While the rise of K-Pop has become a global phenomenon, with bands such as BTS or Got7 becoming fashion favourites, there’s one band that sticks out for its powerful messaging and electropop sounds that guarantee instant hits: BLACKPINK.

Made up of Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa, the South Korean girl band has achieved stratospheric fame both as a band and through solo ventures. From Jennie acquiring the nickname “Human Chanel” for being the luxury brand’s ambassador but mainly because it’s the only brand she ever wears, to Lisa’s show stopping appearance at CELINE’s recent show, the girls ability to shine alone is yet another indication of their massive stardom. 

With Guinness World Record breaking hits, keep reading as we uncover some of BLACKPINK’s most defining songs over the years.

WHISTLE

Before BLACKPINK had released any music, excitement was already rising as they were announced to be the first girl group in 7 years to come out of YG Entertainment, the South Korean entertainment company that have launched talents such as 2NE1 and for some time Psy.

BLACKPINK’s debut release in 2016, titled Square One, consisted of two songs: Whistle and Boombayah. While both were instant hits, it’s Whistle that’s often remembered as the girls first song, with its hip-hop beats merged with a soft drum & bass melody and whistle hooks. The romantic song switched between energetic and melodic, foreshadowing BLACKPINK’s future music leaning.

DDU-DU DDU-DU

Their Square Up album, the sequel to Square Two which was, of course, Square One’s follow up, opens with the club-friendly, pop sensation whose chorus repeats “Wait til I hit you with that DDU-DU DDU-DU”. This song was a breakthrough for BLACKPINK as it reached gold in the U.S. and became their first billion-view music video.

KILL THIS LOVE

Kill This Love saw BLACKPINK becoming the internationally acclaimed girlband they now are, with the pop song entering the UK charts and making BLACKPINK the first ever Korean girlband to achieve this. The breakup anthem gave intensity with its stomping beats, brassy sounds and overall electropop vibe.

HOW YOU LIKE THAT

If anyone still had doubts about BLACKPINK’s world domination, How You Like That sure showed them. Dropping in 2020, this song was the forecomer of their first official album, simply titled The Album. Its raging success was a testament to BLACKPINK’s overall success, as the viral TikTok sound broke 5 Guinness World Records in 24 hours, including most viewed YouTube video in 24 hours. 

How You Like That perfectly encapsulates what makes BLACKPINK so great: their ability to switch between soft and harsh melodies all wrapped up in an electropop package.

PINK VENOM

2 years after their first album, the K-Pop girl group phenomenon released their single Pink Venom, teasing the arrival of their second studio album Born Pink. Starting off with a coordinated chant proudly saying “BLACKPINK”, the girls took to this song to show us their musical prowess. 

They then switch it up into a merge of hip hop beats and traditional Korean geomungo, that sees BLACKPINK pay homage to their home whilst still appealing to a global scene. In fact, Pink Venom became one of the girl’s highest achieving records to date, securing its number 1 spot on the Billboard Global 200 for two weeks.

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