Jennie is in good company at the 2023 Met Gala! The BLACKPINK member snapped a stunning selfie with “The Glory” star Song Hye Kyo. The “Solo” singer also shared Rosé’s advice for attending the biggest fashion event of the year.
BLACKPINK’s Jennie and Song Hye Kyo Take A Gorgeous Met Gala Selfie
The theme of the 2023 Met Gala is “Karl Lagerfeld: A Line of Beauty”, and is a tribute to the former creative director of Chanel. Jennie is the house ambassador for the luxury brand and the invitation was inevitable. The BLACKPINK member represented the brand by wearing a vintage Chanel minidress from the 1990 Fall/Winter collection.
Jennie wasn’t the only South Korean celebrity at Met Gala 2023. Song Hye Kyo was also in attendance and the two decided to give fans a treat by taking a breathtaking selfie together. Vogue Korea shared the photo on Instagram which immediately had people swooning.
During an interview with Vogue, Jennie gushed about her vintage dress confirming it is based on Karl Lagerfeld’s original design.
“I’m wearing Chanel from the ’90s,” she said. “I’m so lucky to have the Chanel team recreate this look from the ’90s, the one that Karl did. So I’m just, like, so happy!
Jennie also revealed that Rosé had great advice for her appearance at the event. The BLACKPINK member, who attended the Met Gala in 2022, reportedly told her to enjoy herself!
Blackpink Lisa for Paris Fashion Week 2021. Photo: jc.babin/Twitter
Finally, after days of anticipation, with everybody asking, will she or won’t she, Lisa finally took that flight to Paris and joined (well, sort of) her three BLACKPINK sisters Jisoo, Rosé, and Jennie to revel in Paris Fashion Week celebrations.
As we have reported earlier on Blackpink in Paris Fashion Week 2021, Jisoo and Rosé were first to book their appearances in the shows of the fashion houses they endorse. Jisoo was first to make a splash as she attended the Christian Dior Spring-Summer 2022 Paris Show at 2:30, local time, last Tuesday, September 28. BLACKPINK’s visual wowed everybody as she posed for photos wearing a white mini dress with black embroidered Greek statues and motifs, which according to Vogue, is from the Dior Resort 2022 collection. Talk about effortless chic!
But before the fashion show, Jisoo also explored the House archives of Dior. At Dior Heritage, Jisoo had her picture taken holding the original Lady Dior bag that was carried by Princess Diana. Dior’s social media accounts also posted a photo of Jisoo at the Eiffel Tower, all decked in Dior. “I love you Paris,” the K-pop idol is heard saying in Korean in the video.
Not to be outdone, Miss Rosé who arrived in Paris with Jisoo, also made sure her presence was felt when she stole the show at Saint Laurent Spring-Summer 2022 at 8:00 in the evening on the same day as the Dior event. Wearing a sheer black chiffon minidress with silk trim over a pair of black hot pants, BLACKPINK’s main vocal was again the toast of the fashion scene after making a much-publicized and historic appearance in the Met Gala, where she, along with CL, was the first female K-pop idol to grace the event.
After attending the Saint Laurent show, Rosé did a couple of shoots for YSL Beauty before going back to Seoul and thus, missing the arrival of the next member to arrive in Paris.
Since Solo artist Jennie is known as a brand ambassador for major fashion brand Chanel, fans thought it was inevitable for her to join the two in Paris. And that she did! In the afternoon of the 29th, Jennie arrived in Paris, dressed in Chanel from head to toe. Upon her arrival, she took to Instagram to present her proof of life, as she met her bandmate Jisoo and the two went out for dinner together the same evening. Both idols had cardigans on to warm themselves warm as the autumn weather in the city of lights was in full blast.
As of press time, Jennie has finished attending the Chanel Spring-Summer 2022 Paris that happened at 10:30 AM, local time. She was a vision in red, wearing a red bouclé crop top and mini skirt with pearls, making her look prim but with an edge.
