Blackpink

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This article is about the group. For their eponymous EP, see Blackpink (EP).

Blackpink

Blackpink in March 2021

From left to right: Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa

Background information

Origin Seoul, South Korea

K-pop
Genres
EDM

hip hop

trap

Years active 2016–present

Labels YG

YGEX

Interscope

Member of YG Family

Members Jisoo

Jennie

Rosé

Lisa

Website blackpinkofficial.com

Blackpink (Korean: 블랙핑크; RR: Beullaekpingkeu, commonly stylized

as BLACKPINK or BLɅϽKPIИK) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG
 Entertainment, consisting of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. The group
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 Song Sales chart, respectively.
Blackpink is the most successful Korean girl group internationally and have often been
dubbed the "biggest girl group in the world." [1] They are the highest-charting female
Korean act on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 13 with "Ice Cream" (2020),
and on the Billboard 200, peaking at number two with The Album (2020), which also set
the record for the best-selling album by a Korean girl group and was the first to sell
more than one million copies.[2] They were the first girl group to top Billboard's Artist
100 and the first Korean girl group to enter and top Billboard's Emerging Artists chart.
[3]
 Blackpink was also the first female Korean act to receive a certification from
the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) with their single "Ddu-Du Ddu-
Du" (2018), whose music video was the first by a Korean group to surpass one billion
views and is currently the most-viewed by a Korean group on YouTube.[4] Their 2018
song "Kiss and Make Up", a collaboration with Dua Lipa, was the first by a Korean
group to receive a certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI)[5] and a
platinum certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[6] In
2022, Blackpink became the first Korean group to top the ARIA Singles Chart with their
single "Pink Venom".[7]
Blackpink has broken numerous online records throughout their career. 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
three and setting two Guinness World Records.[8] They are the first music group and
Korean female act to have five music videos accumulate one billion views each on
YouTube;[9] the most-subscribed music act on the platform and the first to reach over 75
million subscribers;[10] and the most-followed girl group on Spotify.[11] Their
other accolades include the New Artist of the Year Award at the 31st Golden Disc
Awards and the 26th Seoul Music Awards, the Mnet Asian Music Award for Best
Female Group in 2020, the first MTV Music Video Award won by a Korean girl group,
[12]
 and recognition as the first female Korean group on Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia.[13] They
have been acknowledged as one of the most powerful celebrities in South
Korea by Forbes Korea (placing first in 2019, third in 2020, and second in 2021) [14] and
by former South Korean President Moon Jae-in as a global K-pop phenomenon helping
spread K-pop content worldwide.[15]

Contents

 1Career
o 1.12010–2016: Formation and pre-debut activities
o 1.22016–2017: Debut, rising popularity, and commercial success
o 1.32018–2019: International breakthrough and first world tour
o 1.42020–2021: The Album and The Show
o 1.52022–present: Born Pink
 2Artistry
 o 2.1Musical style and influences
o 2.2Concept and lyrical themes
 3Public image and impact
 4Other ventures
o 4.1Endorsements
o 4.2Philanthropy
 5Awards and achievements
 6Members
 7Discography
 8Concerts and tours
 9Filmography
 10Notes
 11See also
 12References
 13External links

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.[16] 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. [17] Since then, numerous
news and rumors surfaced surrounding the new girl group's debut being delayed,
although there had been no official information. [18][19] 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. [20] 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. [21][22]
Jennie was the first group member revealed, on June 1, 2016. [23] She joined YG
Entertainment as a trainee in 2010 after moving back to South Korea from New
Zealand.[24] 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. [25] Jennie continued to
be promoted as a member of the new girl group through multiple collaborations: she
starred in G-Dragon's 2012 music video for "That XX" from his One of a Kind EP and
featured in the song "Black" from his 2013 album Coup d'etat (2013) and Lee Hi's song
"Special" from her album First Love (2013).[26][27][28]
Lisa was revealed as the new girl group's second member on June 8, 2016. [29] 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. [24] She
was first introduced in May 2012 in a video that was posted on YG Entertainment's
YouTube channel, titled "WHO'S THAT GIRL???". [29] Lisa also appeared in the music
video for Taeyang's "Ringa Linga" in 2013. She became a spokesperson for street-wear
brand Nona9on in 2015 and cosmetics brand Moonshot in 2016.[30]
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 "Spoiler + Happy Ending" (2014)
from Epik High's studio album Shoebox and Hi Suhyun's music video "I'm Different"
(2014). She also made a cameo appearance in 2015 drama The Producers.[31]
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.[24] 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. [32]

