Written By: Srijaa Chatterjee
Edited By: Vedika Mandapati
Designed By: Aadiyaa Kurupp
After an agonising four year wait, Blackpink ruled the charts with the release of their first studio album, THE ALBUM. K-Pop has become a rapidly rising genre, establishing itself as a legitimate music category with a large, but rather controversial, fan base. Initially labelled as a phase, Korean Pop has proven itself to be an industry not to be contended with, but is Blackpink really the revolution?
The group’s name is meant to challenge female stereotypes, contrasting the portrayal of prettiness through pink with black; ‘pretty isn’t everything’ stated YG Entertainment, Blackpink’s managing company. The symbolism that forces the audience to look beyond superficial beauty and focus on their talent is what led to Blackpink’s highly successful debut in 2016. Boombayah broke records and became the most streamed song debuted by a girl group, as well as the fastest act to hit number one on the Billboard Songs chart, setting the stage for Blackpink’s consequential fame. The diversity of the group members — Jisoo being purely Korean, Jennie following her Korean roots in New Zealand, Aussie Rosé, Lalisa born and brought up in Thailand — contributed to their instant worldwide fame, appealing to more countries than one, furthered by the blend of Korean and English often seen in their songs.
Revolving around the name of the girl group, Blackpink’s songs can clearly be distinguished as two types: one is the ‘Black’ side, brimming with chaos, attitude, whilst on the other hand, is the ‘pink' side, comparatively calmer, softer, and elegant. Blackpink’s hit single from June 2020, recently revealed to be a part of THE ALBUM, previously held the record for Most Viewed YouTube Video in 24 Hours, broken by yet another K-Pop group, BTS.
Blackpink consists of both rappers and vocalists, setting them apart from regular mainstream girl groups. Moreover, Blackpink became the only K-Pop artists to perform at Coachella, further cementing their international recognition and popularising their catchphrases, ‘Blackpink in your area’ and ‘Blackpink is the Revolution'. Regardless, Blackpink trigged a feminist movement that exposed the toxicity of K-Pop industries, whilst redefining music and encouraging fans to take up dance and singing. Not limited to just singing, the success of their careers can be attributed to their legendary dance performances, Lisa, the lead dancer, taking the cake when it comes to choreography and technique.
The eventual release of their much-awaited studio album, THE ALBUM, on 2nd October, 2020, a whopping four years after their debut, did not leave BLINKS (Blackpink fans) disappointed, earning Blackpink the title of the most famous girl group in the world, and proving that Blackpink is indeed the Revolution.
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