Adrian Besley - Blackpink: K-Pops No.1 Girl Group

First published in Great Britain in 2019 by

Michael OMara Books Limited

9 Lion Yard

Tremadoc Road

London SW4 7NQ

Copyright Michael OMara Books 2019

All rights reserved. You may not copy, store, distribute, transmit, reproduce or otherwise make available this publication (or any part of it) in any form, or by any means (electronic, digital, optical, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: 978-1-78929-192-6 in paperback print format

ISBN: 978-1-78929-193-3 in ebook format

Cover design by Barbara Ward

Front cover image: Roger Kisby/Getty Images for YouTube

www.mombooks.com

CONTENTS

P erhaps you were an early Blackpink fan who eagerly anticipated the release of Boombayah and Whistle? Maybe it was the hit Ddu-du Ddu-du, the Dua Lipa collaboration Kiss and Make Up or the groups triumphant Coachella 2019 performance that piqued your interest? Whenever you stumbled on this K-pop phenomenon, though, there is so much to discover or relive in this story of four of the most enchanting and talented figures in pop music.

This book is for Blinks (followers of Blackpink), new fans and those curious about how a group from a small country in Asia conquered the world. It tells of how Blackpink was formed, traces their journey to global superstardom, details the personal stories of each of the members and for those new to K-pop explains how the traits, customs and culture of this sensation have fuelled the groups success.

It might seem strange to find a biography of a group who have been around for only three years and recorded only a dozen or so hits. What can there be to say? It turns out there is an amazing amount, because these four girls Jisoo, Jennie, Ros and Lisa are special. They have packed more into their (so-far) short career than many pop groups manage in decades. They have made history, broken records, travelled the world performing sell-out concerts and created some of the catchiest bops of recent times.

Anyone who goes beyond listening to their hits and delves deeper into the group will find themselves presented with some puzzling questions Why is an entertainment company so important? What is girl crush? How come not all these K-pop stars are actually from Korea? And what do they do when they are not on stage? The answers to all of these and other conundrums reveal just who Blackpink are and what makes them tick.

It is clear from any photo of the group whether they are on stage, at a photoshoot or out in public that they are four extraordinarily beautiful women. But their undoubted beauty is just a small part of their success and the pictures cant tell the story of how they have developed their personal style on and off stage, of their individual charisma and charm, of their immense talent as singers, rappers and dancers, and of the sheer hard work they have put in to earn the success they have today. Thats what this book does!

These girls were not born with a silver microphone at their mouths. Jisoo, Jennie, Ros and Lisa have trained to be pop stars or idols, as theyre called in K-pop since they were young teenagers. They came from Australia and Thailand as well as South Korea and were selected ahead of thousands of hopefuls at auditions to live in a dormitory in Seoul, where they spent between four and six years working exhaustively on their performance skills. Even then, they never knew if they would be selected by their company to be in a group or ultimately be rejected, which is what happens to so many trainees.

Those within the entertainment company have talked about how this group practically picked itself. These four young girls were incredibly hardworking and talented, but perhaps more importantly they had developed a fabulous bond with each other. Far from home, they felt like family, supported one another, helped anyone who was struggling to learn a language or perfect a dance routine, and cheered up those who were feeling homesick. This togetherness would prove vitally important as they faced the triumphs and disappointments of a career in pop music.

Their hits have broken YouTube records and topped charts in dozens of countries.

The three short years since their debut have seen Blackpink succeed beyond all expectations, as a group and as individuals. Their hits have broken YouTube records and topped charts in dozens of countries. They have performed in massive venues across four continents and each of the members has become a star and a fashion icon, with social-media accounts followed by fellow celebrities and millions of fans.

Many of those fans count themselves as Blinks, whose unconditional devotion to the group has been, and continues to be, vital to their success. They avidly support the group and the members individual activities, help spread the word about Blackpink, maximize the views on YouTube, ensure they are trending on social media and, of course, raise the roof at concerts. The Blackpink members are fully aware of the love they receive and in turn are always eager to make sure Blinks know the feeling is mutual.

Blinks play an important part in the story of Blackpink; a journey that has transformed four young teenagers into global stars. It is not a tale of overnight success, but one of disappointment, surprise and elation and one that begins before these idols were even born

T hese days, most music fans have a sense of what K-pop is. Its pop music from South Korea, an East Asian country bordered by (and at odds with) North Korea and separated by 500 miles of ocean from Japan. The version of K-pop seen most around the world is boy bands and girl groups, often with numerous members. Their songs are usually upbeat and accompanied by complex and synchronized choreography. The members of the groups are seriously beautiful, characterized by their ultra-smooth skin, designer clothes and exquisite make-up. Thats certainly all true, but its also a vast generalization, because actually there are hundreds of incredibly varied K-pop acts.

South Koreans love their pop music. They listen to music from the West (Katy Perry, Sam Smith, Ariana Grande, U2 and others have all played in Seoul over the last few years) and from Japan, but they are most proud of their home-grown acts, which they follow fanatically, with TV shows, newspapers and websites feeding an insatiable appetite. Talent shows are especially popular; TV series such as Superstar K or Produce 101 can receive massive viewing figures.

For a long time, K-pop (known as gayo in Korean) was dominated by ballads and trot music, a style characterized by its two-beat background rhythm (trot is short for foxtrot) and a distinctive vocal style. Then, in 1992, a group called Seo Taiji and Boys appeared on a TV talent show performing their single Nan Arayo (I Know). They came last in the show, but their single, an innovative fusion of American and Korean pop, would top the countrys charts for seventeen weeks. Seo Taiji and Boys inspired a host of new Korean groups ready to fill their songs with a US-influenced hip-hop style.