96 Fun Facts About Blackpink

Which K-pop label formed Blackpink?

YG Entertainment, the label behind Big Bang, held tryouts worldwide for teenage recruits and trained them for years before Blackpink's 2016 debut.

Which two tracks made up Blackpink's debut single album, Square One?

Boombayah and Whistle finally came out in August 2016, more than four years after the label had first promised its new girl group for 2012.

Which American singer duetted with a Blackpink member on the 2024 hit 'APT.'?

Bruno Mars teased the duet on Instagram, posting about the night the Blackpink member taught him a Korean drinking game.

What is the name of Blackpink's fandom?

Blink, a blend of 'black' and 'pink', was announced as the official fandom name in January 2017, five months after the group's debut.

One name considered for Blackpink before their debut later went to which girl group?

Babymonster: the label trademarked that unused name in 2020 and gave it to its next girl group, while Pink Punk and Magnum stayed on the shelf.

Which rapper features on the track Bet You Wanna?

Cardi B wrote her own verse and admitted that keeping it PG, with no curse words, was really hard for her, since she had wanted something racier.

Which Blackpink member was the first to be revealed to the public, on June 1, 2016?

Jennie was unveiled first, having already appeared in G-Dragon's videos as a trainee, and the label then revealed one new member each week.

Which member is from Thailand?

She was the only one of 4,000 applicants to pass YG's 2010 audition in Thailand and became the label's first foreign trainee.

Which Blackpink member was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and raised in Australia?

Rosé went to the label's 2012 audition in Australia at her father's urging, and she then moved to Seoul to train.

Which Blackpink member is the eldest, born in January 1995?

Jisoo appeared in advertisements and made a cameo in the drama The Producers while she was still a trainee.

Which 2018 song was the first by a Korean girl group to enter the UK Singles Chart?

Ddu-Du Ddu-Du entered the UK Singles Chart at number 78 in June 2018, and its video became the first by a K-pop group to pass one billion YouTube views, in November 2019.

Which British singer released 'Kiss and Make Up' with Blackpink in 2018?

Dua Lipa asked Blackpink onto the song after two members came to her 2018 concert in Seoul, and the group translated its lyrics into Korean.

Blackpink became the first female K-pop group to play which US festival in April 2019?

Coachella's 2019 edition put Blackpink on the Sahara stage as the first female K-pop group to play the festival; four years later they returned as headliners, the first Korean act to top the bill.

Which Lady Gaga album featured Blackpink on the track 'Sour Candy' in 2020?

Chromatica was pushed back more than a month by the COVID-19 pandemic, and 'Sour Candy' came out a day before its release.

Which 2020 Blackpink single's video set a Guinness World Record for YouTube views in its first 24 hours?

How You Like That arrived in June 2020, after the pandemic had scuttled the tour Blackpink planned for that year.

Which American singer joined Blackpink on 'Ice Cream' in August 2020?

Selena Gomez shares vocals on Ice Cream, released August 28, 2020, which reached number 13 on the Hot 100, then a record for a Korean female act.

What was the title of Blackpink's first Korean full-length record, released in October 2020?

The Album, released October 2, 2020, made them the first million-selling K-pop girl group and reached number two on both the Billboard 200 and the UK Albums Chart.

Blackpink's 2020 documentary Light Up the Sky premiered on which platform?

Netflix wanted a K-pop project and reached out to director Caroline Suh, whose film follows the group from their trainee days to global stardom.

What was the title of the March 2021 single album led by On the Ground?

R takes the first letter of the singer's names and marks her solo start, and it became the first album by a Korean female soloist in 19 years to sell half a million copies.

Which fashion house made Blackpink's Thai member its global ambassador in 2020?

Celine named her its global ambassador in September 2020, and creative director Hedi Slimane photographed her himself for the house.

In which 2021 JTBC drama did a Blackpink member make her lead acting debut as Eun Yeong-ro?

