BLACKPINK’s successful debut, even to this day, is still talked about
On August 8, 2016, YG Entertainment officially introduced BLACKPINK to the world with their debut tracks, “Boombayah” and “Whistle.” This marked the first YG girl group debut in seven years after 2NE1. Naturally, all eyes were on Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa.
Despite garnering much keen attention, BLACKPINK couldn’t escape comparisons and skepticism, often being measured against 2NE1. However, their debut proved that BLACKPINK’s current global stardom is well-deserved.
Achieved a Perfect All-Kill with their first song
In less than a week after their debut, BLACKPINK achieved incredible success, creating a huge impact globally. Both “Boombayah” and “Whistle” exploded in views on YouTube.
Domestically, “Whistle” earned a Perfect All-Kill (PAK) on iChart, a remarkable feat for a rookie group in 2016.
By 2020, “Boombayah” MV had surpassed 1 billion views on YouTube. This made BLACKPINK the first Kpop group with a debut music video to hit 1 billion views on YouTube. In addition, BLACKPINK became the second group globally to achieve this milestone, following One Direction with “What Makes You Beautiful.”
The record-breaking debut stage
On August 14, 2016, BLACKPINK performed “Boombayah” live for the first time on Inkigayo. Over four years and four months later, the video surpassed 100 million views, the first to reach 100 million views among K-pop acts. This is also a record held exclusively by BLACKPINK.
BLACKPINK’s important contribution to the debut songs
For most rookie groups, the debut process is controlled by the company. However, BLACKPINK’s debut was different. Without the involvement of the members, “Whistle” and “Boombayah” might not have achieved the same level of success.
In a 2017 episode of SBS’s Party People, Jennie revealed that the original title of “Boombayah” wasn’t what the public knew: “Originally, the title was ‘Oppayah,’ but CEO Yang Hyun Suk asked us what we thought about that title. Because the term ‘Oppa’ is quite prevalent in the song, and we felt that if the title was ‘Oppayah,’ it would feel like the entire song was about searching for an oppa boyfriend.”
Regarding “Whistle,” it was surprising to learn that it almost didn’t get released. In the 2020 documentary “BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky,” producer Teddy revealed, “They (YG) thought it was too risky. The song had a weird country vibe.”
He added that most people were against the song because it sounded too empty. However, all four BLACKPINK members, along with Teddy, were determined to do everything to release “Whistle” no matter what.
BLACKPINK’s debut teaser images still captivate fans after 7 years
Since the beginning, BLACKPINK has had a trademark “girl crush” concept. Each member brought their style, creating a harmonious blend of charm.
Recently, teaser images from BLACKPINK’s debut have resurfaced on social media. Despite being rookies, the four members exude the aura of super stars. Seven years later, netizens are still captivated by their visuals, aura, and fashion. Looking back, everyone agrees that BLACKPINK was already “top-tier” from their debut, and each member’s distinctive style is clearly visible.
BLACKPINK still overshadows their junior group BABYMONSTER
YG recently launched their new girl group BABYMONSTER with the debut single “Batter Up.” As the sister group of BLACKPINK after 7 years, global fans paid much attention to BABYMONSTER. “Batter Up” even surpassed BLACKPINK to officially become the Kpop group with the highest debut MV views within the first 24 hours.
However, with the overshadowing presence of BLACKPINK, BABYMONSTER has not truly made an impact. On the contrary, the group has been receiving mixed reactions. From promotion, image, MV, to debut activities, BABYMONSTER’s performance is still considered inferior to BLACKPINK. Additionally, the individual image of BABYMONSTER’s members is not yet clear.
In fact, many members of BABYMONSTER only remind netizens of BLACKPINK. Chiquita resembles Lisa. Rora has the aura of Jisoo, and Rami reminds many of Rosé. If Ahyeon, who is known for looking like Jennie, debuted, BABYMONSTER would have the complete “mini BLACKPINK.”
Nevertheless, when BLACKPINK debuted in 2016, the group also faced divided opinions and was compared to 2NE1. However, after 7 years of activities, what BLACKPINK has achieved is amazing, making the group the “standard” for fans.
So, it’s too early to comment on BABYMONSTER, and undoubtedly, YG will have its own challenges in passing the torch to the new generation tasked with carrying on BLACKPINK’s legacy in the future.
Source: K14