Finally, we have Lisa, With her arrival in France on October 4, Lisa began trending on Twitter as fans started talking about her leaving South Korea and joining the three other members in order to attend Paris Fashion Week. However, having all BLACKPINK members in Paris at the same time was not meant to happen because as mentioned earlier, Rose was already in Seoul on the 29th, while Jisoo left Paris on the 4th, the same day Lisa arrived.
As to why Lisa is in Paris, there is still quite a lot of mystery pertaining to that. Celine, the French fashion brand where she is the global ambassador, does not have any shows for this season, This led to people speculating that Lisa may have accepted an invite from another fashion house, Miu Miu, which will have an event today (October 5) and has been worn by the idol on her recent appearances. Also, reports have surfaced that BVLGARI, the jewelry brand Lisa is also an ambassador of, is staging events, including a showcase at the Paris Opera today, October 5.
But then, YG Entertainment stepped in.
On an Instagram post, Bulgari’s CEO, Jean-Christophe Babin posted Lisa’s picture with the caption:
“Our great ambassador @lalalalisa_m is in Europe. Unfortunately, due to COVID, her agency prefers [that she] not [participate in] events or shows. That’s also the reason why insofar we could not shoot her together with @zendaya, @lilyaldridge and @vittoria for the @bulgari Brand Campaign 2021/22 and [why] we could not run a major event yet together.”
So, the mystery remains: What is Lisa doing in Paris? If YGE has barred her from joining events (which is so weird considering the three have already joined numerous events), why did they fly her there? Let’s hope we get further clarification the soonest.
BLACKPINK members Jisoo and Rose take a selfie at the iconic Eiffel Tower ahead of their schedule for Paris Fashion Week 2021. Photo: sooyaaa__/Instagram
The month of September has been all about our beloved lovesick girls BLACKPINK. First, on Sept. 10, Lisa finally made her highly-anticipated solo debut with her single Lalisa, breaking records left and right like it’s nobody’s business. Just days after, September 15 to be exact, our main vocalRosé made headlines by being the first member of the group to appear at the Met Gala and being one of the first two female K-pop idols to grace the ceremony overall (with 2NE1’s CL). But even before the two girls gave us much-needed BLACKPINK developments, it was actually Jennie that ushered in the month with some eye-popping photos of her in the Calvin Klein Fall 2021 campaign, wearing nothing but her Calvins… underwear. How’s that for the group reminding us they’re in everyone’s area?
And before the month ends, BLACKPINK strikes again with more of the group’s fashion-related activities. All the members are reported to attend one of the fashion industry’s most awaited events: the Paris Fashion Week. It seems that BLINKs haven‘t been disappointed that the usually frugal (when it comes to giving their idols activities) YG is keeping the girls busy by giving the girls a packed schedule by letting them attend high-profile events even without a group comeback on the horizon yet!
It was only last week when news about BLACKPINK’s appearance at Paris Fashion Week started circulating when a number of Korean media outlets reported the group would be flying to the City of Love soon. Some sources claimed that Rosé and Jisoo were scheduled to leave for Paris via Incheon International Airport on Sept. 25, while Jennie and Lisa, who still have items in their Korean schedule, would be taking their flights at a later time. The rumors seemed to make sense with fans, especially since all the four girls are current global ambassadors for French fashion brands – with Dior having Jisoo, Celine having Lisa, Saint Laurent having Rosé, and Chanel having Jennie.
Alas, the reports came true when indeed, Jisoo and Rosé departed Incheon and went to Paris on September 25. Blinks rejoiced when the two shared selfies of themselves in front of the Eiffel Tower on Instagram.
After the IG updates, the two girls have gone to work, and by work, we mean appearing in the fashion shows of their respective brands. The Dior Collection show at Paris Fashion Week was scheduled to take place on September 28 at 2:30 PM, and Jisoo did not disappoint by attending the event wearing a black-and-white mini dress from the brand’s Resort 2022 collection. The group’s visual paired her attire with a tiny Lady Dior bag and open-toed platform heels, and with long straight hair, Jisoo gave high fashion vibes through and through.
