BLACKPINK Praised by UK and US Media for Breaking Down Language Barriers in Coachella Performance
While there have been mixed reactions in Korea surrounding BLACKPINK’s skills as a “Coachella headliner”, foreign media have continued to praise the group.
On April 15th, BLACKPINK took the stage as a headliner at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the largest music festival in the United States.
BLACKPINK performed iconic hit songs such as “Pink Venom,” “Kill This Love,” “How You Like That,” “Pretty Savage”, “Boombayah” and their 2nd full album title track “Shut Down” released last year.
However, Kim Do Heon, a former editor-in-chief and popular music critic, criticized BLACKPINK’s Coachella performance on Facebook on April 16th, saying, “If you take the meaning of ‘Coachella headliner’ seriously, you cannot have such a superficial and light approach. It was not the right stage to show off their beauty and fame. How many narratives can we draw from the fact that a K-pop group, and also an Asian female group, took the position of headliner at a US festival for the first time?“
Kim’s post sparked heated discussion online. Meanwhile, how did foreign media view BLACKPINK’s performance?
The UK media “The Guardian” praised BLACKPINK’s performance, saying, “The K-pop group proved that language and cultural barriers are breaking down in the music market, and their music is bold, confident, and full of energy, making the crowd excited with a feast of notes and colors, as well as extreme glamor.”
In particular, they complimented BLACKPINK’s stage setup, saying, “BLACKPINK definitely had the stamina to perform as headliners and even made the audience, not just their fandom ‘Blink,’ shout out ‘BLACKPINK in your area’ several times.”
However, they expressed disappointment with the structure of BLACKPINK’s performance that continued with member solos, giving an overall rating of 4 out of 5 stars.
The US music media “Billboard” praised Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé, and Lisa, saying, “In a historic performance, they did what they do best as BLACKPINK. They made it possible for each member to shine individually.“
Foreign media that directly watched BLACKPINK’s performance acknowledged their skills and presence.
Meanwhile, Rosé expressed her excitement about being a headliner at the world’s most popular music festival, saying, “I think my dream has come true.”
After successfully finishing their Coachella performance, BLACKPINK will perform as a headliner at the British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park, the UK’s top music festival, in July, becoming the first K-pop act to do so.
Source: Nate.
