Blackpink: A Mirror to Popular Celebrities in the United States
Since its smashing debut in 2016, the Korean pop group Blackpink has been steadily rising in popularity and, in more recent years, gaining international acclaim. In just four years after the group first began, Blackpink managed to captivate the American audience, regularly releasing hit-singles that break into Billboard’s Hot 100 chart.. Not only that, but their YouTube channel has also managed to gain a staggering 48.7 million (and counting) subscribers, becoming the musical group with the most subscribers and exceeding that of many top music artists who are considered household-names in the United States (e.g., Drake, Beyoncé, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Katy Perry, Camila Cabello, and Adele just to name a few). Blackpink, whose songs are primarily sung in Korean, managed to enthrall the American people in less than half a decade with their streamlined content and public image that caters particularly well to an American audience through their fan experience which mirrors that of other famous celebrities popular in the United States.
Consisting of Jisoo, Rosé, Jennie, and Lisa, the all-female Kpop group has experienced considerable success and growth in the American market. Their seemingly unbounded and steadily increasing popularity in the American music industry has come primarily from their content that appeals to progressive culture in the United States and caters to the American people. Contrary to other all-female Kpop groups, such as TWICE and Red Velvet, who release songs that appeal primarily to a male audience by focusing on showing cute girls, Blackpink has consistently released songs throughout it’s short yet impactful existence that incorporate strong elements of the girl crush or bad girl concept and speak out about girl power and independence in both their lyrics and music videos. One of the lyrics in their hit song “DDU-DU DDU-DU,” goes “Pulling you and pushing you far away. I do it however I want because I’m a bad girl.” By incorporating the idea of being a “bad girl” who can do whatever she likes into their lyrics, Blackpink highlights the notion of female independence where girls can and should be able to do whatever they want to do without having to worry about the judgements of other people. Not only that, but their notion of being a “bad girl” also serves to break the traditional stereotypes of American culture where girls are usually more dependent on men. Another example of Blackpink’s incorporation of female empowerment into their lyrics is in their single “Kill This Love”, where Rosé and Jisoo say, “What should I do? I can’t stand being so weak while I force myself to hide my tears. I need to bring an end to this love.” Their assertion that girls should not stay in a relationship that makes them feel weak and vulnerable solely out of love empowers girls to break off toxic relationships and, in turn, become more independent and confident about themselves. This mirrors that of the content released by other prominent music artists popular in the United States. In Demi Lovato’s I Love Me, she repeatedly sings “I wonder when I love me is enough.” The message behind these words is a common theme of female empowerment: girls should love themselves for who they are without regard to the judgements and opinions of other people. In her immensely popular song Thank U, Next, Ariana Grande repeats the phrase “Thank you, next.” Her lyrics set an example for young girls to know when a relationship is over and when it is time to take power into their own hands and move onto something else. Blackpink’s repeated displays of the theme of female empowerment mirrors that of other famous female music artists popular in America who’s songs also appeal and cater to the modern-day American culture of breaking traditional gender stereotypes through female empowerment and feminism.
Blackpink’s success in the United States can be attributed to their appeal to American culture with not only the theme of breaking traditional gender stereotypes through feminism and female empowerment, but it also comes from their elaborate outfits found in their music videos and public appearances. What is similar about Blackpink’s fashion when compared to that of other popular female celebrities in America is that not only do they lay out a visual feast of striking colors and dramatic embellishments that work nicely with their outfits, but each member of the group (or, in the case of female celebrities, each pop star) also possesses their own individual style meant to fit their looks and personality. In the final dance sequence in the music video of “SOLO,” Jennie dresses in a fashionable white coat, an expensive $1775 red and black sequin and lace floral appliqué bustier top from Rodarte, and a pair of black high-waisted shorts. Jennie’s personal stylistic fashion choice is primarily that of eye-catching luxury and high-low