The reason Blackpink attracts millions of fans

Korean music group Blackpink attracts millions of fans worldwide thanks to its music , unique style, and the globalization strategy of its management company.

The news that Blackpink will bring a concert to Vietnam became the most popular topic on Google Trends on June 26. Although the details of the show's scale and ticket prices have not been announced, the fever of searching for tickets to the show is getting hotter and hotter.

Runner-up Phuong Nga said that after two times watching Blackpink's concert in Thailand, she felt the group's professionalism and spirit when they sang and danced passionately for two hours. "The first time, I bought VIP tickets, sat in the front row but didn't have time to interact with the group. This time, when Blackpink comes to Vietnam, I want to be well prepared, maybe give them a gift for example," Phuong Nga said.

After seven years of debut, Blackpink has become a phenomenon that has taken the global music scene by storm . For fans of Hallyu culture, the four girls are classified as "Gen 3" (third generation) of Kpop. "Gen 1" are groups born and active in the late 1990s and early 2000s such as HOT, Shinhwa, SES, laying the foundation for the idol empire. "Gen 2" with idols such as BoA, SNSD, Super Junior, Big Bang, 2NE1, 2PM, DBSK. brought the influence of Kpop culture outside of Korea. "Gen 3" was born after 2010 with EXO, BTS, Twice, Blackpink, continuing to increase their influence.

Blackpink debuted in 2016, when the Kpop wave was dominating the Asian market, initially gaining a foothold in the US and Europe, especially after the global phenomenon Gangnam Style (2012). Backed by YG Entertainment - one of the three largest entertainment companies in Korea, the group was considered the "princess" of Kpop from the first days of their debut.

The management company had a global coverage strategy right from the time they recruited members for Blackpink. Lisa was born and raised in Thailand, helping the group attract the Southeast Asian market. Rose was born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, Jennie was born in Korea and raised in New Zealand. The members have a good foreign language foundation, being able to sing and rap in both Korean and English.

Blackpink signed a contract with Interscope Records - a record label of Universal Music Group - in late 2018 to promote their name in the US. The group collaborated with many top US-UK artists such as Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez.

In 2019, they also appeared on Good Morning America and The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, receiving many positive responses. The group set many records with the songs Kill This Love, How You Like That, Pink Venom, Shut Down. According to allkpop on April 14, Blackpink surpassed Justin Bieber to have the YouTube channel with the most views (30.080 billion views). They performed on many big stages, including Coachella - the biggest music festival on the planet.

They have just released two albums, focusing on quality over quantity. The songs mainly have strong, catchy melodies, mixing many materials such as EDM, hip hop, house. Portal Kocca commented that Blackpink's music has many similarities with famous European and American artists, with a strong street feel.

On Quora, in response to the topic "Why is Blackpink so famous", Lily Grace pointed out that the group arouses curiosity right from its name. According to her, Blackpink makes a strong impression when combining the two words "black" and "pink". Black represents personality while pink is the dreamy color of every girl. "Black" and "pink", symbolizing the blend of rebellion and innocence, are associated with Blackpink from music to image.

From left to right: Jisoo, Jennie, Rose, Lisa. Photo: VK

While Kpop girl groups show a feminine, cute style with bright MV background colors, Blackpink often releases MVs with dark colors. They show many rebellious images such as Lisa sitting in a car and throwing candy around, Rose swinging on a chandelier, evoking the excitement and desire to break the rules of teenagers. The members' expressions and voices are confident, arrogant, creating their own style. Before successfully promoting Blackpink, YG Entertainment created Big Bang, 2NE1 - two groups that also followed a bold music concept.

McElvin (22 years old, Philippines) told Vogue UK: "Blackpink's music gives you confidence, literally dispels sadness". And Sansi, an 18-year-old fan of the group in France, commented: "Blackpink's music is a mixture of joy and sadness. They put their heart into everything they do, conveying energy and positivity".

Blackpink's appeal is not only limited to music but also comes from fashion and style. In an interview with Elle US, Jennie said: "Fashion really gives us as much strength as music." Rose added: "Music and fashion are two inseparable things."

While many girl groups often wear uniforms when taking photos and performing, the four girls build a different image. Jisoo is elegant, often associated with black hair and modest dresses. Rose is sweet, feminine, always has bleached hair. Jennie follows the innocent but seductive Lolita style. Lisa is associated with a sexy, individual style. They have repeatedly created beauty trends such as dyeing bangs, adding bows , and adding glitter to their faces.

They represent many high-end fashion and cosmetic brands. Scmp newspaper commented that big brands choosing Blackpink is a smart choice, because of their influence in music as well as on social media platforms.

When they are not promoting new products, they are constantly attending fashion events, acting in movies, filming commercials, and interacting with fans on Instagram. Compared to boy bands, girl groups like Blackpink have the advantage of not being interrupted by military service regulations.

Finally, the group has a worldwide fan community, affectionately known as Blinks. They help their idols maintain their popularity on social media, "plowing" data for products, calling for album purchases, concert tickets. When Blackpink releases new products, YG has repeatedly announced that they cannot produce enough physical copies for fans.

According to figures from last year, each fan spent an average of $665 on items to support their idols. When the album Born Pink was released last August, the group had 84,000 pre-orders within eight hours of opening. Billboard commented that the large and loyal fan base was the factor that brought Blackpink to the top.

Vnexpress.net