BlackPink may disband like 2NE1 if they don't renew their contract with YG?

BlackPink may disband?

During this time, the contract between BlackPink and YG Entertainment is a topic of special public interest.

BlackPink group

Normally, Kpop groups' contracts with their management companies last for 7 years, so many sources say that the 4-member group's contract with YG Entertainment will end this year.

Recently, Sports World reported that many experts believe that the possibility of BlackPink renewing their contract is not high.

The reason is that the management company is planning to invest in the rookie group, and at the same time, the BlackPink members have all built solid personal brands and are completely capable of going solo.

Experts are worried that YG will let history repeat itself, and BlackPink's future could be similar to that of their senior group 2NE1 in 2016.

That year, BlackPink officially debuted on August 8 and 2NE1's group activities ended on November 25 of the same year. Korean media believed that YG Entertainment chose to invest all its resources into the new group, instead of continuing to develop 2NE1.

Just like BlackPink's debut, former CEO Yang Hyun Suk took the lead as the main producer of Baby Monster. With 7 members, Baby Monster is expected to debut later this year.

Besides, Sports World believes that BlackPink is under a lot of pressure from "dinosaur rookies" such as IVE, NewJeans, Le Sserafim or aespa.

"Many groups debuting in 2021-2022 show different aspects of a girl group's concept and music ," said Lee Hye Jin, a professor of communication at the USC Annenberg School of Journalism and Communication.

What scenario for BlackPink?

While many people are concerned about the future of the four girls, reporter Kim Jae Won believes that BlackPink does not necessarily need to work as a group because the members have built a solid brand.

Jennie, Lisa, and Rosé demonstrated their ability to develop independently through the release of solo albums, while Jisoo tried her hand at acting.

Notably, earlier this year, Guinness World Records certified Lisa for achieving two new records as a solo artist, including the first Korean female solo artist to win the Best K-pop Song award at the 2022 MTV VMAs and Best K-pop Song at the 2022 MTV Europe Music Awards (EMAs).

BlackPink is on a world tour, scheduled to end in June 2023.

However, experts believe that if BlackPink does not renew their contract, YG will suffer many disadvantages.

Compared to other major music companies, YG has a small number of artists. Recently, many artists/groups have ended their contracts with YG and left such as TOP, Daesung (Big Bang), iKON... If the "trump card" BlackPink leaves, it is likely that YG will try to minimize the damage by using Baby Monster as an alternative solution.

According to Sports World, the biggest concern is whether the girls can use the group name BlackPink for promotional activities if the group decides not to renew their contract, since YG owns the copyright to the name.

However, YG was supported by good behavior when the iKON members all terminated their contracts with the company, but YG let iKON keep their group name and music products.

On the other hand, YG is also famous for being an entertainment company that shares high profits with its artists. A few years ago, it was reported that YG artists all received 70% of the profits during their activities.

Therefore, the contract between BlackPink and YG Entertainment is still an interesting mystery, attracting special attention from experts and the media.