fashion. In “DDU-DU DDU-DU,” Jisoo dons a long silky white cape over a brilliant white dress adorned with an opulent array of crystals, gems, and pearls. Similar to Jennie, Jisoo also likes to dress in eye-catching outfits; however, they differ in that Jisoo’s outfits are typically more feminine and often place more of an emphasis on elegance and sophistication. During their performances at Coachella in 2019, Rosé clad two different outfits that were both casual and almost primarily black in color. Contrary to that of Jisoo and Jennie, Rosé’s fashion style does not usually consist of eye-catching and shiny clothes, but it is typically monochrome and minimalistic with few accessories and adornments. Lastly, in Lisa’s photoshoot for the November issue of the Madame Figaro Japan magazine, her outfit consists of a comfortable baby pink double-breasted shearling coat by Rochas, a white Calvin Klein bralette, a pair of iridescent navy blue harem sweatpants, and a golden necklace. Contrary to the other three group members, Lisa’s fashion style is “very much street” (Mahadzir) accompanied by many varieties of accoutrements. Unlike other Korean girl groups where all of their members adopt a cute look, the girls in Blackpink aren’t afraid to be a little different. Each member’s personal stylistic fashion preferences in their music videos and public appearances highlight the theme of individuality popular in progressive American culture. While dressing in expensive clothes doesn’t appeal to feminist ideologies, it doesn’t really take away from their fame as having clothing choices appeals to American’s senses of individualism. This appeal to individualism or being oneself allows younger American audiences to resonate with the girls. Furthermore, their often dramatic outfits also mirror that of other female music artists popular in America such as Doja Cat, Katy Perry, Ariana Grande, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, and Cardi B just to name a few, who also exhibit their uniqueness and individuality through their fashion choices. By adopting a look that reflects the fashion of popular female artists in America, Blackpink also becomes more familiar to an American audience who over the years have grown to-like and accustomed to the flashy outfits worn by popular artists in America. This makes it easier for the average American to be able to better connect with the group. However, their dramatic outfits have even more to do with their soaring popularity in the United States.
Similar to that of other female celebrities popular in the United States, Blackpink also recognizes the importance of fashion in the music industry and why joining them together makes such a powerful impact. Many of Blackpink’s elaborate outfits come from their collaborations with famous western fashion brands and designers popular in the United States. Jennie, for example, works in collaboration with Chanel, a French fashion company popular in the United States, as a brand ambassador and is frequently seen dressed with Chanel branded apparel — so much so that she is often dubbed the “Human Chanel.” For her Milan fashion week debut, Lisa worked with the world-renowned billionaire head designer of Prada, Miuccia Prada, and dressed in a shiny gilded suit from the Prada spring/summer 2020 collection as the brand’s global ambassador (She’s now the global ambassador for Celine, yet another famous European fashion brand popular in the United States). On June 29th, 2020, Rosé was selected by Yves Saint Laurent, a French luxury fashion company renowned in the western fashion industry and popular in the United States, to be its new global brand ambassador. As its global brand ambassador, Rosé has worked with the creative director of Saint Laurent, Anthony Vaccarello, a famous Belgian fashion designer who previously worked as creative director at Versus Versace, and modeled for numerous Saint Laurent advertisements. Due to her classy and feminine style, Jisoo partnered with Dior to be one of their brand ambassadors for their clothing, perfume and cosmetic lines. Known for its classical elegant and femine fashion, “Dior has since been dressing Jisoo in many of its classic designs.” (Carpio) Blackpink’s involvement in the western fashion industry also mirrors that of other famous female celebrities popular in the United States such as Cardi B’s collaboration with Chanel, Dua Lipa as Yves Saint Laurent’s fragrance ambassador, and Jennifer Lawrence as an ambassador for Dior. Due to their widespread involvement in the western fashion industry, Blackpink is able to cater to the American populace by working with a plethora of famous western brands and designers popular in America and dressing in their outfits. As a result, Blackpink is able to highlight their individuality while simultaneously remaining relevant and familiar to an American audience. But that isn’t the only way Blackpink has been able to remain relevant to the American people.
