By Tia Bajpai
‘BLACKPINK in your area!’
These 4 iconic words echo through arenas and stadiums across the globe as K-pop sensation BLACKPINK entertain millions of fans with their confident songs and catchy choreography. South Korea’s most famous girl group have redefined the K-pop industry, capturing the attention of audiences worldwide and bringing about a colossal increase in popularity for the genre. The group is made up of 4 members – Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa, and together as BLACKPINK, they have established themselves as one of the leading artists in the music industry today.
Since their entry into the music industry in 2016, BLACKPINK have won countless awards and broken numerous records. One of their biggest achievements has been headlining Coachella in 2023 because in doing so, they became the first K-pop group to achieve this feat. This was a monumental moment for the K-pop industry as it demonstrated the breakthrough of K-pop into the Western world. During their performance, the girl band treated their fans to a 2 hour display of talent and charismatic stage presence, from energetic group songs to soulful solos. With everyone dancing to their upbeat music and screaming their distinctive tagline ‘BLACKPINK in your area’, they had the whole audience enthralled. Possibly the most iconic moment of the night was Jennie’s ‘Coachella, are you ready for tonight? Let me hear you f***ing scream!’. Fans were taken completely by surprise, but they all loved her confidence, and Jennie quickly went viral on social media for these words. BLACKPINK undoubtably stole the show with their performance, which captivated the entire Coachella audience and illustrated the group’s successful career and immense popularity.
Aside from headlining Coachella, BLACKPINK also became the first K-pop group to headline a major UK music festival. The girl band put on a striking performance at London’s BST Hyde Park for a sold-out crowd of 65,000 fans. Much like they did at Coachella, the group performed a medley of group songs and solos, starting with their recent release ‘Pink Venom’ and ending with the high energy of ‘Forever Young’. The audience was enthralled for the entire 90 minutes as BLACKPINK made history at a music festival for the second time that year.
2023 undoubtedly was a significant year for K-pop phenomenon BLACKPINK, and not purely because they became the first K-pop group to headline 2 leading international music festivals. BLACKPINK entered the year in the middle of their Born Pink tour, which took place from October 2022 to September 2023. In their second-ever world tour, the group performed a total of 66 shows across 22 countries, giving their fans, also known as Blinks, a chance to see their favourite idols live.
Over the year, there were concerns that BLACKPINK would not renew their contract with YG Entertainment, and with the debut of a new girl group under the same label looming up ahead, many fans feared the Born Pink tour would be the last action of the group before their disbandment. However, Blinks were relieved when the girl band finally renewed their group contract and confirmed they would remain together as BLACKPINK.
For Jisoo and Jennie individually, 2023 also marked a monumental year for their solo careers. Fans were delighted when Jisoo finally released her first solo titled ‘Flower’, and it was not long before everyone, from fans to idols, started uploading videos of their dances for the ‘Flower Challenge’. Jennie also released her second solo song ‘You & Me’ after performing it at both Coachella and BST Hyde Park. However, her main achievement came at the end of the year, when she announced that in 2024 she would embark on her solo career with Odd Atelier, a company she established herself. Blinks are looking forward to seeing how she develops as a soloist without the restrictions of YG Entertainment and many are anticipating the release of self-written songs.
K-pop stars BLACKPINK have had another phenomenal year, abundant with milestone achievements and broken records both as a group and individually. In 2024, fans will be anticipating new music from the group as a whole following the renewal of BLACKPINK’s group contract, but their main focus will be on Jennie’s solo career journey and the release of her first solo album. 2024 looks to be full of success for BLACKPINK, and Blinks worldwide will be supporting their favourite group as they continue to make history.