Snowdrop, set in 1987 Seoul, drew a petition of over 200,000 signatures demanding it be pulled over claims it distorted the democracy movement.

Which 2022 pre-release single was the first song by a girl group to top the Billboard Global 200?

Pink Venom came out in August 2022, and Blackpink performed it at that month's MTV Video Music Awards.

Which Blackpink album was the first K-pop girl-group album to top both the US Billboard 200 and UK Albums Chart?

Born Pink's release came with a three-day Spotify pop-up in Los Angeles, where fans could pose for curated photos and buy exclusive merch.

Which group's record did Blackpink's 2022-23 tour beat to become the highest-grossing tour by a female group?

Spice Girls' 2019 reunion tour had held the record, so Blackpink beat a group they have said inspired them as they grew up.

Which British honour did King Charles give Blackpink's members in 2023 for their climate advocacy?

MBEs: three were honorary, but one member's came without that qualifier because she is a New Zealand citizen, and the king is head of state there too.

Which magazine named Blackpink its 2022 Entertainer of the Year?

Time named Blackpink its 2022 Entertainer of the Year, crediting how the members thrived both as a group and as solo stars.

Which April 2019 release was Blackpink's second Korean mini-album?

Kill This Love came out on April 5, 2019, although the label's founder had first told fans the group would return with an EP in March.

Which HBO series cast a member as the wellness mentor Mook in its Thailand-set third season?

The White Lotus cast the group's Thai member as Mook, a hotel wellness mentor, in its third season, shot in Thailand and broadcast from February 2025.

Which 2022 Blackpink title track samples Paganini's La Campanella?

Shut Down was the single Blackpink performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live in September 2022, days after its release.

Which luxury fashion house made the Blackpink member behind 2018's 'Solo' its ambassador?

Chanel Korea picked her in 2018, citing her loyalty to the brand, and she has been nicknamed 'Human Chanel' for her style.

Which track is the title song of Blackpink's first full-length record, released October 2, 2020?

Lovesick Girls was the title track of the October 2020 full-length; its video was re-edited after a health workers' union objected to a member's nurse-uniform scene.

Which game hosted Blackpink's virtual in-game concert 'The Virtual' in July 2022?

PUBG Mobile built 3-D avatars of all four members for the show, which went on to win the first Best Metaverse Performance award at the 2022 VMAs.

Which 2025 single, first performed at Goyang Stadium, was Blackpink's third Global 200 number one?

Jump began as a Diplo track meant for Major Lazer, and an Argentine duo recorded it before the song reached Blackpink.

Which London venue did Blackpink become the first K-pop girl group to play during the Deadline World Tour?

Wembley Stadium hosted two shows in August 2025 after demand pushed the group to add a second London date, and no K-pop girl group had played there before.

Which June 2018 release was Blackpink's first Korean mini-album?

Square Up, released June 15, 2018, was the first Korean mini-album; its lead single entered the Billboard Hot 100 at number 55, the group's first appearance on that chart.

What was the title of Blackpink's 2021 fifth-anniversary concert film?

Blackpink: The Movie brought performances from The Show, the livestream concert they had staged online during the pandemic, into cinemas.

Blackpink were their label's first new girl group since which act, launched in 2009?

2NE1 lost its youngest member, Minzy, when she chose not to renew her contract in 2016, and the label announced the group's break-up that November.

In which 2023 HBO series did a Blackpink member act alongside Lily-Rose Depp?

The Idol, from Sam Levinson and The Weeknd, was controversial, and HBO cancelled it after a single season.

Which 2023 single led the solo single album Me by a Blackpink member?

Flower stayed her only solo single under the group's label, as the members chose not to renew their individual contracts at the end of 2023.

Which record label handled Blackpink's representation outside Asia from 2018 until 2025?

Interscope's Jeremy Erlich helped broker the 2018 partnership that brought Blackpink to the label, after setting up a meeting with their Korean company.

