Blackpink

Blackpink’s formation began in 2010 when YG Entertainment held global auditions to recruit trainees for a new girl group following the success of 2NE1. Training at YG was intense, with Jennie describing it as “more strict than school” and Rosé comparing it to The X Factor with dorms. For international trainees, adapting to both the rigorous schedule and cultural differences was challenging.

By 2011, preparations for the group’s debut were underway, and YG initially announced a seven-member lineup set to debut in early 2012. However, continuous delays fueled speculation, with no official updates until May 18, 2016, when YG confirmed the group’s debut for July, emphasizing the years of fierce competition in selecting the final members. Notably, Jang Hanna and Moon Sua, who were once considered, were not included in the lineup.

Jennie was the first member revealed on June 1, 2016. A trainee since 2010, she had already gained public attention through collaborations with G-Dragon and Lee Hi. Lisa was introduced next on June 8, 2016, standing out as the only successful applicant among 4,000 in YG’s 2010 Thailand auditions. She became YG’s first foreign trainee and was featured in a 2013 Taeyang music video, later endorsing brands like Nona9on and Moonshot.

Jisoo, introduced on June 15, 2016, had joined YG in 2011 and appeared in music videos for Epik High and Hi Suhyun, along with a cameo in the 2015 drama The Producers. The final member, Rosé, was revealed on June 22, 2016. She ranked first in YG’s 2012 Australia auditions and featured on G-Dragon’s track “Without You” before her official debut.

On June 29, YG Entertainment confirmed that the group would debut with four members instead of the originally planned seven, officially naming them Blackpink. The name symbolized that beauty alone wasn’t everything and that the group embodied both talent and visuals. Other potential names considered included Pink Punk, Baby Monster, and Magnum. Their first dance practice video, released on July 6, quickly gained attention, and on July 29, YG officially set their debut date for August 8, 2016.

Promotions for Blackpink’s debut began in early August 2016 with teaser images, videos, and advertisements. As the first girl group to debut under YG Entertainment in seven years, they released their single album Square One on August 8, featuring “Boombayah” and “Whistle.” Both tracks dominated the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart at number one and two, making Blackpink the fastest act to achieve this feat and the third YG artist to hold the top two spots simultaneously after Psy and BigBang. “Whistle” also topped all Korean music charts upon release and debuted at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart. Their first music show performance aired on Inkigayo on August 14, and they won first place just fourteen days after debuting, securing a second win before wrapping up promotions on September 11.

On November 1, 2016, Blackpink released their second single album, Square Two, featuring “Playing with Fire” and “Stay.” They began promotions on Inkigayo on November 6 and M Countdown on November 10. “Playing with Fire” became their second number-one hit on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart and the first K-pop girl group song to enter the Billboard Canadian Hot 100. In South Korea, it peaked at number three, while “Stay” reached the top ten. Within just five months of debut, Blackpink’s commercial success earned them multiple rookie awards, including accolades from the Asia Artist Awards, Melon Music Awards, Golden Disc Awards, Seoul Music Awards, and Gaon Chart Music Awards. Billboard also recognized them as one of the best new K-pop groups of 2016.

On January 17, 2017, Blackpink introduced their official fandom name, “Blink,” a fusion of “black” and “pink.” On June 22, they released their first standalone digital single, “As If It’s Your Last,” which marked a shift to a brighter “pink” concept. The song peaked at number three on the Gaon Digital Chart and debuted at number one on Billboard’s World Digital Song Sales chart, making it their third chart-topping single. It also became their first song to enter Billboard’s Bubbling Under Hot 100 chart at number 13. The music video broke records for the most-liked video by a Korean girl group and the most-viewed K-pop group music video in its first 24 hours.

On July 20, 2017, Blackpink held a showcase at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo, drawing over 14,000 attendees, with nearly 200,000 people attempting to purchase tickets. They officially debuted in Japan on August 30 with a self-titled Japanese EP featuring Japanese versions of their previous singles. The EP debuted at number one on the Oricon Albums Chart, making Blackpink only the third foreign artist to achieve this milestone with a debut release. That same year, “As If It’s Your Last” ranked among YouTube’s Global Top 25 Songs of the Summer.

Blackpink launched their first reality show, Blackpink House, on January 6, 2018, releasing 12 episodes throughout the year via V Live and YouTube, documenting their 100-day vacation. On March 28, they re-released their debut Japanese EP as Re:Blackpink, with the digital version mirroring the original and the physical version including a DVD of music videos and Korean-language tracks.

On June 15, 2018, Blackpink released their first Korean-language EP, Square Up, which debuted at number one on the Gaon Album Chart and was certified platinum for selling over 250,000 copies. The EP became the highest-charting album by a female K-pop group on the Billboard 200 at the time, peaking at number 40. Its lead single, “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du,” topped the Gaon Digital Chart and reached number 55 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the highest-charting Korean girl group song in the U.S. at the time. The track was also the first by a Korean girl group to enter the US Streaming Songs chart and was later certified gold by the RIAA. In the UK, it debuted at number 78, making Blackpink the first female K-pop group to enter the UK Singles Chart. The music video set records for the most-viewed K-pop video within 24 hours and became the first K-pop group video to surpass one billion views in November 2019 and two billion in January 2023.

Blackpink embarked on their first Japan tour, Blackpink Arena Tour 2018, performing sold-out shows across Osaka, Fukuoka, and Chiba. Due to high demand, an extra show in Chiba was added, followed by a final stop at Kyocera Dome Osaka, where they performed to 50,000 fans. Their first world tour, Blackpink 2018 Tour [In Your Area], began with a concert in Seoul and expanded to North America, Europe, Oceania, and Asia, eventually becoming the highest-grossing tour by a Korean girl group.

