Blackpink (Korean: 블랙핑크; RR: Beullaekpingkeu, commonly stylized in all caps or
as BLɅϽKPIИK) is a South Korean girl group formed by YG Entertainment, consisting of
members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. The group debuted in August 2016 with their single
album Square One, which featured "Whistle" and "Boombayah", their first number-one entries on
South Korea's Gaon Digital Chart and the US Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart, respectively.
Referred to as the "biggest girl group in the world", Blackpink is the most successful Korean girl
group internationally.[1] They are the highest-charting female Korean act on the US Billboard Hot 100,
peaking at number 13 with "Ice Cream" (2020), and on the Billboard 200, peaking at number one
with their second studio album Born Pink (2022), which is the best-selling album of all time by a
female act in South Korea and the first to sell over two million copies.[2] They were the first girl group
to top the Billboard Artist 100 and the first Korean girl group to enter and top the Billboard Emerging
Artists chart.[3] Blackpink also became the first female Korean act to receive a certification from
the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) with their single "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du"
(2018).[4] Their 2018 song "Kiss and Make Up", a collaboration with Dua Lipa, was the first by a
Korean group to receive a certification from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) and a platinum
certification from the Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA).[5] Blackpink's debut studio
album, The Album (2020), became the best-selling album of all time by a Korean girl group and the
highest-charting female Korean album on the Billboard 200 at number two, records both surpassed
by Born Pink.[6] Born Pink was the first album by a girl group to reach number one on
the Billboard 200 since Danity Kane in 2008 and set two Guinness World Records as the first album
by a Korean girl group to top the Billboard 200 as well as the UK Albums Chart.[7] The album's lead
single "Pink Venom" (2022) was the first song by a Korean group to top the ARIA Singles Chart and
the first song by a girl group to top the Billboard Global 200.[8]
Blackpink has broken numerous online records throughout their career. Their music video for "DduDu Ddu-Du" was the first by a Korean group to surpass one billion views as well as two billion views
and is currently the most-viewed by a Korean group on YouTube.[9] Blackpink's music videos for "Kill
This Love" (2019) and "How You Like That" (2020) each set records for the most-viewed music
video within the first 24 hours of release, with the latter breaking three and setting two Guinness
World Records.[10] They are the most-subscribed music artist and own the most-viewed music group
channel on YouTube, and are the most-followed and most-streamed girl group on Spotify.[11] Their
other accolades include the New Artist of the Year Award at the Golden Disc Awards and the Seoul
Music Awards, the MAMA Award for Best Female Group in 2020 and 2022, the first MTV Video
Music Award won by a Korean girl group, the first Brit Award nomination for a Korean girl group, and
recognition as the first female Korean group on Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia.[12] They have been
acknowledged as one of the most powerful celebrities in South Korea by Forbes Korea (placing first
in 2019, third in 2020, and second in 2021) and by former South Korean President Moon Jae-in as a
global K-pop phenomenon helping spread K-pop content worldwide.[13] In 2022, Blackpink was
named Time's Entertainer of the Year.[14]
Career
2010–2016: Formation and pre-debut activities
Blackpink began forming when YG Entertainment held tryouts worldwide for preteen or teenage
recruits to create a new girl group after launching its first major one, 2NE1, in 2009. According to the
members, joining the label as trainees was akin to enrolling in a full-time pop-star academy, with
Jennie describing the experience as "more strict than school" and Rosé comparing it to The X
Factor with dorm rooms. For members who had left their lives outside of South Korea, the pace of
training alongside the culture shock was especially difficult.[15] Preparations for Blackpink's debut
began as early as 2011, when YG Entertainment revealed on November 14 that their new girl group
would debut in the early half of 2012 and feature at least seven members.[16] Since then, numerous
news and rumors surfaced surrounding the new girl group's debut being delayed, although there had
been no official information.[17][18] It was only on May 18, 2016, that YG Entertainment confirmed the
girl group would debut that July, stating that the members were selected through years of stiff
competition.[19] The label later confirmed that Jang Hanna and Moon Sua, who were introduced to the
public as potential members of the new girl group, were not included in the lineup.[20][21]
Jennie was the first group member revealed, on June 1, 2016.[22] She joined YG Entertainment as a
trainee in 2010 after moving back to South Korea from New Zealand.[23] She had been introduced to
the public for the first time in 2012 in a photo titled "Who's that girl?" on YG Entertainment's website
on April 10.[24] Jennie continued to be promoted as a member of the new girl group through multiple
collaborations: she starred in G-Dragon's 2012 music video for "That XX" from his One of a
Kind EP and featured in the song "Black" from his 2013 album Coup d'etat (2013) and Lee Hi's song
"Special" from her album First Love (2013).[25][26][27]
Lisa was revealed as the new girl group's second member on June 8, 2016.[28] She was the only
individual among 4,000 applicants to pass the 2010 YG Entertainment audition in her native country
Thailand and became the label's first foreign trainee in 2011.[23] She was first introduced in May 2012
in a video that was posted on YG Entertainment's YouTube channel, titled "WHO'S THAT
GIRL???".[28] Lisa also appeared in the music video for Taeyang's "Ringa Linga" in 2013. She
became a spokesperson for street-wear brand Nona9on in 2015 and cosmetics brand Moonshot in
2016.[29]
Jisoo was revealed as the new group's third member on June 15, 2016. She joined YG
Entertainment as a trainee in July 2011 and appeared in several advertisements and music videos in
her pre-debut years, including "Spoiler + Happy Ending" (2014) from Epik High's studio
album Shoebox and Hi Suhyun's music video "I'm Different" (2014). She also made a cameo
appearance in 2015 drama The Producers.[30]
Rosé was the final member to be revealed, on June 22, 2016. She ranked first among 700
applicants in the 2012 YG Entertainment audition in Australia, after which she signed a trainee
contract with the label and moved to Seoul to begin training.[23] She featured in G-Dragon's track
"Without You" (2012) from One of a Kind, credited as "? from YG New Girl Group" until her official
public introduction.[31]