Breathe: Blackpink is not breaking up.
After months-long negotiations, the South Korean K-pop band—the most popular girl band in the world at the moment—has signed an exclusive contract for group activities based on “strong trust,” YG Entertainment announced Wednesday (Dec. 6), according to Reuters. The Seoul-based entertainment agency’s stock rose more than 25% on the news.
In September, rumor mills said only Rosé was renewing her contract with YG. That month, when Lisa—arguably the biggest international phenomenon among the four—was solo-tripping in Paris sans YG management, reports suggested an American label wanted to sign her. Around the same time, media murmurs were that Jisoo was moving onto another Korean company. In October, when Jennie announced a solo comeback after four years, hope that the group would not disband dwindled further.
These rumours can now be put to rest. The Korean quartet will not only record and release albums, but also go on a world tour.
Charted: The Blackpink boost to YG Entertainment’s stock
Quotable: Blackpink will “shine even brighter”
“We are happy to continue our relationship with Blackpink. Blackpink will continue to do its best to shine even brighter in the global music market as an artist representing not only our company but also K-pop.”
One big number: Making of K-pop girl groups
2 to 3.2 billion won ($1.5 to $2.4 million): The cost of creating a girl group. The production scale is huge, starting with global auditions, leading up to album recordings, music videos, and stage shows. Everything from choreography to stage makeup to backup dancers add to the bill.
Fun fact: Blackpink averted K-pop’s seven-year-curse
K-pop artists usually enter a management company as trainees, of which some are picked to make the debut lineup. These chosen ones sign the standardized seven-year contracts, which is often dubbed the “seven-year curse” because groups disband at the end of it. More than three dozen girl group have been casualties of this curse include 2NE1, 4minute, Rainbow, missA and more.
Blackpink, founded in 2016, has at least made it past the cursed year 2023.
