The members of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK have not renewed their individual contracts with YG Entertainment.

• READ MORE: Two decades into their story, Epik High don’t look like they’re coming down from their “all-time high” anytime soon

Today (December 29), YG Entertainment announced in a statement to South Korean news outlet Xsportsnews that the four members of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK – Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa – would not be renewing their individual contracts with the agency.

“We have agreed not to proceed with additional contracts for [the members’] individual activities,” YG Entertainment said, as translated by Soompi. “We will do our utmost to support BLACKPINK’s activities, and we will cheer on the members’ individual activities with warm hearts.”

The news comes just days after Jennie launched her own label, Odd Atelier (OA). At the time, the singer revealed that she had established the company in November 2023, and described it as “a space that aims to create new things that attract attention in a different way from what is usual or expected”.

In early-December 2023, all four members of BLACKPINK “signed an exclusive contract for group activities” with YG Entertainment. It came after a months-long negotiation process, which started as early as July 2023.

As of writing, it is currently unclear whether the remaining three BLACKPINK members – Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa – will sign with existing labels or establish their own agencies.

BLACKPINK made their debut in 2016 under YG Entertainment, and have since gone on to become one of the most successful K-pop girl groups. Notably, despite not having released any new groups music in 2023, the quartet were still the second-most streamed K-pop act on Spotify for the year.

In other BLACKPINK news, Lisa recently shared a festive cover of Britney Spears‘ ‘My Only Wish (This Year)’ to celebrate Christmas. Elsewhere, K-pop group also premiered their virtual concert, ‘BLACKPINK: A VR Encore’, on December 26.

The post BLACKPINK are not renewing their individual contracts with YG Entertainment appeared first on NME.

BLACKPINK‘s Lisa shared a festive cover of Britney Spears‘ ‘My Only Wish (This Year)’ to celebrate Christmas Eve.

• READ MORE: The 25 best K-pop songs of 2023

Lisa shared a black-and-white photo of herself to Instagram to break the news to fans about the Christmas treat they’d be receiving. “Christmas present for my BLINKS Have a wonderful holiday,” Lisa wrote.

The cover is accompanied by a music video in which Lisa receives a small ribbon-wrapped note and single rose before she wanders the streets of Paris in a white fur-lined coat. Towards the end, she flashes a big grin to the camera as she accepts a rose from a mysterious suitor.

Check it out below:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by LISA (@lalalalisa_m)

Spears’ 2000 hit recently charted at number 26 on a list of Official Charts Company’s top 40 biggest Christmas songs of the 21st century.

Michael Bublé‘s ‘It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas’ topped the list with Grande’s cover of ‘Santa Tell Me’ coming in second followed by Lily Allen’s 2014 take of Keane‘s ‘Somewhere Only We Know’.

In other BLACKPINK news, the K-pop group premiered their virtual concert, ‘BLACKPINK: A VR Encore’, yesterday (December 26).

“Filming our upcoming VR concert in the heart of Seoul has added an extra layer of magic to this project,” BLACKPINK said in a press release, per Billboard. “It’s where it all began for us, and being able to share this unique experience with our fans around the world feels incredibly special.”

“It’s great to break down geographical barriers with The Diamond Bros and Meta, bringing back the memory of ‘BLACKPINK World Tour [Born Pink]’ finale straight into your home,” the quartet added.

Replays are now available until January 26.

‘BLACKPINK: A VR Encore’ is directed and produced by Emmy Award-winning production company The Diamond Bros, in partnership with Meta, and will be made available exclusively in VR inside the Meta Horizon Worlds’ Music Valley.

In other BLACKPINK news, the K-pop quartet have renewed their group contract with YG Entertainment, following a months-long negotiation process. However, the label says they it is still negotiating individual contracts with the four members.

The post BLACKPINK’s Lisa covers Britney Spears’ ‘My Only Wish (This Year)’ appeared first on NME.

BLACKPINK singer Jennie has established her own company and label, Odd Atelier (OA).

• READ MORE: 8 incredible upcoming K-dramas to watch in January 2024

On Christmas Eve (December 24), BLACKPINK’s Jennie shared on Instagram Stories that she has launched her own label and company to start her “solo journey in 2024”.

“This year was filled with many accomplishments, and I’m so thankful for all the love I’ve received,” she wrote, per Billboard. “I’m also about what’s to come, as I start my solo journey in 2024 with a company that I have established called OA. Please show lots of love for my new start with OA and of course BLACKPINK.”

In a separate post on the official OA Instagram account, Jennie also explained that the label is meant to be “a space that aims to create new things that attract attention in a different way from what is usual or expected”.

The BLACKPINK member also noted that she had established the company in November 2023. The announcement comes weeks after Jennie and her follow BLACKPINK bandmates renewed their group contracts with YG Entertainment.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by OA (@oddatelier)

Shortly after the group’s contract renewal was announced, YG Entertainment clarified that it was still negotiating individual contracts with the members of BLACKPINK.

BLACKPINK made their debut in 2016 under YG Entertainment, and have since gone on to become one of the most successful K-pop girl groups. Notably, despite not having released any new groups music in 2023, the quartet were still the second-most streamed K-pop act on Spotify for the year.

Meanwhile, the quartet will release their upcoming virtual concert, ‘BLACKPINK: A VR Encore’ later today (December 26) at 5pm PT in Meta Horizon Worlds. Watch a trailer for the VR concert here.

The post BLACKPINK’s Jennie launches her own label, Odd Atelier appeared first on NME.

