by former South Korean President Moon Jae-in for spreading K-pop and Korean culture worldwide.
Career
2010–2016: Formation and pre-debut activities
Blackpink began forming when YG Entertainment held tryouts worldwide for preteen or teenage recruits to create a new girl group after launching its first major one, 2NE1, in 2009. According to the members, joining the label as trainees was akin to enrolling in a full-time pop-star academy, with Jennie describing the experience as "more strict than school" and Rosé comparing it to The X Factor with dorm rooms. For members who had left their lives outside of South Korea, the pace of training alongside the culture shock was especially difficult.[2] Preparations for Blackpink's debut began as early as 2011, when YG Entertainment revealed on November 14 that their new girl group would debut in the early half of 2012 and feature at least seven members.[3] Since then, numerous news and rumors surfaced surrounding the new girl group's debut being delayed, although there had been no official information.[4][5] It was only on May 18, 2016, that YG Entertainment confirmed the girl group would debut that July, stating that the members were selected through years of stiff competition.[6] The label later confirmed that Jang Hanna and Moon Sua, who were introduced to the public as potential members of the new girl group, were not included in the lineup.[7][8]
Jennie was the first group member revealed, on June 1, 2016.[9] She joined YG Entertainment as a trainee in 2010 after moving back to South Korea from New Zealand.[10] She had been introduced to the public for the first time in 2012 in a photo titled "Who's that girl?" on YG Entertainment's website on April 10.[11] Jennie continued to be promoted as a member of the new girl group through multiple collaborations: she starred in the music video for G-Dragon's "That XX" (2012) from his EP One of a Kind and featured in the songs "Black" (2013), from his album Coup d'Etat, and "Special" (2013), from Lee Hi's album First Love.[12][13][14] Lisa was revealed as the new girl group's second member on June 8, 2016.[15] She was the only individual among 4,000 applicants to pass the 2010 YG Entertainment audition in her native country Thailand and became the label's first foreign trainee in 2011.[10][16] She was first introduced in May 2012 in a video that was posted on YG Entertainment's YouTube channel, titled "Who's that girl???".[15][17] Lisa also appeared in the music video for Taeyang's "Ringa Linga" in 2013.[18] She became a spokesperson for street-wear brand Nona9on in 2015 and cosmetics brand Moonshot in 2016.[19]
Jisoo was revealed as the new group's third member on June 15, 2016. She joined YG Entertainment as a trainee in July 2011 and appeared in several advertisements and music videos in her pre-debut years, including the music videos for Epik High's "Spoiler + Happy Ending" (2014) from their album Shoebox and Hi Suhyun's "I'm Different" (2014). Jisoo also made a cameo appearance in 2015 drama The Producers.[20][21][16] Rosé was the final member to be revealed, on June 22, 2016. She ranked first among 700 applicants in the 2012 YG Entertainment audition in Australia, after which she signed a trainee contract with the label and moved to Seoul to begin training.[10] She featured in G-Dragon's track "Without You" (2012) from One of a Kind, credited as "? from YG New Girl Group" until her official public introduction.[22]
Artistry
Musical style and lyrics
Blackpink's musical style is predominantly based on EDM and pop, infused with hip hop and trap elements.[190][191] Their discography also utilizes a range of musical styles such as R&B, Arabic music, ballads, disco, and rock.[192][193][194][195] Their music is often characterized by a fusion of "bold rapping, powerful singing and chic styling";[196] a signature element in their songs is the frequent use of bass drops, particularly before the chorus, which is considered a defining aspect of their sound by music critics.[197] The Korea Herald came to associate Blackpink's soundscape with "grand intros, thumping bass and trap-EDM choruses".[197]
The lyrical themes of the group frequently encompass topics such as independence, female empowerment, the aftermath of breakups, navigating toxic relationships, and the nuances of romance.[198] Jisoo explained in an interview with Rolling Stone that the members are "involved from the beginning" in their creative process, from "building the blocks" to "adding this or that feeling" and "exchanging feedback".[199] Regarding their work, Billboard stated that Blackpink "rewrote the definition of K-pop and their beauty, It's for them not for anyone else."[195]
Influences
Early in their career, Blackpink stated that they wanted to emulate labelmate 2NE1 and "show [their] own unique color".[200] During an episode of Carpool Karaoke in 2023, the members of the group expressed how they were inspired by TLC and the Spice Girls as they grew up listening to their music. Jennie commented that the group admired the vocals, rap, and hip-hop style of TLC, as well as the distinct individual characters of the Spice Girls, saying, "That was something that we were aiming for and it was such an iconic girl group in history that we grew up listening to."[201]
While working with Lady Gaga for "Sour Candy" in 2020, the group members expressed that they considered her a major musical influence; Jennie recalled how she admired the creativity and fashion of "Telephone" (2010) when she saw the music video for the first time.[202] Other artists that the group have cited as influences include Ariana Grande,[203] Cardi B and Selena Gomez.[204]
Studio albums