In October 2018, Blackpink collaborated with Dua Lipa on “Kiss and Make Up,” which became their second UK chart entry, peaking at number 36 and earning a silver certification from the BPI. It was also the first song by a Korean group to be certified platinum in Australia. Later that month, they signed with Interscope Records under a global partnership with YG Entertainment. In November, Blackpink announced additional Asian tour dates, and Jennie debuted as a solo artist with “Solo.” Their first Japanese studio album, Blackpink in Your Area, was released in December, debuting at number nine on the Oricon Albums Chart.

Blackpink made their U.S. debut at Universal Music Group’s 2019 Grammy Artist Showcase and appeared on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Good Morning America. They became the first K-pop girl group to cover Billboard magazine in March. Their third EP, Kill This Love, released on April 5, 2019, debuted at number 24 on the Billboard 200 and number three on the Gaon Album Chart, later earning a 2× platinum certification in South Korea. The title track peaked at number 41 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the highest-charting song by a female K-pop group. The music video set a new YouTube record with 56.7 million views in 24 hours.

Blackpink made history as the first female K-pop group to perform at Coachella in April 2019, receiving praise for their electrifying set. The Japanese version of Kill This Love was released on October 16, peaking at number five on the Oricon Albums Chart. The group continued promotional activities in Japan and was named Paper magazine’s 2019 K-pop Sensation of the Year in their Break the Internet awards.

On April 22, 2020, Lady Gaga confirmed Blackpink’s collaboration on “Sour Candy,” which was released as a promotional single on May 28. The song debuted at number 33 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Blackpink’s first top 40 hit in the US. It also reached the top 10 in Australia and the top 20 in the UK. In June, YG Entertainment revealed plans for Blackpink to release a pre-release single, followed by another single promoting their first Korean studio album. They also launched a new reality show, “24/365 with Blackpink,” documenting their 2020 comebacks and daily lives.

Their single “How You Like That” was released on June 26, 2020, and became a major success, topping the Gaon Digital Chart and achieving platinum certification in South Korea. The music video broke several Guinness World Records, including the most-viewed video in 24 hours at the time. It won Song of Summer at the 2020 MTV Video Music Awards, making Blackpink the first Korean female act to win at the show. Another single, “Ice Cream” with Selena Gomez, was released in August 2020, furthering Blackpink’s success with chart-topping hits globally.

Blackpink released their first full Korean studio album, The Album, on October 2, 2020, with the single “Lovesick Girls.” The album set a sales record for a K-pop girl group, selling over a million copies within a month. It debuted at number two on both the Billboard 200 and UK Albums Chart, marking Blackpink’s highest charting album in both countries. “Lovesick Girls” was another hit, reaching number two on the Gaon Digital Chart and certified platinum. To promote the album, Blackpink performed on major U.S. TV shows and participated in their first Netflix documentary, Blackpink: Light Up the Sky, which offered a behind-the-scenes look at their journey.

In December 2020, Blackpink announced their first livestream concert, The Show, which attracted 280,000 viewers worldwide. The concert featured live performances of new songs, including Rosé’s solo track “Gone.” Blackpink also released a Japanese version of The Album in August 2021, which included Japanese versions of four tracks and charted at number three on the Oricon Albums Chart. Later in August, their second documentary film, Blackpink: The Movie, premiered globally.

On July 6, 2022, YG Entertainment announced that Blackpink was nearing completion of their new album, planning a music video shoot in mid-July and a release of new music in August. They also revealed plans for a second world tour later that year. On July 12, it was confirmed that Blackpink would host a virtual concert in PUBG Mobile from July 22 to 30, where they premiered the track “Ready for Love,” which was later released as an animated music video on July 29.

Blackpink’s pre-release single, “Pink Venom,” was released on August 19, 2022, ahead of their second album Born Pink. The song made history, topping the Billboard Global 200 for two weeks and becoming the first Korean song by a girl group to achieve this. It also charted highly in South Korea, the US, and Australia. On August 28, Blackpink made history as the first female K-pop group to perform at the MTV Video Music Awards, where they also won Best Metaverse Performance.

On September 16, Born Pink was released, with the single “Shut Down” topping the Billboard Global 200. Born Pink became the first album by a K-pop girl group to sell over two million copies, debuting at number one on both the Circle Album Chart and the Billboard 200, marking significant milestones for Blackpink. The album also topped the UK Albums Chart, making Blackpink the first K-pop girl group to do so. The group was named Time magazine’s 2022 Entertainer of the Year.

Following the album release, Blackpink embarked on the Born Pink World Tour, which began in October 2022. The tour included performances of songs from the album and individual member solo tracks, and also featured the reality show Born Pink Memories documenting their journey. In January 2023, they performed at a charity event in Paris for the First Lady of France, Brigitte Macron.

In 2023, Blackpink continued their tour with historical performances, including headlining Coachella, becoming the first Asian act to do so. They also became the first Korean band to headline a major UK festival. By mid-2023, they had set multiple records for stadium performances in Europe and the United States. In May, they announced the promotional single “The Girls,” released alongside their mobile game soundtrack in August, which debuted at number one on the Circle Album Chart.

At the 2023 MTV Video Music Awards, Blackpink won Best Choreography for “Pink Venom” and Group of the Year. The Born Pink World Tour ended in September 2023 with record-breaking attendance and gross earnings, making it the most-attended concert tour by a K-pop girl group and the highest-grossing tour of all time by a female group.

In late 2023, Blackpink’s contracts with YG Entertainment were being renegotiated, with all members renewing their contracts by December. The group’s eighth anniversary was marked by the release of a concert film, Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] in Cinemas, in July 2024, along with events to celebrate the occasion. YG Entertainment announced that Blackpink would make a comeback in 2025.