The official logo of Blackpink

On June 29, YG Entertainment confirmed that the new girl group would have four
members instead of the originally planned nine and revealed its official name as
Blackpink.[33] According to a label representative, the group's name meant "pretty isn't
everything" and symbolized that "they are a team that encompasses not only beauty,
but also great talent."[34] Jisoo later disclosed in a press conference that other group
names under consideration included Pink Punk, Baby Monster, and Magnum.
[35]
 Blackpink released their first dance practice video on July 6, which garnered much
public attention.[36] On July 29, YG Entertainment confirmed that Blackpink's debut would
be on August 8, 2016.[37]
2016–2017: Debut, rising popularity, and commercial success
Blackpink performing "Playing with Fire" at the 2016 Melon Music Awards on November 19, 2016

Promotions for the group's debut began in the first week of August 2016 with the
release of teaser images, videos, and advertisements. [38][39] The first girl group to debut
under YG Entertainment in seven years,[40] Blackpink released their debut single
album, Square One, on August 8, 2016, consisting of tracks "Boombayah" and
"Whistle".[40] They charted at number one and two on the Billboard World Digital Song
Sales chart, making Blackpink the fastest act to achieve such a feat and the third YG
Entertainment artist to hold the top two positions simultaneously, after Psy and Big
Bang.[41] "Whistle" quickly topped the Gaon digital, download, streaming, and mobile
charts.[42][43] The group also reached number one on the weekly, popularity, music video,
and K-pop music video charts of China's biggest music-streaming service, QQ Music.
[44]
 Blackpink's first music show performance aired on August 14, 2016,
on SBS's Inkigayo.[45] They won first place on Inkigayo thirteen days after their debut,
breaking the then-record for the shortest time from debut for a girl group to win on a
music program. They wrapped up promotions for Square One on September 11, 2016,
with another win on Inkigayo.
Blackpink released their second single album, Square Two, consisting of tracks "Playing
with Fire" and "Stay", on November 1, 2016. The group began promotions
on Inkigayo on November 6 and on Mnet's M Countdown on November 10.[46] "Playing
with Fire" was Blackpink's second single to reach number one on the Billboard World
Digital Song Sales chart and the first K-pop girl group song to chart on the Canadian
Hot 100.[47][48] In South Korea, "Playing with Fire" peaked at number three, while "Stay"
placed in the top ten.[49] Blackpink's commercial success in their first five months earned
them several rookie awards at major Korean year-end music award shows, including
the Asia Artist Awards,[50] Melon Music Awards,[51] Golden Disc Awards,[52] Seoul Music
Awards,[53] and Gaon Chart Music Awards.[54] Additionally, Billboard named them one of
the best new K-pop groups of 2016. [55]
Blackpink performing "As If It's Your Last" at the Korea Music Festival held in Gocheok Sky Dome, Seoul on
October 1, 2017

On January 17, 2017, Blackpink revealed the name of their fan club—"Blink",

a portmanteau of "black" and "pink".[56] On June 22, the group released their first
standalone digital single, "As If It's Your Last". It was described as a "mixed genre of
music" and a change of sound from their previous releases. [57] The song peaked at
number three on the Gaon Digital Chart and at number 13 on Billboard's Bubbling
Under Hot 100 chart, which gave them the highest-charting Korean song by a group in
America at the time and made Blackpink the highest-charting Korean group
since Wonder Girls in 2009.[58][59] It also debuted at number one on Billboard's World
Digital Song Sales chart one day after release, making it their third number-one on the
chart.[60] The music video for the song later went on to break the record for the most-liked
music video by a Korean girl group on YouTube, as well as the most-viewed K-pop
group music video in the first 24 hours of release. [61][62] On July 20, 2017, Blackpink held a
showcase at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, which was attended by over 14,000 people,
with as many as 200,000 people attempting to purchase tickets. [63][64] The group made
their Japanese debut on August 30, 2017, with the release of a self-titled Japanese
extended play that included Japanese versions of their previous singles. [65][66] The EP
debuted and peaked atop the Oricon Albums Chart.[67] Blackpink ranked among
YouTube's Global Top 25 Songs of the Summer for 2017 with "As If It's Your Last". [68]
2018–2019: International breakthrough and first world tour
On January 6, 2018, Blackpink released the first episode of their first reality
show, Blackpink House, which comprised 12 episodes released throughout 2018
following the four members spending 100 days of vacation as they moved into their new
dorm, via their official V Live and YouTube channels.[69] On March 28, Blackpink re-
released their debut Japanese EP under the name Re:Blackpink. The digital version
included the same songs as the original release, while the physical version included
a DVD of all their music videos and six songs in the Korean language. [70]
Blackpink at Seoul Music Awards in 2018