But the day didn’t end there, as the Yves Saint Laurent Collection show was held that evening at 8 PM. It was our On The Ground singer’s turn, and she continued her penchant for black YSL outfits by wearing a sheer mini dress with knee-high boots, which she glammed up with a gold chunky necklace with pearl detailing.
So now, you may ask, when are Jennie and Lisa joining Jisoo and Rosé? The Paris Fashion Week will be until October 6, so there are still a good number of days for the two left in Seoul to take that Paris-bound flight. The Chanel Collection show will take place on October 5 at 10:30 AM, while there are no scheduled shows for Celine. Would that mean only Jennie would be off to Paris while Lisa would continue her Lalisa promotions in Seoul? Stay tuned for developments in the coming days.
BLACKPINK members Jisoo and Rose take a selfie at the iconic Eiffel Tower ahead of their schedule for Paris Fashion Week 2021. Photo: sooyaaa__/Instagram
BLACKPINK to participate on the YouTube Originals “Dear Earth” campaign; Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa reportedly attending Paris Fashion Week. Photo: BLACKPINK/Twitter
Looks like October is going to be a busy month for BLACKPINK: Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa are reportedly attending Paris Fashion Week 2021, and have been invited to participate in the “Dear Earth” campaign for climate change.
Blackpink in Paris Fashion Week 2021
There are speculations that all Blackpink girls—Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa—will attend Paris Fashion Week next week. Several reports have pointed out that some of them have left for Paris on September 25. However, it was also reported that Jennie will not leave with the other members due to changes in schedules.
It wouldn’t be a huge surprise if all four were invited to Paris Fashion Week. After all, all BLACKPINK members are global ambassadors for a few French luxury brands. Jisoo is the ambassador for Dior while Jennie is the Chanel ambassador. Rosé and Lisa are the ambassadors for Yves Saint Laurent and Celine, respectively.
Blackpink for Dear Earth
It has also been confirmed that Blackpink will participate in the YouTube Originals special Dear Earth event on October 23, 2021. The campaign for climate change will also be attended by leaders such as Pope Francis, former U.S. President Barack Obama, and Google/Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
Other artists Billie Eilish, Anitta, Jaden Smith, Lil Dicky and GaTa, Tinashe, and Marsai Martin are also attending Dear Earth. It is unclear, though, if Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa will only perform or will also give a speech. As of publishing time, BLACKPINK is the only K-pop act participating.
Stay tuned for more updates on both stories.
Paris Fashion Week takes place from September 28 to October 5, 2021, while “Dear Earth” will premiere on YouTube on October 23, 2021.
Featured image: BLACKPINK to participate on the YouTube Originals “Dear Earth” campaign; Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa reportedly attending Paris Fashion Week. Photo: BLACKPINK/Twitter
Blackpink's Jennie Kim after the Spring-Summer 2021 Ready-to-Wear Show — CHANEL. Photo: Chanel/YouTube
The Hallyu wave isn’t just limited to K-pop and K-dramas anymore. K-pop has gained massive popularity and grown its influence in the last few years, and many are standing up to take notice—including the fashion industry.
Today, K-pop acts are dominating the global music scene—from BTS to Blackpink, EXO to Twice, and more—breaking records and capturing the hearts of fans everywhere. Not only are these extremely talented and gorgeous artists crushing records and topping music charts; they’re also smashing the proverbial glass ceiling of beauty and fashion.
K-pop idols making waves in the global fashion industry
K-pop stars are now among the world’s biggest influencers. Their huge fanbases and social media following has helped brands reach a wider, more diverse audience and boost the sales of luxury goods.
For example, the four members of Blackpink alone have a combined 205 million followers across their individual Instagram accounts as of September 21, 2021. Lisa has 60.1 million followers, followed by Jennie with 51.7 million, Rosé with 46.7 million, and Jisoo with 46.5 million.
The Kai x Gucci capsule collection sold out quick after its launch earlier this year. And BTS’ Louis Vuitton outfits ran out of stock almost immediately after their most recent airport photos came out online, proving that idols’ popularity and global reach do wonders for brands and the industry as a whole.
