Don’t mess with the Blackpink girls, they’re feeling pretty confident right now. Photo: YG Entertainment
When Blackpink asked How You Like That with the smash song release in June this year, we all responded with a resounding “We like it very much!”
Yes, this was the year that Blackpink went truly supernova, becoming more loved than ever – and by a larger, more global audience than ever – in no small part thanks to Netflix documentary Light Up The Sky, which also happened to remind us of another strong girl group you might remember: the Spice Girls.
In short, Blackpink crushed it in 2020, making headline after headline and giving us plenty to be thankful for. Here’s our round-up of our top BP stories from the past year.
The adorable Blackpink girls long before they were famous. Photo: @cutebabyidols, @jenniedebuts, @ROSEVotingTeam/Twitter
The more obsessed the world became, the more Blackpink trivia mania ensued. We especially enjoyed discovering what the girls were up to before they were Blackpink. In other words, before they officially became “Jennie, Rosé, Lisa and Jisoo”, had a string of smash hits, and found themselves collaborating with Selena Gomez.
It turns out they spent quite a bit of time starring in other people’s music videos – from G-Dragon’s That XX to Big Bang Taeyang’s Ringa Linga. Here’s everything you need to know about Blackpink before they were famous.
They represented Chanel, Saint Laurent, Celine and Dior as the style queens they are
Blackpink: not just pop idols, but fashion and beauty icons too. Photo: @blackpinkofficial/ Instagram
When the four girls made their grand debut, not only did they catch the world’s attention thanks to their obvious singing and dancing talents – but because of their impeccable sense of style. Sporting mix and match designer outfits that oozed individual style meant it wasn’t long before the French fashion houses came knocking and appointed the girls as ambassadors.
If you’re a true fan, you may already be able to guess who was picked by Chanel, who by Saint Laurent, who by Celine and who by Dior. Find out who became whose ambassador, and why the luxury brands specifically chose Blackpink, here.
They proved their mettle as unshakeable Samsung ambassadors
Blackpink are proud ambassadors for South Korean mobile phone brand Samsung. Photo: Samsung
In 2020, Blackpink proved that nobody does it like them when it comes to brand deals. Beyond fashion and beauty, their star power attracted one of the world’s biggest tech companies as well. As Samsung ambassadors, they stayed so loyal they wouldn’t even have photos taken with fans who held out iPhones. Here’s everything you need to know about Blackpink’s collaboration with Samsung, including their very own special edition gadgets and much more.
Lisa earned a lot of money, and we learned how she was spending it
Blackpink’s Lisa is reportedly the member with the highest net worth. Photo: @lalalalisa_m/Instagram
When huge fame comes knocking at your door, big money isn’t far behind. Thai Blackpink member Lisa Manoban reportedly became the richest of the K-pop girl group, with a US$10 million net worth. So how did she beat the others out to have the most cash? Turns out her brand endorsement deals with Celine, Bulgari and MAC didn’t hurt; but even before she became famous as the cheeky dancer we know and love, she was from a well-to-do background. From luxury handbags to charity donations, find out how Lisa likes to spend her money.
Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo and Rosé got so big, they reminded us of another girl group …
How much do Blackpink have in common with the Spice Girls? More than you might expect. Photos: Handouts
No matter where you live, Blackpink seem to be popping up everywhere – from music to fashion, TV to merchandise. With Blackpink’s album topping charts worldwide, documentary Light Up the Sky quickly jumped to No 1 on Netflix in October, and as ambassadors for a range of big global brands, we were reminded of a similar girl power phenomenon that went before them – the Spice Girls. In fact you may be surprised to see just how many times they mirrored each other’s moves.
We got jitters about the girls going solo – might it mark the end of Blackpink as we know it?
Blackpink in crisis? With Rosé, Lisa and Jisoo all planning solo releases to follow in the footsteps of Jennie, all four members of the K-pop band may soon have their own careers to worry about. Photo: @blackpinkofficial/Instagram
We’ve seen members exiting from wildly popular girl groups in the past: Geri Halliwell departing from the Spice Girls and Camila Cabello from Fifth Harmony, for starters. Might Blackpink go through a similar phase? In June, the group’s agency, YG Entertainment, announced that all Blackpink members planned to release solo tracks. Jennie already has with her song Solo.
So how are their solo projects coming together, and what do their future plans looking like? Get the lowdown here, and then like us, start praying they’ll stay together for a few more albums.
This was the year that STYLE became intimately involved with all things Blackpink, realised they’re as big a global phenomenon as the Spice Girls, and bought a Celine handbag because Lisa told us to
