BLACKPINK has done it again, but this is not the group’s first time in the spotlight.
According to the Guinness World Records, the popular K-pop girl group has reached the new high-water mark with 8.8 billion individual streams on Spotify, beating out previous titleholders Little Mix, a British-based group. Their most popular hits contributed to the record included “How You Like That” (2020) with 746 million streams, “Kill This Love” (2019) with 672 million and “Ddu-du Ddu-du” (2018) with 575 million.
For those who aren’t familiar with the group, BLACKPINK is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment that debuted in August 2016. As reported by YG Entertainment, “The meaning of BLACKPINK aims to contradict the common perception of the color pink. Pink is commonly used to portray prettiness, but BLACKPINK actually means to say that ‘Pretty isn’t everything.’ It also symbolizes that they are a team that encompasses not only beauty but also great talent.” In fact, the group also holds the record for the first female K-pop group to reach No.1 on the U.K. and U.S. albums charts, and is the first and only artist to reach 80 million subscribers on YouTube. Not to mention, the quartet previously held the record title for most viewed YouTube video in 24 hours and the most viewed music video in 24 hours, but these records are now held by fellow K-pop band BTS for their single “Dynamite”.
Who are the members of BLACKPINK?
Kim Ji-soo (Jisoo)
Jisoo is both a singer and an actress loved by many across the world and is mostly known for her quirky and unpredictable personality. In March 2021, the singer was named a Dior global ambassador for both fashion and beauty and recently appeared at a Dior event during 2023 Paris Fashion Week. She stole the show with a completely contrasting look in a stunning purple dress and smokey makeup that radiated her innocent and lovely beauty. Jisoo has also acted in commercials before BLACKPINK, and has starred in the JTBC historical K-drama series ‘Snowdrop’ (also available to stream on Disney+) since December 2021. The artist is also expected to release her long-awaited solo album later this year.
Jennie Kim (Jennie)
Jennie is the main rapper of the group and is the only member who does rapping and vocals. She is known for her bold vocals and electric stage presence and was the first to become a trainee at YG Entertainment. Since 2019, Jennie has been a global ambassador for Hera, a Seoul-based beauty company that strives to find one’s natural beauty, and continues to do so since the brand’s debut in the US in 2021. In more recent news, Jennie is appearing in the upcoming HBO show ‘The Idol’, co-created by singer The Weeknd and Euphoria writer and director Sam Levinson. As of now, the story is said to follow “a female pop singer who starts a romance with an enigmatic L.A. club owner who is the leader of a secret cult,” per Deadline, and multiple episodes are expected to debut at Cannes in May, with the series available widely later this fall.
Park Chaeyoung ( Rosé)
Rosé is the main vocalist and lead dancer of BLACKPINK and her unique vocal timbre has brought her praise for its distinctness. As a solo singer, she has collaborated with labelmate G-Dragon on his 2012 track “Without You”, which peaked at number ten on the Gaon Music Chart. She also released her own solo album labeled ‘R’ on March 12, 2021, featuring the songs “On the Ground” and “Gone.” Rosé is also YSL’s Global Ambassador, and never disappoints when she appears at the brand’s events. From the rankings alone, Rosé is the most influential figure at Women’s Paris Fashion Week AW 2023, and has earned Saint Laurent more than 9.9 million USD of media value and a 7.4% interaction rate.
Lalisa Manobal (Lisa)
Lisa is one of the only Thai K-pop stars and is a rapper, singer, and dancer. Her image has always been more on the sporty, chic side, whether on stage or not, which made her the perfect fit for the French fashion house Celine. In 2020, Lisa became its global ambassador, where she appeared in a number of campaigns and on a wide array of magazine covers. In September 2021, Lisa released her debut single album, ‘LALISA’, featuring the songs “Lalisa” and “Money.” As a matter of fact, the title song’s music video won the MTV Video Music Award for best K-pop video in 2022.
