Who is Blackpink?

Blackpink debuted on August 8, 2016, under YG Entertainment with the single “Square One,” which included the hits “Whistle” and “Boombayah.” The four-member girl group — Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa — quickly became known for its hip-hop-based “girl crush” image and sound, as well as polished visuals and performances. The group followed its strong debut with releases such as “Playing with Fire” (2016) and “As If It’s Your Last” (2017), building a solid international fanbase from early on.

Blackpink further gained global traction in 2018 with “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du,” the lead track from its first EP “Square Up,” a major breakthrough in its career. The song debuted at No. 55 on the Billboard Hot 100, the highest-charting song by a K-pop girl group on the chart at the time.

The group continued expanding overseas with “Kill This Love” (2019), its 2019 Coachella performance and its first full-length album “The Album” (2020), which included “How You Like That,” “Ice Cream” with Selena Gomez and “Lovesick Girls.” “The Album” debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, also a new record for a K-pop girl group at the time.

In 2022, Blackpink released its second full-length album, “Born Pink,” led by “Pink Venom” and “Shut Down.” The album made Blackpink the first K-pop girl group to top the Billboard 200 and the first K-pop girl group to reach No. 1 on Britain's Official Albums Chart. The group’s “Born Pink” world tour, which took place from October 2022 to September 2023, drew 2.11 million fans across 66 shows, cementing the girl group's status as one of K-pop’s most powerful acts. In 2023, Blackpink also became the first K-pop act to headline Coachella and BST Hyde Park, and the members received honorary MBEs from King Charles III for their successful advocacy for environmental issues as COP26 advocates.

All four members renewed their group contract with YG Entertainment in late 2023, while choosing not to renew their individual contracts with the agency. Since then, the members have pursued solo music, acting, fashion and business projects through separate agencies, while continuing Blackpink activities under YG.

Blackpink returned as a group in 2025 with “Jump,” its first group single in two years and 10 months since "Born Pink," excluding "The Girls" (2023), the soundtrack of a video game. The quartet then launched the “Deadline” world tour in July 2025. “Jump” debuted at No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100.

In February 2026, Blackpink released its third EP, “Deadline.” The EP includes five tracks, including the title track “GO,” and debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and at No. 63 on the Hot 100 singles chart, extending the group’s record as the K-pop girl group with the most Hot 100 entries.

Blackpink became the first artist channel in the world to surpass 100 million subscribers on YouTube in February 2026, while all four members have built major presences in fashion through partnerships with global luxury houses.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [[email protected]]