Which MTV VMA did Blackpink win in 2023, the first all-female act to take it in 24 years?

Group of the Year is decided by fan voting, and in 2023 MTV ran it over three rounds, including votes cast on Instagram Stories.

Which news company's Pop Star Power Ranking named Blackpink the biggest band in the world in 2020?

Bloomberg crowned them even though their October album had missed No. 1 in the US, thanks to more than a billion YouTube views that month.

Where did Blackpink hold their July 2017 Japanese showcase, drawing over 14,000 fans?

Nippon Budokan hosted their showcase for 14,000 fans on July 20, 2017, six weeks before they had even released their Japanese debut EP.

Blackpink's first reality show, released in 12 episodes in 2018, was titled what?

Blackpink House was announced with a teaser in which the members fell for a hidden-camera prank set up by their label's founder.

Which car maker sponsored Blackpink's In Your Area World Tour as title sponsor?

Kia was the title sponsor of the 2019 In Your Area World Tour, and the members served as the car maker's global ambassadors from that year.

On Carpool Karaoke in 2023, which American 1990s girl group did Blackpink say inspired them?

TLC, whose music the members said they grew up on, had filed for bankruptcy in 1995 at the height of its success.

The 2024 hit APT. by a Blackpink member takes its title and chant from which kind of Korean pastime?

A drinking game called Apartment gave the song its hook: the chorus repeats the game's rhythmic chant of apateu, the Korean word for apartment.

Which Canadian singer did Blackpink overtake in 2021 to become YouTube's most-subscribed artist?

Justin Bieber had been the platform's leader. Blackpink crossed 60 million subscribers in April 2021, when only he was ahead of them, and passed him that September.

Which American pop star co-wrote Blackpink's 2020 single Ice Cream without singing on it?

Ariana Grande is among the track's composers, alongside Victoria Monét. Ice Cream reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, the first single by a female Korean act to enter the top twenty.

Which British prime minister wrote Blackpink a thank-you letter for their climate campaigning?

Boris Johnson wrote to the four as Britain prepared to host the COP26 summit; they received his letter in Seoul when they were named the conference's official advocates.

Which singer released One of the Girls in 2023 with a Blackpink member and actress Lily-Rose Depp?

The Weeknd recorded it for the soundtrack of a TV drama he co-created. It peaked at number 51 on the Billboard Hot 100, then the highest ever for a female K-pop soloist.

Which French football club launched a co-branded apparel collection with Blackpink in July 2025?

Paris Saint-Germain released the limited-edition range ahead of the group's concerts in the French capital on the Deadline World Tour.

Which British band's frontman co-wrote Go, the 2026 Blackpink single also credited to all four members?

Coldplay's Chris Martin also plays piano and acoustic guitar on Go, the first Blackpink song on which every member has a writing credit.

Which snack brand sold a Blackpink edition with pink wafers and dark chocolate creme, first in Indonesia?

Oreo traded its usual colours for pink biscuits around a dark filling, and special packs came with an exclusive photo card.

At which 2025 ceremony did Blackpink's Thai rapper perform in a musical tribute to James Bond?

The Oscars had never featured a K-pop singer before her; she shared the 007 medley with Doja Cat and Raye after an opening appearance by Margaret Qualley.

Which Blackpink single plays on a screen at Barry Allen's home in the superhero film Justice League?

As If It's Your Last is the video the Flash has playing at home. On release it passed 10 million YouTube views in 17 hours, then the fastest ever for a K-pop group.

Which former One Direction member duetted with Blackpink's eldest member on the 2025 single Eyes Closed?

Zayn Malik co-wrote the synth-pop duet with her, and its video casts the pair as the only two passengers awake on a spaceship bound for Saturn.

Which singer features on New Woman, a 2024 single by Blackpink's Thai rapper produced by Max Martin?

Rosalía also co-wrote the track, sharing the credits with the Swedish singer Tove Lo and its producers, Max Martin and Ilya.