Rolling out the red carpet for K-pop’s biggest stars
Bigbang’s G-Dragon, one of K-pop’s original fashionistas, paved the way for idols to discover and explore their own styles. The K-pop legend has always been a style icon in South Korea, with his bold, brave, and experimental take on fashion. But his appearance at the Chanel show at Paris Fashion Week in 2015 and his appointment as a brand ambassador for Chanel cemented his spot among the upper echelons in the world of haute couture.
Since then, Korean celebrities, especially idols, have become ambassadors for various luxury brands. They have also started to grace runways and red carpets. Two years ago, Winner’s Mino walked the Louis Vuitton Spring/Summer 2020 show. And just this September, the Baddest Female CL and Blackpink’s main vocalist Rosé made a splash on their MET Gala debut.
14 K-pop idols and groups that are the face of luxury brands
The fashion world has, indeed, embraced K-pop stars wholeheartedly. Here are some of the global fashion and beauty houses that have tapped our favorite idols to be their brand ambassadors:
BTS for Louis Vuitton
Global superstars BTS became the Louis Vuitton house ambassadors in April this year. All seven members made their debut as models in a stark, futuristic fashion film that also showcased their individual styles.
Watch their Louis Vuitton Men’s Fall/Winter 2021 fashion film below:
EXO Kai for Gucci and Bobbi Brown
EXO’s Kai first made his presence known when he attended Gucci shows as one of the fashion house’s brand ambassadors. In 2019, he was appointed as the first Korean male global ambassador for Gucci Eyewear. Just two years later, Kai would release his very own capsule collection with the brand. Kai also represents cosmetics brand Bobbi Brown as its first male muse.
Kai was also recently named the global ambassador for the 2022 S/S Seoul Fashion Week, to be held online from October 7 to 15, 2021.
IU for Gucci
IU is one of the most sought-after celebrities in South Korea, and Gucci has fallen for her charms. Just like Kai, IU is also a Gucci ambassador. She signed on with the brand in February last year.
IU most recently starred in the brand’s Beloved campaign.
Bigbang G-Dragon for Chanel
Bigbang’s leader has been loved by Chanel for years; he’s been a house ambassador since 2017. His style continues to inspire everyone, from fellow idols to VIPs around the world.
Watch G-Dragon with his fellow house ambassadors in the teaser video for the Chanel Fall/Winter 2021/22 Ready-to-Wear virtual show:
Plus, the rapper talks about the one piece he would love to get for himself from the Chanel Spring/Summer 2021 Ready-to-Wear show in the video below:
Blackpink Jennie for Chanel and Calvin Klein
Blinks have affectionately dubbed Jennie as the “Human Chanel”—and it’s easy to see why. She has been a house ambassador for the brand since 2018, and the brand’s classic, feminine style perfectly matches the idol’s image.
Listen to Jennie as she shares her thoughts on Chanel’s Spring/Summer 2021 Ready-to-Wear show:
More recently, the star made a stunning debut in the Calvin Klein Fall 2021 campaign.
EXO Chanyeol and Red Velvet Irene for Prada
SM labelmates Chanyeol and Irene were both appointed as brand ambassadors for Prada in 2020. Both idols showed off their stunning visuals while decked out in the house’s designs.
Hyuna for Loewe
Hyuna’s sexy, daring, and charismatic style has not escaped the attention of Spanish fashion house Loewe. The brand introduced the “I’m Not Cool” singer as their newest global ambassador in July.
EXO Sehun and Blackpink Jisoo for Dior
Dior appointed Blackpink’s Jisoo as its global ambassador for fashion and beauty earlier this year. Watch Jisoo try out the latest pieces from the brand’s Cruise 2022 collection before settling in to watch the virtual show in the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QgLDiA-0UM
And, EXO’s Sehun shows off his stunning visuals as the face of Dior Men.
Watch Sehun sporting Dior Men’s Fall 2021 collection in this video for GQ Korea:
Blackpink Rosé for Saint Laurent and Tiffany & Co
Rosé has been Saint Laurent’s muse since 2020. In one of her first shoots with the brand, she modeled key pieces from the Fall/Winter 2020 collection. Watch the chic clip below:
The “On the Ground” singer also became a brand ambassador for jewelry brand Tiffany & Co this year.
