Australia’s Rosè and Her Blackpink bandmates crush chart records
Rosè and her Blackpink bandmates have etched their names in chart history with The Album, their debut Korean language album.
The all-female quartet land at No. 2 on the U.S. Billboard 200, for the highest-ever ranking in history by a female K-pop group on the all-albums tally.
The Album blasts away with 110,000 chart sales, according to Billboard, bested only by the 171,000 units shifted by rapper 21 Savage and producer Metro Boomin’s latest collaborative effort, Savage Mode II.
With The Album, BlackPink have the highest-charting LP by an all-female group in the U.S. since Danity Kane’s Welcome to the Dollhouse debuted at No. 1 way back in April, 2008, some 12-and-a-half years ago.
But wait, there’s more. The Album is also said to be the highest-charting debut LP by an all-female group since Danity Kane’s self-titled set started at the top in September 2006.
Watch BlackPink’s ‘How You Like That’:
The Album also opens its account at No. 2 in on the sales charts in the U.K. and Australia, beaten only by Queen + Adam Lambert’s Live Around the World in both territories.
They’re one of K-pop’s hottest acts, but few music industry observers have picked up on BlackPink’s Australian connection. Band member Rosè (aka Roseanne Park) was born in Auckland and raised in Melbourne. In interviews, her Aussie accent is unmistakable.
At the age of seven, Rosè and her family moved to the Victorian capital. And at age 15 the world of K-pop came calling when, at her father’s suggestion, she auditioned for South Korean music company YG Entertainment.
Stream Blackpink’s ‘Lovesick Girls’:
Rosè bloomed, she relocated to South Korea and in August 2016, made her debut as a vocalist with the newly-formed quartet. The rest is history.
The Aussie connection runs deeper still. Los Angeles-based APRA AMCOS member Tushar Apte co-produced and co-wrote album track ‘Love To Hate Me’.
Please join us in giving a huge shoutout to @APRAAMCOS member @harpt ✨✨
— APRA AMCOS (@APRAAMCOS) October 2, 2020
He co-produced and co-wrote track #7 'Love To Hate Me' for @ygofficialblink new album – which dropped today!
????????????????#BLACKPINK #THEALBUM
???? @harpt & @ygofficialblink pic.twitter.com/XHrxTLD6Rp
The four-piece — Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa and Rosè – have been crushing records for fun.
Earlier this year, they entered the Guinness World Records with several entries for their music video for ‘How You Like That’.
Last year, they become the first K-pop girl-group to perform at Coachella and their video for ‘Kill This Love’ became the fastest YouTube video to reach 100 million views (it briefly held the 24-hour record, with 56.7 million views).
This article originally appeared on The Industry Observer, which is now part of The Music Network.