By Lee Tae-soo - On August 8, global sensation and all-girl K-pop band Blackpink will be celebrating their 7th anniversary since their debut.

Blackpink, known more for their audacious charm than cutesy sex appeal, has enjoyed worldwide popularity, topping both U.S. and U.K. charts and setting their status beyond Asia.

As their contract with YG Entertainment nears its end, the anticipation for the news of their renewal is growing among fans, with no word from the band or the label yet.

Worldwide Youtube Champions, Billboard Winners, and 1.5 Million-Strong World Tour

Blackpink made their debut in the K-pop world on August 8, 2016, with their double title tracks 'Whistle' and 'BOOMBAYAH'. The four members, Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé, and Lisa, became a hot topic upon their debut as YG's new girl group showcasing both talent and beauty.

Every song they released, including their debut tracks, as well as 'Playing with Fire', 'As If It's Your Last', 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du', 'Kill This Love', 'Lovesick Girls', 'Pink Venom', and 'Shut Down', was a hit, solidifying their place as K-pop's leading stars.

With tremendous popularity not only in Korea and Japan but also in the U.S. and U.K., they have unquestionably risen as global superstars. They enjoy a fandom comparable to a craze in Southeast Asia, including Lisa's home country, Thailand.

Their second studio album, 'BORN PINK', released in September last year, was the first K-pop girl group album to top the U.S. Billboard main album chart 'Billboard 200' and the U.K. Official Album Chart 'Top 100'.

Furthermore, last year and this year, they successfully executed their world tour 'BORN PINK' which mobilized 1.5 million people across Korea, Japan, the U.S., France, Mexico, Thailand, Vietnam, and Australia. Their concerts were frequently sold out, with issues arising from black-market ticketing in some countries.

Blackpink continues to show their powerful influence not just offline, but online as well.

They have over 90 million subscribers on their official YouTube channel, making them the most subscribed artists worldwide. As of the end of last month, they had 43 videos with over 100 million views. Among them, the music video for 'Ddu-Du Ddu-Du' was the first K-pop girl group video to surpass 2.1 billion views.

According to YouTube statistics, the top ten countries with the highest views for Blackpink videos in the last year include Indonesia, India, Thailand, Philippines, Mexico, South Korea, Vietnam, U.S., Brazil, and Turkey, signifying their worldwide popularity.

Aside from music, each member of BLACKPINK serves as an ambassador for famous luxury brands: Jennie for Chanel, Jisoo for Dior, Rosé for Tiffany, and Lisa for Celine. Their faces are prominently featured in famous department stores worldwide.

"Contributing to the Universality of K-Pop... Leading the Expansion"

Music industry insiders attribute BLACKPINK's popularity to their unique charisma and sophisticated music. In an online press conference last August, BLACKPINK said, "Being confident and full of self-assurance aligns most with our identity."

Music critic Jeong Min-jae said, "By providing music specialized in hip-hop, BLACKPINK has established a color of K-pop, and at the same time, they have made it universal, so that it doesn't feel out of place even to Western fans." He added, "There weren't many Asian fashion icons except professional models in the past. BLACKPINK pioneered this field as 'Asian women.' This would have instilled pride in Asians living in English-speaking countries."

Choi Kwang-ho, the secretary-general of the Korea Music Content Association, said, "If K-pop was popular in Korea, China, Japan, and Southeast Asia before, now it has expanded to the US and all over Europe. BLACKPINK is the girl group that played a key role in this expansion."

Speculations Surrounding Re-Signing... Impact on YG Stock

The future of BLACKPINK remains shrouded in mystery. While they have completed the typical seven-year exclusive contract period for idol groups, there has been no news about renewing their contract with YG Entertainment.

Concerts in New Jersey, Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Los Angeles are scheduled until the end of this month, but no official schedule is known from next month. Various speculations abound, including the prediction of an easy renewal with YG, and the possibility of moving to THEBLACKLABEL, led by BLACKPINK's dedicated producer Teddy, who holds 27.06% of YG's stake.

However, considering their status, it's highly likely that BLACKPINK will continue as a team in some form, according to music industry predictions. YG maintains that nothing has been decided yet. As it's typically difficult to reveal the fate of an artist during a concert tour, it's expected that the future of their contract will become clear after the tour ends.

Moreover, the phrase "AND MORE" is written under the Los Angeles concert schedule on the 26th on the official world tour website, sparking speculation about a surprise announcement.

On the other hand, the uncertainty over BLACKPINK's re-signing, one of the company's most significant intellectual properties (IP), is considered a hindrance to YG's stock price growth. YG's stock price, based on the previous day's closing price, is 77,600 KRW, a 5.1% drop from a month ago.

YG's junior group, TREASURE, is still in the growth phase, and their upcoming girl group, BABY MONSTER, has not yet debuted, which poses a significant concern for YG.

Cha Yu-mi, a researcher at Mirae Asset Securities, said in a report, "The uncertainty of BLACKPINK's re-signing and the cost risk of high contract payments after re-signing prevent any fundamental improvements and future growth momentum from being reflected in YG's stock price." However, she also added, "The risk of BLACKPINK's contract failure is limited."

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