On June 15, 2018, the group released their first Korean-language EP, Square Up.[71] In
South Korea, Square Up debuted at number one on Gaon Albums Chart and was
certified Platinum by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) for selling 250,000
units.[72] The lead single, "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du", peaked at number one on the digital,
download, streaming, and mobile charts on Gaon for three weeks, while "Forever
Young" peaked at number two; both songs were certified Platinum by the KMCA for
surpassing 2,500,000 downloads and 100,000,000 streams in the country. [73][74][75][76] "Ddu-
Du Ddu-Du" debuted at number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100, making Blackpink the
highest-charting Korean girl group in the US, and at number 39 on the U.S. Streaming
Songs chart, making Blackpink the first K-pop girl group to enter the chart. [77] Square
Up also brought the group their first entry and the highest-charting album by an all-
female K-pop group at the time of its release on the Billboard 200, debuting at number
40.[78] The EP also topped the Billboard World Albums chart.[77] YouTube's official tally
saw the music video for "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" garner a total of 36.2 million views within 24
hours after its release, making it the most-viewed online video in the first 24 hours by a
Korean act and the second most-watched music video of all time in first 24 hours of
release at the time.[79]
Blackpink attending a fansign event for Square Up held at the AK Plaza in Bundang, June 24, 2018

Blackpink embarked on their sold-out first Japan tour, Blackpink Arena Tour 2018,
in Osaka from July 24 to 25 to promote their Japanese EP. The tour was initially set for
six shows across Osaka, Fukuoka and Chiba, but an additional show in Chiba was
added due to overwhelming demand.[80] A final tour stop was later added for December
24 at Kyocera Dome Osaka as a Christmas gift for fans, where Blackpink performed to
a sold-out crowd of 50,000 people. [81] On September 12, it was announced that the group
would hold their first concert in Seoul, Blackpink 2018 Tour [In Your Area] Seoul x BC
Card, at the Olympic Gymnastics Arena.[82] The concert was the first show of the In Your
Area World Tour, which continued throughout 2019 and early 2020 in North America,
Europe, Oceania and Asia. By the end of its run, the tour became the highest-grossing
tour by a Korean girl group.[83]
On October 19, 2018, English singer Dua Lipa released "Kiss and Make Up" with
Blackpink, a new track on the re-released edition of her self-titled debut album.[84] "Kiss
and Make Up" became the group's second entry in the UK Singles Chart, peaking at
number 36, and their first top 40 entry. They were the first female Korean group and
third Korean act overall to reach the top 40. [85] It also debuted at number 93 on
the Billboard Hot 100, marking Blackpink's second entry in the chart and making them
the only Korean girl group to score multiple entries on the chart. [86]
In October 2018, the group signed with Interscope Records in a global partnership with
YG Entertainment; they were to be represented by Interscope and Universal Music
Group outside of Asia.[87] In November 2018, Blackpink announced additional tour dates
for their In Your Area World Tour, which covered thirteen dates across Asia from
January to March 2019.[88] Jennie made her solo debut with her single "Solo" at
Blackpink's Seoul concert on November 11; both the song and its official music video
were released the following day.[89] Their first Japanese studio album, Blackpink in Your
Area, was made available digitally on November 23 and physically on December 5.
[90]
 The album included Japanese versions of all of their previous releases and debuted
at number nine on the Oricon Albums Chart.[91]
Blackpink at the 33rd Golden Disc Awards
Blackpink made their American debut at the Universal Music Group's
2019 Grammy Artist Showcase, an invite-only event at the ROW in Downtown Los
Angeles on February 9, 2019.[92] The group subsequently appeared on several American
television shows, including The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Good Morning
America.[93][94][95] That March, they became the first-ever K-pop girl group to
cover Billboard magazine.[96]
Blackpink's third extended play, Kill This Love, was released on April 5, 2019, alongside
a single of the same name.[97] The EP debuted at number three on the Gaon Album
Chart and was certified 2× Platinum for selling 500,000 units in the country, and the lead
single peaked at number two on the Gaon Digital Chart. [98] Kill This Love also debuted at
number 24 on the Billboard 200, while the lead single reached number 41 on the Hot
100, becoming the highest-charting releases by a female Korean act on the two
major Billboard charts.[99] "Kill This Love" ranked at number 66 on Billboard's list of the
100 Best Songs of 2019.[100] Following the EP's release, Blackpink performed at the
2019 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 12 and 19, 2019, making them
the first female K-pop group to do so.[101] The group's Coachella set was well received by
both critics and fans alike, with Gab Ginsberg of Billboard calling the show "electrifying"
and "unforgettable".[102][103]
On October 16, 2019, a Japanese version of Kill This Love was released to the
Japanese market, peaking at number 17 on the Oricon Albums Chart. [104] The group
embarked to Japan for a variety of promotional activities, including appearances on
Japanese music television programs TV Asahi's Music Station and Fuji TV's Love
Music.[105] Blackpink were voted PAPER magazine's K-pop Sensation of the Year for the
2019 edition of their annual Break the Internet Awards™ list. [106]
2020–2021: The Album and The Show
On April 22, it was confirmed the group would be working with Lady Gaga on her sixth
studio album, Chromatica. Their collaboration, "Sour Candy", was released as
a promotional single on May 28, 2020.[107] On the Billboard Hot 100, the song debuted at
number 33, giving Blackpink their first top 40 hit and becoming the group's highest-
charting song in the US at the time, as well as the highest-charting song by a K-pop girl
group. In Australia, the song debuted at number eight, becoming Blackpink's highest-
charting hit in the country.[108] It was also their first top-twenty single in the UK, debuting
at number 17.[109]
On May 18, YG Entertainment announced the group would release a pre-release single
in June, followed by an additional single release between July and August, to promote
their first Korean studio album.[110][111] On June 2, YG Entertainment confirmed that
following the release of the studio album, members Rosé, Lisa, and Jisoo would release
individual projects, with Rosé's coming first. [112] In the midst of the group's comeback
preparations, YG Entertainment released a prologue of Blackpink's newest reality
show, 24/365 with Blackpink, on June 13, ahead of its launch on YouTube. The show
documents their 2020 comebacks alongside sharing their daily lives through vlogs.
[113]
 The single "How You Like That" was heavily teased on social media in the lead up to
its digital release on June 26.[114][115] It peaked at number one on the Gaon Digital,
Download, and Streaming charts for three weeks. [116] "How You Like That" became
Blackpink's fifth song to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 (peaking at number 33), and its
music video broke five Guinness World Records.[117] The song ranked first in Youtube
Music's Global Top 10 Songs of Summer 2020[118] and won Song of Summer at the 2020
MTV Video Music Awards, making Blackpink the first Korean female act to win at the
award show.[119] On July 23, YG Entertainment announced that a second single, "Ice
Cream" with American singer Selena Gomez, would be released on August 28.[120][121] "Ice
Cream" debuted and peaked at number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it
Blackpink's highest-charting song.[122] Its debut at number 39 in the United Kingdom,
made Blackpink the Korean artist with the most top-40 hits (five) in that region at the
time.[123]

