[The WHO-K Star③ | BLACKPINK] Beyond Music, Into a Brand… How BLACKPIN...

Expanding beyond music into a lifestyle

Accelerating brand-building through luxury partnerships

Expanding influence through YouTube-based fandom

A growth structure combining individual and team activities

Spreading impact across performances and platforms

From left: Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo and Rosé. (Source: Screenshot from BLACKPINK’s Facebook page)

[Cheonji Ilbo=Reporter Park Hye-ok] K-pop is no longer consumed only through sound. Performances on stage become fashion, music videos become part of an image industry, and the presence of stars spreads into global brands and consumer culture. At the center of this change is BLACKPINK.

BLACKPINK began as a K-pop group, but has now expanded into a multifaceted brand connecting music, fashion, digital platforms and the performance industry. Beyond being a popular group, they are regarded as a representative example of how K-content is consumed and industrialized in the global market.

◆ From “music to watch” to a brand

BLACKPINK’s competitiveness is not limited to musical achievements. Since the early days of their debut, they have combined powerful performances with visual concepts, expanding K-pop from “music to listen to” into “music to watch.”

Hip-hop-based sounds, catchy choruses and sophisticated music video production turned BLACKPINK’s music into a form of visual content. The act of listening to music became an experience of consuming colors, style, space and attitude together.

Music videos were not simply promotional tools. They were comprehensive content combining outfits, sets, camera work and concepts, and became a powerful channel that imprinted BLACKPINK’s image around the world. BLACKPINK’s music remained in the ears while also being etched into the eyes.

The message emphasizing confidence and independence also shaped BLACKPINK’s identity. When releasing “Pink Venom” in 2022, BLACKPINK described their identity by saying that “a confident and self-assured image is closest to who we are.” This message resonated across cultures and, together with the song’s popularity, served to strengthen the group’s image.

Behind BLACKPINK’s recognition as a brand lies this clear visual identity and distinctive attitude.

BLACKPINK. (Source: BLACKPINK’s official website)

◆ Expansion strategy combining fashion and platforms

BLACKPINK’s industrial significance becomes even clearer at the point where fashion, digital platforms and individual activities intersect.

Jisoo has served as a global ambassador for Dior, Jennie for Chanel, Rosé for Saint Laurent and Lisa for Celine, each building independent brand value. They have become more than simple advertising models, emerging as figures who move brand images and influence consumer trends.

The rise of K-pop stars as key faces of the fashion industry beyond music activities marks an important shift. BLACKPINK’s significance is even greater in that this global brand expansion has taken place centered on a female group. The influence of K-content has expanded beyond the stage into consumer culture.

BLACKPINK also has a strong presence on digital platforms. Their official YouTube channel has become a key hub for expanding their global fandom, while music videos and performance videos have become major channels through which global fans encounter BLACKPINK.

Another feature of BLACKPINK’s expansion is a strategy that focuses global attention on each comeback rather than frequent activities. Gaps between activities became not a weakness but a form of scarcity, and a comeback became not simply the release of a new song but a global event to which fans around the world respond at the same time.

Achievements have also continued in individual music activities. Rosé topped Spotify’s global and U.S. daily charts with “APT.,” a collaboration with Bruno Mars, and reached No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100, setting a new record for the highest ranking by a female K-pop artist. She later topped the 2025 Global Singles Chart announced by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI), proving her presence in the global music market.

Jennie became the first female K-pop solo artist to surpass 1 billion views on YouTube with the music video for “SOLO.” Jisoo recorded around 1.17 million copies in first-week sales with her first solo album “ME,” becoming the first female K-pop solo million-seller. Lisa achieved results in the global digital market, with the music video for “LALISA” recording 73.6 million views within 24 hours of release and being listed in Guinness World Records.

This shows that BLACKPINK is not a group that relies only on the name of the team. A structure has been created in which each member builds independent influence, and those achievements return to the overall brand value of the group. The team raised the individuals, and the individuals in turn expanded the scope of the team.

◆ Expanding beyond performances into a global industry

BLACKPINK’s global tours are representative examples of how a K-pop female group has widened its range of activity. Large-scale performances spanning North America, Europe and Asia have become cultural events beyond simple concerts.

In each city where performances are held, tourism and consumption move together. Fans visit concert venues, and cities become active with spending on accommodation, transportation and dining. This shows how K-pop performances can extend beyond the music industry and connect to local economies and consumer industries.

BLACKPINK’s meaning lies less in musical success itself than in the way that success has expanded. They have broadened K-pop from music content into a complex industry combining fashion, advertising, platforms and performances. They are a case that shows K-content is being reorganized from a genre-centered industry into a brand-centered one.

BLACKPINK’s example has also served as a reference point for later K-pop artists choosing strategies that combine music with fashion, brands and platforms. Content no longer ends with consumption. It becomes an image, a taste and a lifestyle.

BLACKPINK is a team that shows how K-pop is evolving in the global market. By connecting team and individual, music and fashion, online and offline, they are proving how far K-content can expand within the global cultural industry.

천지일보는 24시간 여러분의 제보를 기다립니다.

천지일보 카톡

1644-7533