On which South Korean TV music show did Blackpink take first place within two weeks of their 2016 debut?

Inkigayo, the SBS chart show, crowned them on 21 August 2016, a week after they gave their first broadcast performance on the same programme.

Which producer, a former member of hip hop group 1TYM, has shaped Blackpink's sound since their first releases?

Teddy Park became the label's staff producer after 1TYM went on hiatus in 2006, and in 2016 he co-founded his own company, The Black Label.

Blackpink became the first Korean band to headline a major UK festival at which London event in July 2023?

BST Hyde Park hosted them on 2 July, and the revamped staging they used there went on to the tour's stadium encores in France and the United States.

In 2023 Blackpink overtook which British act to become the most-streamed female group on Spotify?

Little Mix were passed by a margin of about 400 million streams when Guinness World Records confirmed Blackpink's total at 8.88 billion.

Blackpink appeared together on the June 2022 cover of which American magazine?

Rolling Stone sent a writer to their label's Seoul headquarters, where the four were recording their first album since the early days of the pandemic.

Which American DJ co-wrote and co-produced Blackpink's July 2025 comeback single, a hardstyle and techno track?

Diplo began the track at a January 2024 studio session in Miami that was meant to produce Latin music, long before it became a girl-group comeback.

A label representative said the name Blackpink was chosen to signal that what isn't everything?

Being pretty isn't everything, the label said: the name was meant to present a team with great talent as well as beauty.

Which electronics brand sold a regional Blackpink Special Edition phone, watch and earbuds set in 2019?

Samsung built the set around its Galaxy A80, and the group also fronted the brand's #danceAwesome challenge for the Galaxy A range.

Blackpink were the first girl group to make which business magazine's Asia list of young achievers?

Forbes named them to its 30 Under 30 Asia list in 2019, the year the group also topped the magazine's Korea Power Celebrity 40 ranking.

Which soda brand made Blackpink its spokespeople in 2020 for markets including Thailand and Vietnam?

Pepsi signed the group for a region that also took in Greater China and the Philippines; at home in South Korea they have advertised Sprite.

At which French cabaret did Blackpink's Thai rapper headline five performances in September 2023?

Crazy Horse gave her several solo scenes and put her alongside its troupe in original numbers from the cabaret's own repertoire.

Which K-pop star cast a future Blackpink singer in his 2012 music video That XX, four years before her debut?

G-Dragon then featured her on Black, a track from his 2013 album Coup d'Etat, while she was still waiting to debut.

Blackpink became the first girl group to hold a solo concert at which Seoul venue with their 2023 tour finale?

Gocheok Sky Dome hosted the two closing nights in September 2023, ending a tour that had run to 66 concerts in 22 countries.

Blackpink followed Beyoncé and Taylor Swift as the third female act to sell out back-to-back shows at which US venue?

MetLife Stadium in New Jersey fell to them in August 2023, on a US encore leg that also made them the first girl group to perform at Dodger Stadium.

In 2017 Blackpink became honorary ambassadors for which public service, greeting arrivals at Incheon Airport?

The customs office at Incheon signed them up within a year of their debut, putting their faces on banners and videos for foreign travellers.

Which 3D avatar app gave Blackpink fans singing and dancing characters of each member in June 2020?

Zepeto, run by Naver Z, let fans watch the four avatars perform and pose for pictures beside them inside the app.

Which US breakfast TV show did Blackpink visit after their 2019 stateside debut, and again in October 2020?

Good Morning America followed their American debut, alongside a spot on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and they were back in October 2020 to promote their first studio album.

Which American rapper joins a Blackpink member on ExtraL, a 2025 single from her first solo studio album?

Doechii co-wrote the song with her, and reviewers singled out the rap verse she delivers for particular praise.

Which 2025 zombie comedy series stars Blackpink's eldest member opposite the actor Park Jeong-min?

Newtopia follows a couple who have just broken up and try to find each other again as a zombie outbreak overruns South Korea.

