BLACKPINK were one of the first K-pop groups I listened to. The group consists of 4 members: Jisoo Kim, who was born and raised in South Korea, Jennie Kim who was also born in South Korea but studied abroad in New Zealand from the age of 10 to 15, Roseanne Park (Rosé/Rosie) who grew up in Australia, and Lalisa Manobal (Lisa) who was born and raised in Thailand. Lisa was actually the first Thai trainee to join YG.
There’s no denying the fact that BTS brought K-pop to the mainstream/Western media, and have paved the way for other groups. Groups with one or more English speaking members are already at an advantage because they can do international interviews in the US and UK and can reach a lot of people as a result. This isn’t to say that groups that aren’t fluent can’t also enjoy global success, but it helps to break down communication barriers. TWICE made their in-person US debut on The Late Show with Steven Colbert show this year.
Blackpink themselves have made subtle references to their lack of activity, and expressed their disappointment
Blinks were excited for the next comeback, but many were left feeling let down by YG once again. I don’t understand why they don’t have more comebacks, considering they’re a wildly successful group with global appeal. You would think the company would want to take full advantage of that. The extent of the control companies have over idols varies. Some are more lenient than others it seems. I'm not aware if this is still the case, but Blackpink once spoke about not being allowed to drive, date, drink or get tattoos. On the Zach Sang Show they were asked about the songwriting process and they looked like they weren't sure how to respond to the question. They said that they usually went with the songs that their producer gave them (I’m fairly sure the producer they’re talking about is Teddy Park who used to be an idol himself).
What happened to the Bella Poarch and Rosé collab 😭😭😭
I thought I'd talk a bit about the things I liked and disliked about Pink Venom. The song has had mixed reviews.
I liked that Jisoo played a traditional Korean instrument, a Geomungo. It was interesting to see see Korean culture incorporated into the song.
I mean, how cool does Jennie look?
Jennie and Lisa looked like they genuinely having fun here which was nice to see. I like it when MVs catch moments like these.
These shots were really cool. I also liked Rosé's two toned hair.
I can see what people mean when they say the song feels a bit disjointed. A lot of people aren't fans of the anti-drop chorus, which is a trend in music at the moment where the chorus is more chill sounding than the rest of the song, it's kind of like an anti-climax, because you have all this build up and then it's a lot more mellow sounding than the rest of the song. Overall, I liked Pink Venom. If it starts playing, I can't help but sing along. I think maybe if the visuals in the MV weren't so eye catching it might fall a bit flat, but the performance is there to elevate it.
I thought Shut Down was catchy, but I felt that the music video lacked originality. YG could push things so much further considering they how talented Blackpink are. The fact that it mostly took place in a studio with a white background made me feel like very little effort was put into the production. In terms of things I liked, I thought the outfits were cool esp. Jennie’s red hat and liked Rosé’s green fluffy jacket.
Serviiiiiing
Blackpink made history this year as the first all-girl K-pop group to feature on the cover of Rolling Stone. They also performed at the VMAs which is a pretty big deal! I saw some K-pop fans criticising their performance, saying that they didn't give their all, but I think they did an amazing job. Fans are often far too harsh about certain idols, Jennie in particular gets so much unwarranted hate. The standards are so high in K-pop that fans' expectations start to get more unrealistic and they fail to realise that these are human beings who get tired.
The fact that YG seem to put in minimal effort with Blackpink in terms of promotions and comebacks, and Blackpink are still as successful as they are is a testament to their talent and international appeal. They were at the 2022 VMAs and they’re going on a world tour this year, starting on the 15th of October. I hope they get more creative freedom in the near future, and more freedom in general if that’s lacking in their lives. I already think the way that the idol system is set up is very restrictive and unhealthy in a lot of ways, and it would be a good thing if alterations could be made. The artist's health and wellbeing should always be a priority. If they don't plan to renew their contracts, that's also a choice that I'll respect and hope that they can move forward with whatever projects they want to focus on.
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