Thanks to Hallyu, the world is finally in love with the colorful realm of K-pop. One of the leading K-pop groups, Blackpink, under the label YG Entertainment has dominated the charts all over the world alongside their fellow K-pop artists such as BTS, Seventeen, Stray Kidz, Psy, IU, etc. However, every K-pop artist has one thing in common- they are under a contract with their labels.
Most K-pop artists begin their journey by signing a contract with an entertainment agency. They rigorously train under them as a K-pop trainee for months and sometimes years before they finally debut. Therefore, Blackpink debuted in 2016 after its four members were finalized to debut. The group consists of Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo, and Rosé.
Each of the members has a different journey from being a trainee to making it as Blackpink. Similarly, each of them had a different duration of time as a trainee until they finally signed their contract with YG Entertainment as a member of Blackpink; and so began their incredible journey as one of the most popular K-pop groups.
Watch their live debut showcase at Inkigayo:
So far, the group has functioned seamlessly for 6 years while breaking multiple records and securing several daesangs. Blackpink has conquered not only South Korea but also the international music market with several record-breaking singles. And if that wasn’t enough, two of the members, Lisa and Rosé have made a hit solo debut which also won them awards. Therefore, it is no doubt that they are at the peak of their careers. So after everything, fans are now wondering about their contract with YG and what’s next for Blackpink.
Blackpink’s current contract
Blackpink officially debuted on August 18th, 2016, with their single album, Square One. This also means that their official contract with YG as Blackpink began that year. Therefore, currently, all the members of Blackpink are under contract with YG.
With just their debut album, Blackpink managed to win the Seoul Music Award for Best New Artist. The two singles from the album, Whistle and Boombayah in particular, became a massive hit and immediately established their presence in the K-pop industry. From there on, Blackpink has created its signature style of music and visuals, which includes colorful sets, bold lyrics, and creative outfits.
Currently, Blackpink has taken the world by storm with their studio album, Born Pink, after a long wait of two years. The pre-release singles, Pink Venom and Shut Down, already dominated charts before the entire album were released on September 16th, 2022.
Watch their latest hit single MV Shut Down:
Blackpink’s contract end date
K-pop contracts are usually 7 years long, after which the members can choose to renew them. Therefore, Blackpink’s current contract will expire in 2023. With a year left of their contract, fans have been eagerly waiting to hear confirmation of renewal. However, as of now, there’s no official discussion or notice by YG or Blackpink regarding their contracts.
Generally, fans only find out about it only after the current duration of the contract. Hence, they have been keeping an eye out for any announcement regarding their contract. Additionally, K-pop artists have an intimate bond with their, so fans have also been keeping track of their Live sessions, Instagram, and other official platforms, hoping to catch a positive hint.
Will Blackpink disband?
Currently, Blackpink is actively promoting its latest album, Born Pink, in both South Korea and other countries. Fans are speculating that a Blackpink tour is on its way. The member has also attended several interviews and magazine shoots for the same. For example, they performed their single, Shut Down, on Jimmy Kimmel Live, MTV, and attended a cover shoot for the Elle October issue. Therefore, fans are overjoyed that the members are releasing so much content together after so long.
Considering all, Blackpink has no plans of disbanding after their contract ends in 2023 as they have a lot of schedules lined up. No member has expressed their desire to end the contract as they have always been a tight-knit group. It is likely that all the members of Blackpink will renew their contract as the group won’t be the same without any one of them missing. However, the K-pop industry is as unexpected as heavy rain on a sunny day, so fans can only wait until 2023 for confirmation.
