BLACKPINK’s Members End Solo Representation With YG Entertainment

It’s a new year, and the members of BLACKPINK — including Australia-raised singer Rosé — should get a fresh start with their solo careers.

The high-flying K-pop group inked a contract extension with YG Entertainment before year’s end, but, in a separate development, Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé decided not to re-sign with the agency for their individual endeavours.

“BLACKPINK recently renewed their contracts with YG for their group activities, and we have agreed not to proceed with additional contracts for [the members’] individual activities,” YG said in a statement, issued last Friday, Dec. 29.

“We will do our utmost to support BLACKPINK’s activities, and we will cheer on the members’ individual activities with warm hearts,” the message continues.

Earlier, on Dec. 6, BLACKPINK shot down rumours that another agency was hovering when YG announced, via a regulatory filing, that it had struck an exclusive contract with the girl group.

The future is a little less opaque for Jennie, who launched her own record label, Odd Atelier (OD), last November, and for Jisoo, who, according to Allkpop, has signed a solo contract under the management of Blissoo, her brother’s agency. Blissoo, notes MBW, is a spinoff entertainment startup under Biomom, helmed by her sibling as CEO.

BLACKPINK has a strong connection with the Antipodes.

Band member Rosè (Roseanne Park) was born in Auckland, and relocated to Melbourne at the age of seven. At 15, the world of K-pop opened up when, at her father’s suggestion, she auditioned for YG Entertainment. Rosè blossomed, she relocated to South Korea and in August 2016, made her debut as a vocalist with the newly-formed quartet. To this day, her Aussie accent is unmistakable in interviews.

Also, Seoul born-and-raised Jennie (Jennie Kim) studied in New Zealand for five years before returning home in 2010.

Few acts can rival BLACKPINK’s popularity — and appetite for breaking records.

They become the first K-pop girl-group to perform at Coachella and their video for “Kill This Love” was the fastest YouTube video to reach 100 million views (it briefly held the 24-hour record, with 56.7 million views). They’ve amassed over nine billion career Spotify streams.

The foursome made history in these parts in 2022 when “Pink Venom” debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA Singles Chart, making it the highest-debuting single by a K-pop group in Australia, eclipsing BTS’ “Dynamite,” which debuted at No. 2 in 2020.

Its parent album, Born Pink, opened at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 tally.

The singers scored another piece of history last November when King Charles presented each member with honorary MBEs, doing so in the presence of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol during his state visit to the U.K.