Will Blackpink survive the 7-year curse, like BTS and Exo? Lisa, Jisoo, Rosé and Jennie are in talks with YG Entertainment about their contract renewal amid lucrative solo careers and endorsements

Oct 6 , 2023

Blackpink, consisting of Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa, is considered the biggest female K-pop group in the world right now. Photo: @jennierubyjane/Instagram

Since Blackpink’s entrance into the music scene in 2016, the K-pop group has amassed a legion of devoted fans. The girls have accumulated plenty of triumphs over the years, becoming one of the biggest names to come out of South Korea.

They have topped Billboard charts. Each member has lucrative endorsements and successful solo albums. Blackpink is also reportedly the most-followed musical act on YouTube, with more than 90 million subscribers. And, just last month, the girls concluded their highly successful year-long international Born Pink tour.

Blackpink perform at Sahara Tent during the 2019 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival in April 2019, in Indio, California. Photo: Getty Images

But as the group just celebrated its seventh anniversary, fans are apprehensive about its future. Speculations of a possible disbandment has been following Blackpink for months as everyone wonders whether they will fall victim to the looming threat of the notorious seven-year curse.

What is K-pop’s seven-year curse?

SM Entertainment is one of the biggest companies in South Korea. Photo: AP

The seven-year curse may not be well-known among those who are new to the world of K-pop.

In the past, it was not uncommon for aspiring idols to enter into contractual agreements that bound them to their respective agencies for extended periods, surpassing a decade in some cases.

Labelled as “slave contracts” by the media, these agreements imposed excessively stringent conditions, overwhelmingly favouring the management agencies and leaving K-pop idols with meagre financial gains.

Popular South Korean boy band JYJ. Photo: Handout

Some K-pop groups took a stand against this, exposing the darker sides of the music industry.

In 2009, three members of the boy group TVXQ sued their agency SM Entertainment over a 13-year contract, per Kbizoom. The legal dispute is still one of the most famous cases in the industry, given TVXQ’s popularity and SM’s reputation as an industry titan.

Following the lawsuit, South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission issued a new regulation that curtailed entertainment contracts to seven years, states the same source.

As idols reach the end of their contracts, it is not unusual for certain members to opt for a solo career – or a different path entirely. This often results in the dissolution of groups or the departure of a member after seven years of activity – hence the seven-year curse.

Which groups survived the seven-year curse?

From left, V, Suga, Jin, Jungkook, RM, Jimin and J-Hope of BTS attend the 2021 American Music Awards at Microsoft Theater in November 2021, in Los Angeles. Photo: Getty Images

K-pop’s biggest boy group BTS triumphed over the curse – albeit not without some close calls.

At the 2018 Mama Awards, one of its members Jin shared that the group had gone through a particularly rough patch that year. He even said that the seven members of BTS were considering disbanding. Luckily for fans, that didn’t happen and the boy group is going stronger than ever, celebrating its 10th anniversary this year.

Girls’ Generation. Photo: @girlsgeneration/Instagram

Another popular group, Girls’ Generation, has also withstood the test of time, celebrating its 16th anniversary this year. Other groups who beat the seven-year curse, – though not without some casualties along the way – include Exo, Shinee, Twice and BigBang.

What’s happening with Blackpink’s contract renewal?

Lisa, Jisoo, Rosé and Jennie of Blackpink perform onstage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 22, in Indio, California. Photo: Getty Images

According to Evening Standard, the quartet initially signed its seven-year contract with YG Entertainment in August 2016. As the agreement reached its culmination this summer, the impending contract negotiations – often regarded with apprehension by fans – is now reaching a crucial turning point.

Given that all four girls have a large fan base and successful solo activities, several articles regarding Blackpink’s contract renewal have been circulating over the past few months.

Blackpink’s Rosé attends the photocall for Mulberry at KMCA Seoul (K Museum of Contemporary Art) in June 2018, in Seoul, South Korea. Photo: Getty Images

As reported by Evening Standard, Rosé is rumoured to be the only member who has chosen to extend her contract with YG Entertainment so far.

Meanwhile, Korean media out News1 states that members Jisoo and Jennie have made the decision to part ways with YG, opting instead to each establish their own entertainment companies.

YG Entertainment, founded in Hapjeong-dong in Mapo District, western Seoul in 1998, has never left the area since its establishment and appears to have no relocation plans. Photo: Wiki Commons

South Korean media has also reported that Lisa is likely to join another agency.

While neither the girls nor YG have commented on the rumours, YG did make a statement announcing, “Nothing has been decided on Blackpink’s contract renewal and future activities. We are in discussion with the members.” Watch this space …

Blackpink

K-pop girl group Blackpink just wrapped its Born Pink world tour and has come to the end of its contract with YG Entertainment – leaving fans wondering if it’ll withstand the 7-year curse
Reports suggest that the girls may not be renewing their deals with the South Korean entertainment giant; meanwhile, Shinee, Twice and BigBang all passed the 7-year mark