Blackpink in 2020

Blackpink released their first Korean studio album, The Album, on October 2, 2020, with
"Lovesick Girls" as its third and main single.[124] Leading up to the exclusive video
premiere of their music video for "Lovesick Girls", Blackpink appeared on YouTube's
new original music show Released as its first featured artist, which included "unfiltered
access" moments of the group.[125] The Album peaked at number two on
the Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart, making Blackpink the highest-charting
Korean female act on each.[126][127] The album also set a first-week album sales record for
a Korean girl group, with 590,000 copies sold in just one day after the physical album's
release.[128] Blackpink became the first-ever million-selling K-pop girl group with The
Album, selling approximately 1.2 million copies in less than one month after release.
[129]
 Blackpink performed "Lovesick Girls" on Good Morning America and Jimmy Kimmel
Live! in the United States on October 21.[130]
The group's first documentary film, Blackpink: Light Up the Sky, premiered on Netflix on
October 14, 2020, and covered the four years since the group's debut in 2016. The
documentary included footage from their training days, looks at their home lives,
behind-the-scenes stories and interviews with the members, as well as glimpses into
the making of The Album.[131] The commercial success of The Album, combined with the
group's Netflix documentary, resulted in Blackpink topping Bloomberg's Pop Star Power
Ranking for the month of October; they were the first Korean artist to top the ranking
since its inception in April of that year. [132][133]
On December 2, Blackpink announced their collaboration with YouTube Music for their
first livestream concert. The live event, dubbed "The Show", was initially set to take
place on December 27, 2020, but was rescheduled to January 31, 2021, due to
new COVID-19 pandemic regulations introduced in South Korea.[134] The concert
featured the first-ever live performances of several songs from The Album, as well as of
Rosé's song "Gone" from her first solo single album R.[135] More than 280,000 people
purchased memberships to access the show, and the concert was livestreamed across
100 countries.[136]
Blackpink released a Japanese version of The Album on August 3, 2021 with Japanese
versions for four out of the eight tracks ("How You Like That", "Pretty Savage",
"Lovesick Girls", and "You Never Know"), which peaked at number three on the Oricon
Albums Chart. To promote the album, they appeared on Japanese music television
programs such as TV Asahi's Music Station.[137] On August 4, a documentary film
entitled Blackpink: The Movie was released into theaters in South Korea and worldwide,
which included exclusive interviews with the group as well as live performances from
The Show and the In Your Area World Tour. [138]