They were the most streamed K-Pop girl group on Spotify’s 2021 Wrapped list and they never fail to wow fans with their strong swag-filled stage presence, powerful vocals, and dynamic choreography. Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa make up the awesome foursome known as BLACKPINK. 

This is a look at why they are the K-Pop girl group on everyone’s playlists.

This is BLACKPINK: From Whistle to Pink Venom

Just 13 days after making their debut back in August of 2016, they snagged their first music show win on SBS’s Inkigayo for Whistle, one of the two songs off their debut album, Square One. And since then, the rest is history.

From winning awards across the Asia Artist Awards, Golden Disc Awards and Seoul Music Awards as rookies, to steadily climbing the Spotify charts and being the second-most streamed K-Pop group on Spotify’s 2021 Wrapped list of Top K-Pop Artists (just after BTS), BLACKPINK’s phenomenal rise to success has, by no doubt, been a massive part of the globalisation of the genre. Who can forget that epic performance at Coachella in 2019, where they made history as the first K-pop group to perform at the festival?

When their pre-released single Pink Venom dropped in August 2022, it achieved the most single-day streams released by a female artist or group in 2022 on Spotify. And when the album’s title track, Shut Down was released, it topped Spotify’s Global Top Songs chart for three days running from August 21-23, 2022, according to YG Entertainment.

Connecting with BLINKs worldwide 

Right from the start, the girl group has been primed for international success, especially because of their collective ability to speak a variety of languages to connect with BLINKS (BLACKPINK fans) from around the world. 

Besides being fluent in Korean, the girls are also comfortable speaking in English, with Jennie having spent her school-going years in New Zealand, and Rosé being born and raised in Australia. And hailing from Thailand, Lisa adds Thai to the group’s language repertoire which also includes Japanese, Mandarin, and even French! 

Breaking Down Borders

Having collaborated and shared the music stage with different artists across the globe, BLACKPINK has been breaking down borders with their music. A chance meeting backstage at Dua Lipa’s concert in May 2018 led the British singer to invite them to be featured in the song Kiss and Makeup. The quartet also joined Lady Gaga on Sour Candy, teamed up with Selena Gomez on summer bop, Ice Cream and with Cardi B on Bet You Wanna for the group’s first studio album, The Album.

Apart from their music collabs, the girls also did a world tour in 2019 and 2020, bringing live performances to BLINKS in Asia, Europe, and North America. 

But perhaps the reason why we can’t get enough of BLACKPINK’s impressive discography of earworms is their unique and varied approach to their music. 

Most recently, Shut Down is a swag-worthy kiss-off to naysayers marrying classical music, thanks to a sampling of Niccolò Paganini’s La Campanella, with modern hip-hop elements. On the other hand, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, co-written by Jisoo and Rosé, is a fun ‘80s synth-pop and something new in the BLACKPINK discography.

Another noteworthy track has to be The Happiest Girl, which features a piano accompaniment and the girls’ soft vocals. Even Lisa sings in this, which is rare for the main dancer and lead rapper.

BLACKPINK In Your Area 

To celebrate their latest comeback, the girls are set to unite once more with BLINKs across the globe. Having wrapped their shows in Seoul, the Born Pink World Tour will be headed for North America, before hopping across the pond for Europe in December. Come 2023, BLINKs in Asia will get to watch the girls live, starting with Lisa’s hometown, Bangkok.

Whether you’re practicing your fan chants and getting excited to meet the girls, or just playing Shut Down on repeat, BLACKPINK has chosen a variety of their favorite songs, which will be included within their Spotify Blend playlist made just for you. 

Discover where your tastes overlap and discover new music with the girls! 
Can’t wait to start grooving with BLACKPINK? Try it here.