Blackpink Lisa for Celine and MAC
Blackpink’s main dancer and rapper Lisa was appointed as Celine’s first official brand ambassador in 2020. The idol is often seen and photographed looking her Parisian chic best, decked in head-to-toe Celine.
The Thai superstar is also the face of MAC Cosmetics. Watch Lisa as she shows her MAC must-haves in the video below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IA2p8GYBNhU
Red Velvet Seulgi for Salvatore Ferragamo
Red Velvet’s main dancer Seulgi is loved by fans, not only in South Korea but all over the world. But this multi-talented idol is also loved by Italian fashion brand Salvatore Ferragamo! Seulgi’s unique personal style, passion, and creativity led the brand to tap the star as their new global ambassador.
Aespa for Givenchy
Rookie group Aespa, with their breathtaking visuals and unique avatar concept, has caught the attention of French luxury brand Givenchy. In February 2021, the brand announced Aespa as their newest global ambassador.
The K-pop and haute couture crossover isn’t just a passing fancy. As idols continue to gain popularity in and out of South Korea, global luxury brands and K-pop stars will continue to make beautiful music together for a long time.
Featured image: Blackpink’s Jennie Kim after the Spring-Summer 2021 Ready-to-Wear Show — CHANEL. Photo: CHANEL/YouTube
EXO's Kai named global ambassador of 2022 Seoul Fashion Week. Photo: Seoul Fashion Week Official - 서울패션위크/Facebook
With Rosé and CL making their debut appearances at the Met Gala—one of the fashion industry’s biggest events—the floodgates may have opened for other K-pop idols to also attend the event. Here are some names that may be great ideas to grace Met’s steps in May next year.
Given that the Met Gala is already one of the most important events in the fashion industry’s calendar, just imagine the commotion it would cause if some of the members of the world’s biggest band to date would attend the event! Maybe having all seven members attend the event would be a bit too much, so we’re thinking the V would be great representatives for the band. Kim Taehyung has long been considered to be the most fashion-savvy among BTS members, and it would be great to see him grace the Met steps, with all the world’s red carpet photographers capturing his unique fashion sense.
Blackpink’s Jennie
When people got wind of news that a Blackpink member was going to attend the Met Gala, most of them made the quick assumption that it was going to be the first member who also launched her solo career. But lo and behold, it was the face of Saint Laurent, Rosé, who was on the grounds of Met, becoming one of the first two female K-pop idols to attend the event. So, if we are to think of the next Blackpink member who needs to be seen in the Upper East Side’s most famous steps, then it may be high time for Calvin Klein’s most recent brand ambassador to make her appearance But then we wouldn’t mind at all if it were Celine’s muse, Lisa, who would be next in line. Since the next Met Gala will be in May next year, we may think Jisoo might not make it because she should be too busy preparing for her solo release, cross fingers.
EXO’s Kai
2022 S/S Seoul Fashion Week will be held from 7th October to 15th online; historical sites of Seoul will turn into a runway.
If we’re on the subject of fashion, it simply is a must to mention EXO’s main dancer Kai. Since being a global brand ambassador of Gucci, Kim Jongin has appeared in countless fashion spreads and pictorials for the brand, as if we still need convincing that the group’s visual (not that the group lacks in this respect) can hold his own with the fashion world’s movers and shakers. That height, those chiseled features, and that camera-ready aura would be such a refreshing sight to see in Met’s fabled steps. With tennis queen Serena Williams and red carpet mainstay British actress Sienna Miller wearing Gucci in last Thursday’s event, I say let’s go for Kai attending next year’s event in full Gucci regalia.
It can be argued that they would rather see the Red Velvet’s original visual Irene in fashion’s biggest event, but I’d rather see Seulgi in attendance. With those sharp features that scream high-fashion and commanding presence, Red Velvet’s main dancer would no doubt be a hit in New York. Also, it should be noted that Seulgi has been Besides, shouldn’t Italian luxury brand Salvatore Ferragamo may want to push its muse to attend the event? This needs to happen, ASAP!
