Welcome to the K-World: at Coachella the music comes from South Korea, through Blackpink: their concert borders on perfection, and in fact I wondered if they ever realized what they managed to do in a few years. Getting on the main stage of this festival is a feat that few can achieve, even more if you bring an innovative pop just like the one Blackpink are the spokesperson for. But they go on and their music comes first, even the emotions. Which, however, they manage to give to the many present on the Indio esplanade and, with each of their songs, you can also hear “We love you, Blackpink”.
But how did they form and why do they like them so much? They were born in 2016, after long years of research, studies and internships. Initially they are presented as Pinkpunk but then they become Blackpink, an idol band created by the South Korean entertainment company YG Entertainment which presented the band by revealing its components weekly. Blackpink, aka Lisa, Jisoo, Jennie and Rosé are the most famous South Korean girl band of all time. Their first album “Blackpink in Your Area” is released in 2018, excellent results in the charts. Blackpink won 34 awards, received over 131 nominations, garnered billions of views on YouTube alone, 6.3 billion streams on Spotify alone, and sold out their first arena tour in North America. After signing with Interscope Records (in partnership with YG Entertainment), in 2020 they release the album “The Album”, anticipated by the hits “How You Like That” and “Ice Cream” in collaboration with superstar Selena Gomez.
The record-breaking stars of K-Pop
Despite the record being released in the midst of the pandemic, Blackpink achieved record results all over the world, starting with their debut at number 2 on the Billboard 200 chart and on the UK album chart. The track “Lovesick Girls” sells over 1.4 million copies worldwide. To date, girls have over 11 billion total streams. They are the only girl group to appear on the cover of Rolling Stone, after the Spice Girls and Destiny’s Child, collaborate with Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga. But most importantly, they are the first all-female Korean group ever to sing at Coachella.
A documentary about their story
After starring in the film “BLACKPINK: Light Up The Sky” in 2020, described by The New York Times as a “gripping documentary capable of highlighting the various personalities of the members of the group”, they continue in their musical career, releasing the second studio album “Born Pink”. Record numbers that are also confirmed with this publication, the highest debut for Blackpink on Spotify where all 8 tracks reach a total of 42 million streams in 24 hours. New single “Shut Down” debuts at #1 on Spotify’s global chart with over 6.6 million streams.
“Pink Venom”
Lead single, “Pink Venom,” topped the Billboard Global 200 and global Spotify charts, amassing 7.9 million streams on Spotify in the first 24 hours. The video clip breaks the record on YouTube with over 90.4 million views in the first 24 hours: JISOO, JENNIE, ROSÉ and LISA, break the record for the biggest release for a female artist (band or solo) in this decade and the third-highest first 24-hour debut of all time. And then, the “Born Pink Tour” begins, the world tour, which touches four continents and expects more than 1.5 million spectators between the United States, Europe, Saudi Arabia, Singapore and New Zealand, the end of the tour, on June 21, 2023.
A phenomenon that started from South Korea and conquered the world, and above all Coachella 2023
