Every Kpop fans hope for their favorite idol’s next song to top the charts. But for Blink – fans of the girl group BlackPink – their hopes are much more humble. All they wish for is their idol to release a new song soon.
BlackPink’s puzzling direction
Since their debut in 2016, every BlackPink release has either broken records or achieved great success. They have been awarded the title of “the world’s most famous girl group” by the Grammy, TIME magazine, Rolling Stone, Forbes…
In September 2022, BlackPink became the first Kpop girl group to top the Billboard 200 chart with their second full album, Born Pink. Earlier this month, the MV Ddu-Du Ddu-Du (released in 2018) surpassed 2 billion views. This is the first time a Kpop group has achieved this milestone.
However, along with the shower of awards, the album Born Pink also faced numerous criticisms, according to Korea JoongAng Daily. The reason is that fans were unhappy with BlackPink’s long silence. Many audiences even think that BlackPink and their management company, YG Entertainment, are too lazy.
Since their successful debut with Whistle (2016), BlackPink has been known for taking a long time to release new products. Except for Square One (August 2016), Square Two (November 2016), and The Album and two collaborative songs with world-famous pop artists Sour Candy with Lady Gaga and Ice Cream with Selena Gomez in 2020, BlackPink has only released new products once a year.
In 2021, the group did not have any new songs, as pointed out by Korea JoongAng Daily.
In the meantime, other Kpop groups in Korea are actively releasing music products in many different markets. Red Velvet released three new products last year. TWICE released one Korean album, two Japanese albums, and a solo product by member Nayeon. (G)I-DLE also released two albums in 2022.
New girl groups like aespa, Le Sserafim, and IVE have all had two releases this year. Billlie introduced three products to the public.
The reason for BlackPink’s infrequent releases
However, according to Korea JoongAng Daily, compared to other artists under YG Entertainment, BlackPink’s “laziness” has a reason.
Last year, the company’s male groups Winner, iKON, and Big Bang only released one album, while the duo AKMU did not release any albums. Singer Lee Hi even remained silent for three years from 2013-2016 when she was an artist under YG Entertainment.
Industry insiders believe that the founder and producer of YG, Yang Hyun Suk, is obsessed with perfectionism. This is why the release speed of music products by groups and artists under this company has slowed down.
Yang is said to have the final decision on all the songs of the artists under the company, and he does not easily make decisions. Yang Hyun Suk debuted as a dancer and producer as a member of Seo Taiji and Boys. He has written songs for famous artists such as Big Bang, 2NE1, and SE7EN.
“No song is agreed upon from the first time,” former YG artist Bobby said in an interview with local media, when he was introducing an album collaboration with Mino of Winner.
“The songs of both iKON and Winner fall into that category. He (PV: referring to Yang Hyun Suk) tends to be so meticulous that he has to change at least one word in the song when we present it to him.”
According to Korea JoongAng Daily, the legal scandals that YG Entertainment faced since 2019 have also made it difficult for the company to produce music. YG has been in turmoil since the Burning Sun scandal involving former Big Bang member Seungri in January 2019 and then a series of allegations against Yang Hyun Suk.
Pop music critic Kim Youn Ha said, “YG Entertainment has never released new albums quickly, but in recent years, it has been especially difficult for the company. It is natural that consumers want to see more content about a group they like. However, from the case of BlackPink, we cannot conclude that returning quickly is good and releasing new products slowly is bad.”
Another reason why YG artists do not need to release music but still have good income is their advertising contracts and other projects. If small companies usually rely on a music group to earn enough money for the entire company, YG Entertainment is the opposite. The company is supported by a massive artist lineup – those who have established their names worldwide and can make money from non-musical projects.
For example, all members of BlackPink are ambassadors or models for the world’s top luxury fashion brands. Jisoo has signed a contract with Cartier, Jennie with Chanel, Lisa with Celine, Bvlgari and MAC Cosmetics. Meanwhile, Rosé collaborates with Yves Saint Laurent and Tiffany & Co.
Those deals, along with countless advertisements, TV shows, and magazines, not only for BlackPink but also for other artists in the company, help YG Entertainment have more flexibility in releasing music.
“As a Kpop artist, BlackPink takes a long time to release new music. But as a pop music artist, this time is not too long,” music critic Kim Do Heon said. He explained that BlackPink has become famous globally like pop music stars Taylor Swift and Miley Cyrus. These artists also take one or two years, even three years, to release a new album.
“In the past, BlackPink often released singles and at a faster pace. Now they have switched to releasing full albums. Therefore, they take more time to prepare. Simply put, BlackPink has now become a global pop star, not just a local Kpop group. That’s a miracle,” the critic emphasized.
BlackPink is currently on a world tour called Born Pink. This year, BlackPink became the first Kpop artist to perform as a “headliner” at the Coachella music festival.
Debuting in August 2016, the members of the group are preparing to make a decision on whether to renew their contract with YG or not. The exclusive contracts of the members with the company have come to a 7-year term. If they decide to go their separate ways, it could be a heavy blow to YG Entertainment.
Source: zingnews