SEVENTEEN’s Mingyu (and Vernon)
Blessed with a fashion model’s height and matinee idol features, SEVENTEEN’s visual-cum-rapper Mingyu would surely create waves should he appear in the Met Gala. Everything looks good on him and luxury fashion houses would love to give him something to wear. Besides, he has walked several runways for Korean fashion designers and is one of the busiest idols every Seoul Fashion Week, so he shouldn’t have any problems going head to head with other bigwigs in the fashion industry. But then, Mingyu is also known to be a bit awkward in social situations, not to mention he is quite a klutz, so being escorted by the group’s resident Leonardo di Caprio-lookalike and English speaker Vernon should be a great idea.
Let’s hope for more K-pop idols to make their appearances in next year’s event.
CL "understood the assignment," attends the Met Gala 2021 in denim and white briefs. The Met Gala is an annual fundraising event for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute in New York City. Photo: themetgalaofficial/Instagram
While it is true that K-pop may have already pervaded the world’s entire cultural landscape, there may still be records to be broken, glass ceilings to be shattered, and opportunities to be taken advantage of. This is especially true in the world of fashion, with K-pop’s influence only manifesting in recent years.
While groups such as 2NE1 and Girl’s Generation may have endorsed global brands such as Fila, Adidas, and Casio, it was only in 2017 when BIGBANG’s G-Dragon was selected by Karl Lagerfeld himself as the brand ambassador for Chanel. While many idols have been spotted attending fashion shows for haute couture houses and getting front seats to the world’s premier fashion weeks, it was also only two years ago when WINNER’s Mino was handpicked to walk in LV’s men’s wear collection in Paris. While former 2NE1 leader CL did walk the runway for DKNY in 2014, it was only in Seoul.
So, it may not come as much of a shock when it was only this year’s Met gala that saw not one, but two of K-pop’s luminaries in attendance. And what a debut it was for Blackpink’s Rosé and CL! It is the first time that two leading female figures of K-pop attended the event, as only the guys have graced the Met’s annual fundraiser in previous years. In the past, only men—Psy, Super Junior’s Siwon. Rain, and EXO’s Lay—have raised the banner for K-pop on one of the fashion industry’s biggest nights.
As the event last year was postponed, it seems that everyone in attendance was all too eager to make up for lost time as they pulled out all the stops, fashion-wise to the event’s theme, “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.” Iman appeared in what looked like a chandelier gown and an enormous headdress, Rihanna wore a black voluminous gown and Balenciaga beanie from the house’s latest couture collection, and Kim Kardashian wore a black-out Balenciaga haute couture gown with matching mask and train which cloaked her features and for a time, gave the celebrity a fair amount of anonymity.
So, how did our fierce K-pop ladies fare? Blackpink’s main vocal wore a classic little black dress with a twist as a white asymmetrical bow hid her cleavage area. As the brand ambassador official of international fashion house Saint Laurent, she didn’t only show up wearing a YSL dress, but actually appeared on the Met steps alongside the house’s creative director Anthony Vaccarello.
On the other hand, the Spicy singer, in adherence to the theme, wore a blue denim coat, because what can be more American than denim? The coat, as American as it is in detail, has a distinctly Korean detail with a ribbon that is usually attached to a hanbok top. She wore this over white briefs, and the attire was designed by Taiwanese-American fashion staple Alexander Wang.
With Rosé and CL making their presence felt at the 2021 Met Gala, here’s to hoping that we can see more K-pop ladies in its future stagings, with the next one happening in May to make up for last year’s canceled event.
Featured image: CL “understood the assignment,” attends the Met Gala 2021 in denim and white briefs. The Met Gala is an annual fundraising event for the benefit of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute in New York City. Photo: themetgalaofficial/Instagram
Jungkook welcomed his 24th birthday with ARMY on VLIVE. Photo: BTS/VLIVE
“Happy birthday to me!”
