As a patron of pop, King Charles’s credentials are peerless. He was famously mobbed by the Spice Girls in 1997, while an official playlist released to commemorate his coronation featured everyone from Kate Bush to David Bowie and the Pet Shop Boys (and the Spice Girls, obviously). But this week, what Charles really, really wanted was to natter with South Korean girl group Blackpink, leading lights in the blockbusting K-pop genre.
The Seoul four-piece were at Buckingham Palace to receive honorary MBEs, having attended a state banquet the previous evening. “I hope we haven’t ruined another engagement somewhere you are meant to be doing or rehearsals,” Charles quipped. “It’s amazing you are still all talking to each other. The travelling… you must be on your knees. I don’t know how you do it!”
Honorary MBEs are just the latest accolades lavished on Blackpink. In March they were named the most streamed girl group on Spotify. Meanwhile, their early hit How You Like That broke previous records for the most watched music video on YouTube.
K-pop is bigger than just one band, though. It’s a huge industry – worth an estimated £8 billion annually to the South Korean economy. Charles will already know the lay of the land. But for newbies, here are five K-pop essentials to bring you up to speed on pop’s hottest scene.
