Who is Blackpink? And why are they in my area? If you’re asking yourself this question in 2022, I am sorry to say that you may be extremely uncultured or at least not paying much attention! No need to fret because, as a self-proclaimed Blink (Blackpink stan), I’m happy to teach you everything you need to know about the world’s biggest girl group, their recent history-making number-one album, and why you should be streaming their music.
Here is a quick rundown for the Blackpink locals: the Korean pop act consists of four insanely talented women, Jennie – lead rapper and vocalist, Jisoo – main vocalist, Rosé – lead vocalist, and Lisa –main rapper. Besides their vocal talents, all of the members are exceptional dancers, models, and kind, humble queens! The group was established by YG Entertainment, one of the leading companies in K-pop, and debuted in 2016 after over five years of training. For context, it is extremely difficult to get placed into groups as a trainee in the K-pop industry, which we get to see in their Netflix documentary Blackpink: Light Up the Sky.
Some Blackpink classics that should definitely be on your playlist are “How You Like That” – the bridge is life-changing in a party setting, “Kill This Love” – the music video visuals will have you screaming and “DDU-DU DDU-DU” – which has the most addicting hook ever. Their discography is still relatively small, so it is so easy to fall down the rabbit hole and is a great introduction to K-pop girl groups in general. Blackpink was also the first all-female Korean act to play Coachella in 2019 and have collaborated with some of the biggest names in the industry, like Lady Gaga, Selena Gomez, and Cardi B.
Now that you have the basics down, it’s time to discuss Blackpink’s newest album BORN PINK. Despite being only their second full-length album ever, BORN PINK has exploded onto the scene, breaking records for the group and in the industry. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard top 200 albums chart, the first time a girl group has done so since 2008. I would best describe this album as a collection of ultimate hot girl anthems, like “Shut Down” and “Tally,” that will have you dancing around your room and wanting to step on the nearest man. All in the name of girl power, of course. But songs like “The Happiest Girl” and “Hard to Love” are extremely vulnerable and show a side of the girls we’ve never seen before. This album is honest, sexy, and a little unhinged in the best way. What more could you ask for?
Congratulations! You are now well on your way to being fully indoctrinated into a Blink! This is the beginning of a beautiful journey for you, full of fancam watching and learning choreography into the late hours of the night. Maybe you’ll even dabble into more k-pop. BlackPink was so right when they said “straight to ya dome like whoah-whoah-whoah” in “Pink Venom!”