Around an hour before his birthday, Jungkook just surprised ARMYs with a VLIVE broadcast. Being the soondoongie that he is, he had a mini-concert and asked ARMys to send him comments which he then turned into an insta-song.
J-Hope, his Hobi Hyung, also made a special appearance and brought him his birthday cake.
𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙗𝙞𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙅𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙠𝙤𝙤𝙠🖐🏻🤍
Wish you all the best! Hope you being happy and smile a LOT in every day♡. You deserve to be loved. Let’s have a fantastic birthday. I love you my sweetheart 🤏🏻🐰💗#JungkookBirthdaypic.twitter.com/JJt5GKmTbk
As of writing, Jungkook’s birthday Vlive has been played at least 21 million times and “liked” with at least 2.4 billion hearts. #HappyBirthdayJungkook is also trending on Twitter, with more than 1 million tweets in less than 3 hours after midnight (KST) of September 1.
Watch the replay of Jungkook’s birthday broadcast on VLIVE here and check out how ARMYs worldwide are celebrating Jungkook Day from North America to Europe and across Asia.
Featured image: Jungkook welcomed his 24th birthday with ARMY on VLIVE. Photo: BTS/VLIVE
Lalisa's first single album drops on September 10, 2021 midnight EST. Photo: BLACKPINK/Facebook
It’s Lisa’s turn to go solo.
The BLACKPINKmaknae is releasing her first single album “Lalisa” in September and the first visual teaser just dropped. Lalisa Manoban also shared the stunning title poster for her solo debut.
Back in mid-August, the official BLACKPINK Twitter account hinted at Lisa’s solo debut. It came with a blurry poster featuring the Thai rapper but her face was not visible. Nonetheless, BLINKs were convinced that Lisa’s visuals will be top-tier once again.
And Lisa did not disappoint.
The teaser poster for “Lalisa” featured the BLACKPINK main dancer in long pigtails and a flashy red outfit. She wears the same hair and outfit in the new visual teaser that hints at the storm she is about to stir up.
The first look is a nod to Lisa’s roots but the BLACKPINK main rapper is also eager to show off her glam side. The title poster for “Lalisa” is all about sleek black hair and blinged-up nails.
All the teasers for “Lalisa” are clearly a huge hit with BLINKs. YG Entertainment has just confirmed that Lisa’s single album has already reached 700,000 pre-orders since pre-orders began on August 26. The number is expected to go even higher as the album’s release date draws closer. For now, “Lalisa” holds the record for the highest number of pre-orders for a single album by a solo female artist.
Lisa is the third member of BLACKPINK to work on a solo effort. Jennie released her “SOLO” single back in November 2018 while Rosé dropped the emotional solo album “R” in March this year. Jisoo has not shared plans of releasing her own music but is busy with acting projects.
Lisa’s solo single album “Lalisa” will be available on CD, KiT, and vinyl. The album drops on September 10, 2021.
Featured image: Blackpink Lisa’s first solo album, Lalisa, drops on September 10, 2021 midnight EST. Photo: BLACKPINK/Facebook
The sun’s shining oh so brightly, the AC’s on full blast, and people (or at least the ones brave enough to face the virus and its variants head-on) are out in sleeveless shirts and shorts. And if we are to factor in the effects of climate change, we may be in for a few more weeks of summer weather before welcoming the cool crisp fall air. Which also means we may have more time to enjoy the songs of summer.
K-pop has had an unofficial but strong tradition when it comes to music popularized during summer. This can be traced back as far as the 1980s when popular singers and groups release songs with lyrics that explicitly mention summer and its activities like In Summer by duo Deux, Summer Story by DJ DOC, and the classic Let’s Go on a Trip by legendary Cho Yongpil. This tradition, reminiscent of the UK’s anticipation of the country’s Christmas #1, has continued into K-pop as we know it these days. Soloists, girl groups, boy groups, and bands have celebrated summer through their songs: Hot Summer by f(x), Beach Again by project group SSAK3, and two Red Velvet albums (The Red Summer and Summer Magic) come to mind.
