While BLACKPINK members are leaving YG Entertainment, their solo careers are thriving, making fans suspect that YG has already tried to limit BLACKPINK’s potential.
Below is some evidence brought by fans regarding this accusation:
Lisa, the youngest member of BLACKPINK, made a significant breakthrough in 2024 when she ended her exclusive contract with YG Entertainment after more than five years. He quickly founded his own company, LLOUD, and entered into a strategic partnership with international powerhouse RCA Records, laying the foundation for an impressive string of music releases.
In July, Lisa was released “ROCKSTAR”, showcasing his work with an international production team. Although the all-English single sparked some debate over its artistic direction, it successfully launched Lisa’s independent career. Shortly after, he unveiled a groundbreaking collaboration with Grammy-winning Latin pop sensation Rosalía, titled “New woman”. This partnership demonstrated Lisa’s versatility, as she effortlessly transitioned from American hip-hop influenced rap to a fusion of K-pop and Latin genres.
Building on the momentum of these releases, Lisa has made waves on major international stages, from the 2024 VMAs to the Global Citizen Festival, with an upcoming appearance on the Victoria’s Secret runway. It will be released on October 3rd “Moonlight Floor”, a song he had already premiered at the Global Citizen Festival.
These opportunities and creative freedoms have flourished since Lisa partnered with RCA Records, suggesting that such ventures may have been limited under YG Entertainment’s management.
Jennie’s Creative Renaissance
Like Lisa, Jennie has experienced an extraordinary year of professional growth through her company, ODDATELIER. Despite initial management challenges, Jennie and her team have created a solid foundation for her independent career beyond YG’s influence.
Jennie recently announced her return with “Mantra”, the lead single from his solo album, out October 11th. She launched a personal website and adopted bold, experimental looks for this promotion.
The artist has undergone dramatic transformations, sporting pink hair for the “Mantra” music video and platinum blonde hair at Paris Fashion Week. While some of these artistic choices have sparked debate among fans, they represent Jennie’s newfound creative freedom.
This creative release stands in stark contrast to a touching revelation four years ago during BLACKPINK “As You Like It” era. Despite creating a sensation with her dyed, fringed hair and Hanbok dress, Jennie had asked stylists to tone down her appearance to avoid overshadowing her bandmates, a decision that stemmed from unwritten group dynamics and image guidelines carefully crafted by YG for each member.
The musical evolution of Rosé
On October 1, Rosé surprised the industry by announcing her self-titled solo album “Rosie”, out December 6th via Atlanta Records. The project represents years of creative development, finally coming to fruition after joining THE BLACK LABEL.
The album contains twelve tracks, all co-written by Rosé herself, promising an authentic portrait of her musical journey. Fellow members Jennie and Jisoo were quick to show their support, with Jennie sharing a particularly heartfelt congratulations on Instagram: “I’m so proud and happy for you, Rosieposie. It’s time to wake everyone up with your beautiful voice🤍. I can’t wait!!! I love you🌹”
This represents a significant change from Rosé’s YG era, where despite her noted passion for songwriting, her released works were limited to just two singles (“On the ground” AND “Left”) and an album track (“Hard to love”).
One year of independence versus seven years under YG
The contrast between BLACKPINK’s current individual output and group activities under YG is striking. Despite their global success, the group’s discography under YG consisted of fewer than 50 songs and only two full-length albums, each containing just eight tracks, an unusually small catalog for the group with many years of experience.
While that of YG “less is more” While the strategy has undeniably helped establish BLACKPINK as an industry phenomenon, the extended breaks and limited releases may have limited the members’ creative potential. All four members have demonstrated their abilities, but these talents have rarely been showcased in their group’s releases.
Now, with the conclusion of their exclusive contracts, three of the four members – Lisa, Jennie and Rosé – are experiencing unprecedented creative freedom. Their overall musical output in recent months already exceeds what would have been possible during a typical year under YG’s management. Meanwhile, Jisoo has chosen to focus on furthering her acting career.
This suggests that YG’s management style, while successful in building the BLACKPINK brand, may have inadvertently limited its members’ full artistic expression.
Source: K14
