A Beginner’s Guide To K-Pop Queens BLACKPINK
It can be hard to get your bearings in K-Pop, so we’re helping out with intros to some of the biggest acts.
In the last two years, K-Pop has become a graveyard of strong and empowering girl groups, with the dissolution of pretty much every group that slayed us with amazing outfits and fierce jams. K-Pop is now ruled by the prim and girly groups, leaving a huge void for fans looking for confident and attitude-filled female acts. That’s why when BLACKPINK debuted last year, sporting cool-girl dresses whilst dropping catchy beats and hard-hitting raps, it seemed like all was not lost after all.
After seven long years without debuting a new girl group, the company behind K-Pop giants like BIGBANG and PSY, YG Entertainment, finally debuted the four-piece BLACKPINK. Lisa, Jennie, Rosé, and Jisoo had big shoes to fill, especially after 2NE1 officially called it quits earlier this year. And while the comparisons to their older sister-group will always be drawn, the fact is that BLACKPINK has dropped bop after bop since they debuted, which separates them from the rest.
“Been a bad girl, I know I am, and I’m so hot I need a fan, I don’t want a boy I need a man,” raps Lisa on the first verse of “Boombayah,” their EDM banger, perfectly encapsulating what BLACKPINK brings into the genre. Being a YG act, hip-hop is always present in their music, even if opting for a minimal approach like in their first single “Whistle.” Their latest track, “As If It’s Your Last,” showcases a much brighter side to the group, swapping the fierce factor from “Playing With Fire” for a livelier vibe perfect for the summer. Both Jennie and Rosé have husky voices that make an impact, while Lisa drops bombs with every verse. Not to mention they’re all, of course, styling goals — another K-pop girl group factor that has fallen to the wayside as of late but BLACKPINK is single-handedly saving.
With only five singles under their belt, no full album nor any B-sides, BLACKPINK’s impact in K-pop is already visible. And while they’ll always be compared to 2NE1, especially when they have the same producers behind their songs, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. 2NE1 are certified queens, so who better than BLACKPINK inherit the girl power crown?
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