Are BLACKPINK Breaking Up Or What?
BLACKPINK are not just a huge K-Pop group. They’re one of the biggest pop groups in the world right now. They’ve broken records, released group and solo music, toured internationally, become the faces of prestigious global brands and influencers in their own right, and generally achieved phenomenal success.
They’re at the top of their game — and fame — but they’re also at a critical point in their careers where their paths can either continue together or diverge. And nobody quite knows what will happen next.
There’s a notorious “seven-year curse” in K-Pop, which holds that groups rarely last longer than seven years, if they even make it that far. Typically, idols have seven-year contracts with their companies, which means when they expire, it’s an opportunity for individual members or even whole groups to make their exit.
BLACKPINK’s seventh anniversary — and the expiry of their initial contracts with label YG — happened in August, and fans and the industry alike were expecting an announcement then about a renewal (or a lack thereof).
But there was no news, leading to speculation they’d make an announcement once the group’s world tour ended. The final concerts came and went mid-September, and the status of BLACKPINK’s future with YG and as a group remains uncertain.
There’s been no official announcement beyond statements about negotiations being ongoing and that “nothing has been decided” — usually in response to unconfirmed media reports and rumours, of which there have been many.
So what do those reports say?
According to the latest updates, Rosé is the only BLACKPINK member keen to renew her contract with YG, with reports suggesting she has already signed an agreement with them.
Lisa, meanwhile, is said to have done the opposite, and outright rejected YG. She’s reportedly weighing up her options elsewhere, including perhaps a US label.
Then there’s Jennie and Jisoo, who, if the rumours are true, are following similar paths, albeit separately — according to reports, each of them is seeking to set up their own agencies, dedicated solely to their individual careers.
All of this is worrying for the future of BLACKPINK as a group, but it doesn’t have to mean the end. Another rumour suggests that the members are seeking to reach an agreement in which they’ll work as BLACKPINK six months of the year, and focus on solo projects for the other six months of the year. If this happens, it seems like it would strike a happy medium between keeping the group alive and thriving while also allowing the members to fully pursue their solo ambitions.
And how do fans feel about all of this? Well, apart from STRESSED, it varies. BLINKS are, like any fandom, a group made up of diverse opinions, with some fans wanting all the girls to resign with YG, others not caring where they sign as long as they continue as a group, and others still who just want the individual members to be successful and happy, even if it means BLACKPINK as a group are no more.
If there is a consensus, it seems to be that, more than anything, the BLACKPINK girls deserve better than whatever deal they had in the past, with many fans pointing to the relatively limited amount of music the group has released over the years as evidence they haven’t been able to reach their full potential (despite their huge success with what they have released).
“I am hoping the outcome ends with the girls leaving YG,” says one Aussie BLINK, Bronte, when I ask her about the situation. “From the outside looking in, I really do think they’d be better off under new management.”
“The lack of albums speaks volumes,” she suggests, adding that as loyal as the BLACKPINK girls are to their producer, Teddy Park, she’d love to see them evolve beyond him.
Whatever happens, there’s no doubt BLACKPINK have achieved incredible things as a group so far, and the girls will continue to shine — it just remains to be determined in what form that will take.
Here’s hoping for a successful — and speedy — resolution to the whole mess.
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