Blackpink is able to remain relevant in American popular culture by following the steps of famous celebrities popular in America through their widespread presence in the American entertainment industry. Similar to that of other famous celebrities popular in the United States, Blackpink realizes that in order to remain relevant in America’s public eye and retain the fame they accrued throughout their existence, they must be constantly seen and heard about by the American people. This is achieved by regularly partaking in American media and popular culture. For example, Blackpink has made an effort to remain relevant in the American media industry by making appearances on the Late Late Show with Corden, the Late Show with Stephen Colbert, and the Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, where they play minigames on the shows and perform their songs with their accompanying dances. By making appearances on late-night talk show hosts, Blackpink mirrors the fan experience of famous celebrities popular in America and as such are able to and reap in the same benefits such as showing off their content and group to potential fans who watch late-night television, share their personalities and lives outside of their music, and remain relevant in the American market. Like many other popular music artists in America, Blackpink also regularly performs in the United States. For instance, during 2019, Blackpink not only held performances in multiple prominent American cities, namely Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Newark, and Fort Worth, but they also, as previously mentioned, performed at one of the largest and most famous music and arts festivals, Coachella. Their regular performances in America help to not only allow their fans to experience their group members and music the same way they would experience any other celebrity and their content, but fans are also able to actually see and physically interact with the group members, helping them maintain their relevance by keeping the group in America’s public eye. Not to mention, Blackpink, like many other popular artists in the United States, has also collaborated with famous music artists popular in America such as Lady Gaga in “Sour Candy,” Dua Lipa in “Kiss and Makeup,” and Selena Gomez in “Ice Cream.” These collaborations help to bring in new potential fans to their fan base who were fans of the aforementioned music artists. Contrary to other Kpop groups who do not, if not rarely have any sort of media presence in American popular culture, Blackpink’s frequent performances in the United States, appearances on late-night talk shows, and collaborations with major music artists popular in the United States not only helps them remain relevant to the Americans fans that they have acquired throughout their existence, but it also exposes them to new potential fans all across the country. But even if they frequently partake in the American media industry in an effort to remain relevant, how would an American audience ever be able to connect with and eventually become fans of Blackpink?
Although Blackpink regularly appears on late-night American talk shows and collaborates with music artists popular in the United States, it would all be for nothing if the American people were unable to connect with the girl group through a rigid cultural and language barrier. Luckily for them, when YG Entertainment was creating the girl group, they made it with the goal of being “American friendly” in mind and to mirror the fan experience of other popular music artists in America. For one, three fourths of the members of Blackpink know how to speak English. This ability to speak to and be understood linguistically by the average American significantly reduces the language barrier between the Korean girl group and potential American fans. With their ability to speak English, Blackpink takes advantage of their lack of a language barrier — an issue that has time and time again proven problematic for other Kpop groups to break into the American market — and as previously mentioned, regularly partakes in the American media industry by making appearances on the aforementioned late-night talk shows. However, not only do they take advantage of their ability to speak English through appearances on popular American late-night talk shows, but they even incorporate some English into their song lyrics. For instance, in the song “SOLO,” Jennie repeats the phrase “I’m going solo lo lo lo lo lo.” By including some English into their song lyrics, even if it is just a little phrase, it helps the American people better connect with their songs as it allows for an average American person to have something in the song that they are able to actually understand and relate to. However, that isn’t the only way Blackpink has streamlined their content and public image to cater to an American audience. Unlike other Korean girl groups (e.g., TWICE, Red Velvet, or Mamamoo) whose members have on-stage names such as Tzuyu, Nayeon, Jeongyeon, Moonbyul, Seulgi, Jihyo, or Chaeyoung just to name a few, three fourths of Blackpink’s members, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa, adopted western-sounding names and monikers. By adopting western-sounding stage names that are simple for the average American to pronounce and memorize, Blackpink makes its members more accessible and easier for the American public to better connect with the girls because memorizing and connecting with the girls will feel about the same as it would with that of other famous celebrities popular in America. Through an “American friendly” platform, content and a public image that is relatable and accessible to the average American, and a similar fan experience to popular music artists in America, Blackpink is able to cater to the American public despite being a Korean girl group and rise in popularity in the American market.
In less than half a decade, Blackpink has already amassed one of the largest fan bases in the United States, let alone the world, of any music group. Blackpink carefully crafts and streamlines their content and public imagery to cater and appeal to American audiences through the construction of a fan experience that resembles that of other famous celebrities popular in America. Their smashing success in the American market can be attributed to their appeal to modern-day progressive American culture which mirrors that of other famous music artists: Blackpink’s evocative displays of female empowerment and girl power in their lyrics and music videos and their focus on the theme of individuality and the uniqueness of each individual person helps a younger generation of Americans to resonate with their songs. As a result of their resemblance to other famous music artists in the United States, Americans have a much easier time connecting with and relating to both the girls and their songs due to their familiarity with other celebrities popular in America through fashion and their accessibility and relevance through their widespread media presence in America (e.g., late-night talk shows, performances in the United States, and collaborations with famous artists popular in America) and “American friendly” platform (e.g., the lack of a language barrier and their western-sounding stage names). With so much success in just four short years, one can only imagine how far Blackpink will really end up going.
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