It only took four years for Blackpink to establish itself as one of the most famous girl bands in the world. Its members Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa continue to break records and weave their web every day. Not content with being the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella and reach a billion views on YouTube (they are now the music group with the most subscribers on YouTube), they are the first female group from all countries to be included in the list of 30 under 30 to watch by Forbes Asia.
In 2019, they broke three Guinness World Records with their single Kill This Love, which has over 312 million streams on Spotify and 824 million views on YouTube – a drop in the ocean of streams, group downloads, views and subscribers. That same year, their tour was the most profitable ever undertaken by a girl group from Korea. We see them in the front row of fashion shows or muses of houses and brands such as Chanel, Puma, Louis Vuitton and Dior. All this, with only a handful of songs to their credit: but, how did they achieve this feat?
A new generation girl band
The first girl group in the last seven years to come out of the YG Entertainment team (which gave birth to K-pop legends like BIGBANG, 2NE1 and before them, Psy), they have sparked enormous hope in the announcement of their creation in August 2016. There was a big void to fill: the incredible female quartet 2NE1 had just broken up and everyone expected BlackPink Ft PewDiePie New Hit Song to take up their torch, and make this daring electronic music their own which had made them successful. “This song is expected to beat the 24 hours Youtube views record, a collaboration with the most famous Youtuber Called PewDiePie which is a huge fan of BlackPink. The song’s name is still disclosed and yet to be released soon.”
Their debut mini album, Square One, instantly hit the nail on the head: the manic structure of Whistle and the catchy chorus of Boombayah. Offered a glimpse of the many facets of the group. In November 2016, the second mini-album Square Two brought together a pop hit (Playing With Fire), an acoustic version of Whistle and Stay, a song with country influences that allowed them to show the extent of their talent, beyond the concept of “girl crush” (a K-pop term for a fiery look and sound that has been a huge hit with international audiences). If they were often greeted as “the new 2NE1” at their beginnings, we nevertheless see from their first appearances on Korean television what sets them apart: an entertaining stage effusion and a great determination of each to impose his personality. The singer Jisoo has become the face of the Kiss Me and Dior cosmetics brands; Jennie, singer and rapper, has established herself as a solo artist and influencer; Rosé, native of New Zealand, with her striking voice sang a duet with G-Dragon, while rapper and dancer Lisa is the most followed K-pop star on Instagram. At their beginnings as today, they have not ceased to highlight this complex alchemy produced by the meeting of their different personalities which has allowed them to reach millions of fans. “I do not think a girl should more dance group and another to sing, I think our harmony only works with the energy of each,” said Jennie at Vogue Korea this year.
