Blackpink is set to begin activities under a 'together yet apart' strategy.
On the 29, YG Entertainment (hereafter YG) announced, "We recently signed a contract extension for Blackpink's group activities, but have agreed not to proceed with separate additional contracts for individual activities."
YG is committed to fully supporting Blackpink's activities as a complete group and will warmly cheer on the members' individual pursuits.
Previously, on the 6th, YG signed an exclusive contract concerning only the group activities of Blackpink. With YG's support, Blackpink plans to release a new album and embark on another massive world tour. However, individual re-contracts for all four members, Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé, and Lisa, failed to materialize.
Consequently, Blackpink will continue team activities with YG while pursuing individual activities separately. Initially, it was speculated within the industry that all four members, given their various talents as solo singers and actors, would engage in individual activities with other agencies or establish their own one-person agencies.
Furthermore, on the 24th, Jennie announced via social media that she established her label for individual activities, confirming this direction. Jennie stated, "Starting from 2024, I plan to go solo by establishing a company called OA," and added, "I ask for lots of love for both my new challenges and Blackpink."
Jennie's label OA, short for 'ODD ATELIER,' is described on its website as a space aimed at creating something new and eye-catching in an unexpectedly different way.
Blackpink, who debuted in August 2016, celebrated their 7th anniversary this year. They've left an indelible mark in K-pop history by being the first K-pop girl group to become double million sellers, topping the U.S. 'Billboard 200', becoming the first Asian artist to headline Coachella and Hyde Park, and launching the largest scale world tour for a female artist in Korea.
From October last year, Blackpink held the 'Born Pink' tour across 34 cities in 66 shows, drawing an audience of around 1.8 million. In September, at the 'Blackpink World Tour 'Born Pink' Finale in Seoul' held at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Guro-gu, Seoul, Blackpink promised their fans, "Thank you for being with us from the beginning, let's be together for a long time. We will continue to be the cool Blackpink."
As Blackpink adopts a 'together yet apart' strategy for individual and group activities, anticipation grows for the new history they will write in K-pop.
