Jisoo of Blackpink: from ‘mystery girl’ to global sensation, her story so far
- Years before her official debut with Blackpink, Jisoo was a hot K-pop commodity, having already made TV appearances and landed endorsement deals
- She says that throughout her long and unconventional career she has depended on no one but herself
Although South Korean singer Jisoo officially made her debut on the K-pop scene in 2016 as a member of Blackpink, she has been a star on the rise for almost a decade. From her pre-debut activities to becoming a member of one of the world’s biggest girl groups, this is Jisoo’s unconventional, yet empowering story.
Her early life
Kim Ji-soo was born in the city of Gunpo, south of Seoul in South Korea’s Gyeonggi province, in January 1995. The youngest of three siblings, she played basketball and took taekwondo lessons, and was a huge fan of legendary boy band TVXQ as a child. She attended the famous School of Performing Arts Seoul high school and became a trainee with YG Entertainment in 2011.
Jisoo was slowly, and cryptically, introduced to the general public, with YG initially unveiling her as “Mystery Girl No 2”, before her picture and name was revealed in early 2013.
Interest was so high that Jisoo received an offer to join rival label SM Entertainment when a manager tried to recruit her at a concert.
Her role in Blackpink
The Blackpink members were introduced with a week-long roll-out of photos showing off their various styles ahead of their 2016 summer debut.
Jisoo was the third revealed, before her singing skills and visual beauty were put on full display in Blackpink’s explosive debut singles.
While Blackpink members do not have designated roles, Jisoo has been noted for keeping the group’s vocal harmonies together.
Fellow member Jennie told Billboard magazine that “Jisoo would be the quiet one, but then she’d be like, ‘How about this?’ She’d make this harmony, and we were like, ‘That’s so good!’ and then in an hour have another amazing harmony.”
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Jisoo is also known for her unpredictable and quirky “4D” personality that comes out during TV shows and live events. Fans know she has a peculiar love of trying to balance items on her body – she was once caught on camera trying to balance a water bottle on her shoulder at a 2017 awards show.
Her solo work
After her debut, Jisoo continued to show promise in fields beyond music.
The ad not only showed Jisoo’s skills as a spokeswoman, but in acting too.
Her image
Jisoo made Gallup Korea’s top 20 list of the nation’s favourite K-pop idols in both 2018 and 2019. A similar survey given to 100 K-pop idols saw Jisoo rank as one of the prettiest stars among her peers in 2018.
In her own words
Jisoo’s career has been long and unconventional, but she has said that throughout it all, she depended on no one but herself.
“When I look back at the time that’s passed, it makes me think that I’m actually quite a strong person,” she told Elle Korea in 2019.
“Even when I was going through difficult times, I never really thought about relying on others … I think it’s because of the tough times I endured alone that I was able to become this strong.”
Ultimately, Jisoo’s journey is about sharing that strength with those who look up to her – especially young girls.
“I want to tell young girls to try thinking of their future selves as their role models. Rather than chasing after [being] someone else, I hope that they will confidently walk their own paths while looking towards the tomorrow of their dreams.
“I, myself, have tried following people around me, and I’ve got lost and ended up feeling emptiness rather than a sense of accomplishment. I’d like everyone to find their own role models within themselves.”