But for most of us who have been following K-pop since Hallyu, one group has somehow created a niche of itself when it comes to attaching their success to the season: SISTAR. Red Velvet has been, for some years, successfully campaigned to be associated with summer to considerable success, but for some reason, they stopped in 2020. TWICE’s Dance the Night Away and their most recent release Alcohol-Free got them summer recognition, but then they have been spreading themselves too thin by also associating themselves with Christmas through their Christmas releases. This year, Brave Girls has launched a campaign with the release of the overtly titled Summer Queen, which has been notably successful, if only they were not rivaled by another Yoo Jae-suk project group, MSG Wannabe. Besides, BG is still too attached to their viral military hit, Rollin’, so their claim to the Summer Queen throne may require them to be more consistent for a couple more summers.
So for now, we’re left with reminiscing on SISTAR, a group whose success may be owed to their consistency in releasing during the summer. Out of their 12 releases (that include 2 studio albums, 2 compilation albums, four single albums, and 4 EPs), only two were not released during the summer – How Dare You, which was released in December 2010 and Alone, which was released in the spring of 2012. But then again, Alone was sandwiched in between two massively successful summer releases – So Cool released in August 2011, and the compilation album Loving U released two months after Alone. It felt like Starship Entertainment caught lightning in a bottle by scheduling almost all SISTAR releases during the summer months and ran away with it, up until the group’s last release, Lonely, which debuted on the last day of May in 2017.
If you’re pining for some of SISTAR’s summer domination, here are three of Hyolyn, Soyou, Bora, and Dasom’s representative songs to feed your nostalgia.
Bikini Body SISTAR: Touch My Body
A SISTAR song featuring Soyou’s breathy vocals? Check. A SISTAR song featuring lyrics that border on racy (the title literally suggests a dare) and schmaltzy at the same time? Check. A SISTAR music video with Hyolyn’s perfect tan and flashing her cross tattoo covering her entire stomach? Check. A SISTAR music video featuring comedian cameos (Noh Hongchul and Jun Hyunmoo)? Check. A SISTAR music video shot in a pool and with the four members in a wide assortment of bikinis? Check. Touch My Body is arguably (as it is Shake It for some) the definitive SISTAR song of summer.
Actual Beach SISTAR: I Swear
SISTAR is a group associated with sexiness, but when you take a close listen to their lyrics, you can’t help but realize that their songs are actually quite innocent, if not cheesy. This is especially true with I Swear, a song that reads like a wedding vow. And this is also one of only three videos (the two others being Loving U and Lonely) from the group that was shot outdoors. Finally, contrary to popular knowledge, I Swear was actually shot in Saipan. It was the MV for Loving U that was shot in Hawaii, while their last MV, Lonely, was shot in Macau.
Dark Summer SISTAR: I Like That
Their second to the last title track, I Like That harkens back to one of SISTAR’s greatest hits, Alone in the sense that I Like That doesn’t sound as bright as the group’s other summer tracks, but somehow still feels like a summer song. It does help that the music video opens with Dasom fanning herself in the darkness before entering a room illuminated by Chinese lanterns. The outfits are typical SISTAR with hot pants, cropped tops, and diaphanous fabric wraps abound.
It is bittersweet to reminisce on SISTAR’s hits, especially during this time of the year that they used to dominate until their disbandment in 2017. Hyolyn and Dasom are set to bring some of that SISTAR summer magic with their new song Summer or Summer to be released on August 10, 2021, but for those who need an OT4 comeback are unfortunately out of luck this year. Who knows, we may have one next year! But then, we will always have those ten record-breaking title tracks to enjoy from the B-E-S-T queens of summer.
![[MV] SISTAR(씨스타)_Touch my body(터치 마이 바디)](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/9txzvu6eQuw/hqdefault.jpg)
![[MV] SISTAR(씨스타) _ I Swear](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8PrNPhVexE4/hqdefault.jpg)
![[MV] 씨스타(SISTAR) _ I Like That](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LJVUjmNMF8c/hqdefault.jpg)