In recent years, BLACKPINK has shattered boundaries between K-pop and the global mainstream in ways no other girl group has before. Now, JENNIE, JISOO, LISA, and ROSÉ are amplifying that success individually, launching their solo projects.
Since their international breakthrough in 2020, BLACKPINK has released two albums, including their first Billboard chart-topping album, 2022’s Born Pink. They’ve collaborated with heavyweight artists such as Dua Lipa (“Kiss and Make Up”), Lady Gaga (“Sour Candy”), and Selena Gomez (“Ice Cream”), establishing themselves as the most successful Korean girl group overseas and collecting numerous awards, including multiple MTV VMAs. Their commercial strength in the United States was most notably demonstrated by their live shows, reaching stadium-level tours by 2023. That same year, they headlined Coachella, making BLACKPINK the first K-pop act to lead the iconic festival.
With JENNIE’s debut album, RUBY, released on March 7, all four members are now individually boosting their presence in the international pop market. JENNIE’s album closely followed LISA’s Alter Ego by just one week, while JISOO released her debut solo mini-album, Amortage, two weeks prior. ROSÉ, the group’s main vocalist and lead dancer, naturally led the way, dropping her debut album first among the four on December 6, 2024. The album’s two pre-release tracks showcased distinctly different sides of the singer. “APT.” is an upbeat, energetic song inspired by a popular Korean drinking game, whereas “number one girl” is a heartfelt ballad about seeking validation from loved ones. Between the two, “APT.” became an overnight global hit, surpassing 1 billion streams on Spotify.
The tradition of pop group members launching solo projects after their original band’s mainstream success dates back decades—early examples include the Beatles and Jackson 5, and more recently, groups from the Spice Girls to One Direction followed this path. However, we’ve never before seen all members of a group simultaneously stepping out to become solo stars. Now, all four voices of BLACKPINK have simultaneously dominated the charts within just three months. Interestingly, each member has signed with a different major American label: JENNIE with Columbia, LISA with RCA, JISOO with Warner, and ROSÉ with Atlantic. With BLACKPINK also planning a collective comeback with a new world tour set to kick off mid-summer, the singers had to carefully manage a tight and relatively limited timeframe for their solo projects.
Launching all four solo artists simultaneously was indeed a bold move, yet so far, it appears the BLACKPINK solo releases have not only avoided overshadowing each other but have actually strengthened one another. This “solo rush” seems to have been a highly strategic decision benefiting both the group’s individual stars and BLACKPINK as a collective.