Which South Korean president mentioned Blackpink in a speech to a joint session of the US Congress in 2023?

Yoon Suk Yeol was also the guest of honour at the Buckingham Palace state banquet where King Charles praised the group's environmental work.

Blackpink are widely described as ambassadors of which K-pop group concept?

Girl crush stands for confidence and assurance in K-pop, and one reviewer wrote that Blackpink's first singles set them on the path to becoming its ambassadors.

Which French DJ has a composing credit on the title track of Blackpink's first Korean studio album?

David Guetta is listed among the 2020 track's composers alongside one of the group's own members, while two members helped write its words.

Blackpink closed their 2018 arena tour of Japan with an added, sold-out show in Osaka on which date?

Christmas Eve was chosen on purpose: the extra stop was added as a present for fans, and 50,000 of them filled the venue.

Which Singapore-based shopping platform made Blackpink its first regional brand ambassador in November 2018?

Shopee signed the group through a wider partnership with their label's parent company that also covered Taiwan.

Which track on Blackpink's second studio album is performed as a solo by the group's singer from New Zealand?

Hard to Love began at a jam session between the American songwriter Freddy Wexler and his friends, and it is the fifth track on the record.

Blackpink made their American debut in 2019 at an invite-only Grammy week showcase run by which company?

Universal Music Group held the showcase at the ROW in downtown Los Angeles, a few months after the quartet signed with one of its record labels.

In which European capital did Blackpink perform two hits with classical musicians at a 2023 charity gala?

Paris hosted Le Gala des Pièces Jaunes, organised by Brigitte Macron, where the group played with the classical soloists Gautier Capuçon and Daniel Lozakovich.

In which capital did Blackpink's first world tour open its 2019 overseas leg?

Bangkok's Impact Arena hosted the first shows outside Seoul, two months after the tour had opened at home in November 2018.

A Blackpink member likened trainee life at the group's label to which TV talent contest, but with dorm rooms?

The X Factor was her comparison; another member remembered the label's pop-star training as stricter than ordinary school.

Blackpink became the first Korean female act to win at the MTV Video Music Awards in 2020 with which prize?

Song of Summer went to their June 2020 single, which also ranked first on YouTube Music's global list of that season's top songs.

Which US music label did Blackpink's Thai rapper join for solo music in 2024 through her own company?

RCA Records agreed a partnership with her firm, Lloud, under which she keeps full ownership of all her recordings.

On which Chinese talent show did Blackpink's Thai rapper serve as the dance mentor in 2020 and 2021?

Youth With You, made by the streaming service iQIYI, had her coaching girl-group hopefuls in its second season and boy-group hopefuls in its third.

Which songwriter and band frontman co-wrote Bet You Wanna, a track on Blackpink's first Korean studio album?

Ryan Tedder, the OneRepublic singer, shares the credit with five other writers, among them the American rapper who guests on the track.

Which Korean hip hop group's 2014 video Spoiler + Happy Ending features a Blackpink member before her debut?

Epik High put the song on their album Shoebox; she had been a trainee since July 2011 and filled the wait with adverts and video cameos.

Which traditional Korean instrument does a Blackpink member play to open the group's August 2022 comeback video?

Geomungo chords open the song too, and in the video she plays the plucked zither in a modernised hanbok among rows of kneeling hooded figures.

Which songwriter, a longtime Blackpink collaborator, primarily wrote and produced the 2022 track Typa Girl?

Bekuh Boom wrote the demo in 2021 and at first thought one of the members might use it for her next single on her own.

Blackpink's 2022-23 world tour included the group's first shows in which Latin American capital?

Mexico City's two nights at Foro Sol sold 113,498 tickets and grossed almost $20 million.

In which city did the European leg of Blackpink's first world tour kick off on 18 May 2019?

Amsterdam came a month after the North American leg had opened in Los Angeles, squeezed between the two weekends of a California festival booking.