Four BLACKPINK members have created positive images and highlighted desirable values for the youth.
Four members of BLACKPINK could have had very different lives if they had not pursued their passion of becoming an idol. Nonetheless, four members decided to form a group under YG Entertainment on August 8, 2016 and grew into a global sensation.
Through sticks and stones, the BLACKPINK girls become an icon of a generation and help bring K-culture to the world. While many people have different takes on the girl group’s burgeoning influence, it is undeniable that BLACKPINK brings desirable values to the youth and forges an unbreakable bond with fans through their 7-year-long journey together.
Choosing dreams over comfort
Early in their debut, BLACKPINK garnered many accomplishments with their first few singles. “Whistle” achieved Perfect All-Kill for a debut song, while “Boombayah” achieved 1 billion views for their MV.
BLACKPINK works hard to prove they are worthy of their success. Initially, BLACKPINK was not a four-member group. It started as a nine-member project group known as PINKPUNK. Rosé, Lisa, Jisoo, and Jennie had to fight for their chance to debut.
In the 2020 “BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky,” the “Gone” singer cried when she recalled the early days of leaving her family and quitting school to pursue her dream. In a podcast interview with Dua Lipa, Jennie revealed she trained her rapping skills every day, even though she was not into rapping. For Lisa, she had to deal with the language barrier and could only talk to Jennie in English.
The intense training and periodic evaluation could have dissuaded the BLACKPINK girls. Yet, they persevered. Overcoming many obstacles, BLACKPINK has found the spotlight they always wished for.
Seven glorious years as BLACKPINK
Critics claim that BLACKPINK is a rare music sensation after the Spice Girls. It took 20 years for another group to rise to worldwide stardom and a first for K-pop.
BLACKPINK manages to pull off such a success with their music, produced by The Black Label’s Teddy. Despite criticisms from experts, it is undeniable that “Teddy’s formula” has brought BLACKPINK to many levels of stardom.
Strong messages conveyed through simple lyrics and upbeat melodies drawing inspiration from multiple sources managed to connect audiences around the world. “DDU-DU DDU-DU” shot BLACKPINK to stardom after two years. After three years, the girl group arrived at Coachella for the first time in 2019. With their two full albums “The Album” and “BORN PINK,” BLACKPINK broke into global digital charts and gained praise from international critics.
BLACKPINK has been on the rise in the following three years and joined the top-ranking girl groups in the world. In 2023, the girl group made waves with their headlining performances at Coachella. Currently, they are arriving at the last stops in their “BORN PINK” world tour.
BLACKPINK members are four unique colors that comprise a coherent whole whenever they perform on stage.
The 4 BLACKPINK members also earned numerous lucrative advertising contracts, even becoming ambassadors for prestigious luxury brands. In fact, BLACKPINK has spearheaded the trend of Kpop idols becoming luxury ambassadors, with each member associated with a different high-end brand (Jennie – Chanel, Jisoo – Dior, Lisa – Celine, Rosé – Saint Laurent) alongside other fashion resources. Of course, 2nd generation Kpop artists such as G-Dragon and CL had breached the fashion realm in the past, but it wasn’t until BLACKPINK that the brands actively sought out Kpop stars with the aim to expanding their young customer base, seeing that everyone knows of BLACKPINK’s music and intense charisma.
Likewise, BLACKPINK’s success isn’t solely rooted in music, as it’s also the girls’ modern and trendy style that the young generation admires. At one point, BLACKPINK had more fashion magazine covers than released songs, with four members gracing the covers of top-tier magazines like Elle US, Vogue France, Vogue Japan, Rolling Stone, and Time as the icons of the new generation. The girl group’s influence is also evident through the “sold-out” phenomenon that never fails to happen with each item they wear. Jennie, in particular, has been praised as the “number 1 IT girl in South Korea” due to her massive fashion impact. From basic items from mid-range brands to luxurious items like Dior dresses and Chanel jackets, they all easily sell out if Jennie wears them.
2023 has been an extremely busy year for BLACKPINK, with packed world tour schedules and consecutive music and fashion events. At some points, the members were flying so much they seemed to be “living” on airplanes, yet they never failed to show up in flawless appearances at every event.
In addition, BLACKPINK’s performance throughout their world shows what it means to be a world-class artist. Despite fatigue and pressure, BLACKPINK delivers their utmost energy on stage, and the way Jennie, Lisa, Rosé, and Jisoo ignite their concerts makes it impossible for audiences to stay still. Despite their immense workload and heavy effort to maintain an idol’s image, BLACKPINK embraces their public role with a positive and joyful attitude. The girls seem to love their job, at the same time willingly try out different fields and putting in all their efforts to achieve their goals.
BLACKPINK’s approach in building their image, defining their music style, and perfecting their performance skills is worth learning from. They serve as a guiding light for entertainment companies that are nurturing the next generation of artists. Even BLACKPINK’s own agency, YG Entertainment, aspires to recreate BLACKPINK as they prepare to debut the new girl group BABYMONSTER.
Normal girls with positive influences behind the limelight
Behind their popularity, BLACKPINK never fails to delight fans with candid and fresh moments, exuding a vibrant “girl materials” energy. At each tour stop, BLACKPINK takes time to document their travel experiences, where the girls explore local cultures.
Even without the tours, fans enjoy watching the girls’ everyday life, where Jennie and Rosé enjoy baking, Lisa takes care of five cats and a dog at home, and Jisoo indulges in her favorite movies. On stage, BLACKPINK are charismatic idols who shine brightly, but behind the glamour, the four girls have ordinary hobbies, which they are not hesitant to share with fans. At the same time, BLINKs (fans of BLACKPINK) are also enchanted by their idols’ playful moments, like when the girls happily ride scooters after their concerts.
BLACKPINK is also a rare Kpop artist that “survive” various dating rumors. Recently, Jisoo were confirmed to be dating actor Ahn Bo Hyun, making for a beautiful couple that got fans sending them well wishes. Meanwhile, Jennie previously had dating rumors with BTS V, whilst Lisa is rumored to be dating the son of the LVMH Group chairman, without facing backlash from fans This is because BLACKPINK has always drawn a clear line, balancing their fame and normal life, while not staying too distant from fans.
Transmitting a positive and healthy lifestyle, BLACKPINK inspires millions of fans, especially young women, to pursue beautiful lives, which require long-term effort and perseverance.
BLACKPINK centralizes on “girls’ power” and “girls’ friendship”
With their mindset, lifestyle, and music, BLACKPINK represents freedom and openness, a spirit embraced by the younger generation. Among millions of BLINKs, there are leading celebrities who live desirable lives, striving to improve themselves. In fact, it is often that local celebrities are spotted at BLACKPINK concerts, no matter where the group performs.
It is said that people may forget what you said and what you did, but will never forget how you made them feel. And BLACKPINK, with their advocacy for girls’ power and girls’ friendship through excitement, grabs the attention of fans in the most memorable way.
Undeniably, BLACKPINK is a perfect example of the strength and individuality of women in whatever they do, as well as the ultimate prowess of women’s friendship. The girls never fail to reiterate that they would not exist without each other, that BLACKPINK is only BLACKPINK when all four are present.
Source: k14
