BTS has recently grown to be almost synonymous with the term “K-pop.” However, another K-pop trio has been setting records as their music draws in listeners from all around the world. Blackpink is a four-member girl group that made its debut in 2016 and TIME Magazine has announced it as the 2022 Entertainer of the Year.    

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With 730 million views, Blackpink’s music video Ddu-Du Ddu-Du is presently the most-watched K-pop music video on YouTube.  The group is also shattering records with its social media following. The youngest and primary dancer of the group, Lisa, has more than 16 million Instagram followers, making her the most popular female K-pop performer.

Why are they called Blackpink?

The name of the group was intended to be in opposition to the idea of femininity that is sometimes connected with the color pink. Blackpink’s record company, YG Entertainment, explained that the name of the group is meant to suggest that it represents more than just beauty.

What distinguishes Blackpink from other groups?

Since their debut in 2016, the trio has only put out fewer than 20 songs, including the Japanese translations of their Korean singles. However, a few of their tunes have not only reached the Billboard charts but have gone popular online, with their distinctive dancing moves frequently being imitated by other K-pop stars and fans around the world in dance covers.

The group’s aggressiveness, which is a result of a combination of brash rapping, forceful singing, and stylish dressing, is a prominent aspect of what makes them so appealing.

Members of the Blackpink Group:

1.  Kim Jisoo 

Jisoo, the group’s senior and oldest member, is a singer who is frequently referred to be Blackpink’s mood-maker. She has a great sense of humor and a penchant for making up songs on the spot about everything, including the weather or a desire for chicken skewers. Before joining Blackpink, Jisoo appeared in a variety of music videos and advertisements. The vocalist is trilingual and speaks Korean, Japanese, and Chinese. 

2. Kim Jennie

Jennie is the lead rapper and singer of Blackpink, was a “trainee” for the longest period of time, close to six years. Before returning to South Korea in 2010, Jennie spent some time living in New Zealand. She is fluent in English in addition to Korean and Japanese. She is also the first member of Blackpink to release a solo song, SOLO.  She is also referred as a fashion icon while showcasing her versatility as a rapper and singer. 

3.  Park Chaeyoung

Park Chaeyoung also known as Rosé,  is also fluent in English. She was born in New Zealand where she took part in the YG Entertainment auditions and won first place. She is the lead singer of the band. Rosé usually performs English and Korean song covers while also playing the guitar and keyboard. As a birthday gift to her followers, she had uploaded a version of Halsey’s Eyes Closed, stating, “This is such a deep song and I remember at the time when I recorded it, I was in need of some of the healing that this song offers to me. I sincerely hope you like singing it as much as I did.”

4. Lalisa/Pranpriya Manoban

Lisa is the group’s youngest member and is the lead dancer. Lisa was born and raised in Thailand and joined a dancing group before going on stage to try out to be a trainee K-pop idol. In addition to Thai, Lisa is fluent in English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean, which she started learning after moving to South Korea in 2011. 

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With the track Ddu-Du Ddu-Du and the EP Square Up, Blackpink achieved a new level of success on the global music scene in 2018 and became the highest-charting K-pop girl group on Billboard. While Square Up landed at No. 40 on the Billboard 200, Ddu-Du Ddu Du reached No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100, surpassing Wonder Girls’ English rendition of Nobody that peaked at No. 76 in 2009. A few months later, the group worked with Dua Lipa on the song Kiss and Make Up expanding their fanbase with a tune that has already had more than 200 million Spotify streams.