K-pop girl group BLACKPINK have released a brand-new trailer for their upcoming virtual concert, ‘BLACKPINK: A VR Encore’.

• READ MORE: The 25 best K-pop songs of 2023

Released today (December 20), the trailer for ‘BLACKPINK: A VR Encore’ is set to the girl group’s hit 2018 song ‘Ddu-Du Ddu-Du’ and features footage from the special finale show of their ‘Born Pink’ world tour at Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome.

“Filming our upcoming VR concert in the heart of Seoul has added an extra layer of magic to this project,” BLACKPINK said in a press release, per Billboard. “It’s where it all began for us, and being able to share this unique experience with our fans around the world feels incredibly special.”

“It’s great to break down geographical barriers with The Diamond Bros and Meta, bringing back the memory of ‘BLACKPINK World Tour [Born Pink]’ finale straight into your home,” the quartet added.

The 70-minute ‘BLACKPINK: A VR Encore’ concert special premieres in VR on December 26 at 5pm PT in Meta Horizon Worlds. Attendees are now able to RSVP to the event, and replays will be made available for a month after the concert.

‘BLACKPINK: A VR Encore’ is directed and produced by Emmy Award-winning production company The Diamond Bros, in partnership with Meta, and will be made available exclusively in VR inside the Meta Horizon Worlds’ Music Valley.

In other BLACKPINK news, the K-pop quartet have renewed their group contract with YG Entertainment, following a months-long negotiation process. However, the label says they it is still negotiating individual contracts with the four members.

The post Watch the trailer for BLACKPINK’s virtual concert, ‘BLACKPINK: A VR Encore’ appeared first on NME.

Hugh Grant has revealed how he became a fan of K-pop girl group BLACKPINK.

• READ MORE: ‘Wonka’ review: Timothée Chalamet twinkles in a fun-filled festive treat

The British actor recently made an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, as part of promotional efforts for the new feature film Wonka, which he stars in alongside Timothée Chalamet.

During the interview, Fallon brought up a tweet Hugh Grant had previously posted, where he called himself a “Blink”, which the name of BLACKPINK fandom. The actor then recalled how he ended up watching the group live and becoming a fan.

“I have a daughter who dragged me to this thing. Well, [K-pop] is not automatically a grumpy 63-year-old English man’s cup of tea,” Grant said. “But it was a huge [BLACKPINK] concert in Hyde Park in London, and she took me there.”

“What was fascinating [is that] she’s a very good girl. She’s a very good girl in school, she’s a very good girl at home. She’s marvelous. [But at the concert] she turned into a raving nutcase,” he added. “Suddenly, she’s got this hammer in her hand, [waving it around] crazy like this. It was like a possessed child, like The Exorcist.”

However, Grant said that after about an hour of watching BLACKPINK perform live, he too found himself waving around the group’s lightstick, just as his daughter was. “They were amazing. I love them,” he added.

Elsewhere during the interview, Chalamet made a surprise appearance disguised as an audience member, asking Grant about what it was like working with the Dune actor.

The post Hugh Grant reveals how he became a BLACKPINK fan appeared first on NME.

The Circle Chart Music Awards (formerly known as the Gaon Chart Music Awards) has released the official list of nominees for this year’s ceremony.

• READ MORE: Red Velvet – ‘Chill Kill’ review: deliciously dark, delightfully macabre

The awards presented at the Circle Chart Music Awards are based on the commercial performance of albums and songs released in the past year on the Circle Charts. The upcoming ceremony will be held at BEXCO in Busan, South Korea on January 10, 2024.

The awards committee will also be including data from the Circle Global K-pop Chart, marking the second year the Circle Chart has considered international reception in the selection of winners.

For the first time in the awards’ history, this year’s iteration will also break the grand prize of Artist of the Year into four separate categories: Album, Streaming (Unique Listeners), Digital and Global Streaming. Some notable contenders for the four awards include powerhouses such as aespa, IVE, SEVENTEEN, NewJeans and more.

See the full list of nominees for the 13th Circle Chart Music Awards below:

Artist of the Year (Album)
aespa – ‘MY WORLD’
ENHYPEN – ‘Orange Blood’
IVE – ‘I’VE MINE’
BTS’ Jungkook – ‘Golden’
SEVENTEEN – ‘Seventeenth Heaven’
Stray Kids – ‘5-STAR’
TXT – ‘The Name Chapter: Freefall’
BTS’ V – ‘Layover’
ZEROBASEONE – ‘Youth in the Shade’

Artist of the Year (Digital)
aespa – ‘Spicy’
(G)I-DLE – ‘Queencard’
IVE – ‘I Am’
BLACKPINK’s Jisoo – ‘Flower’
BTS’ Jungkook – ‘Seven’ (featuring Latto)
LE SSERAFIM – ‘Unforgiven’ (featuring Nile Rodgers)
Lim Young-woong – ‘Grain of Sand’
NCT DREAM – ‘Candy’
NewJeans – ‘Ditto’
SEVENTEEN – ‘Super’

Artist of the Year (Streaming – Unique Listeners)
aespa – ‘Spicy’
AKMU – ‘Love Lee’
(G)I-DLE – ‘Queencard’
IVE – ‘I Am’
BLACKPINK’s Jisoo – ‘Flower’
BTS’ Jungkook – ‘Seven’ (featuring Latto)
LE SSERAFIM – ‘Unforgiven’ (featuring Nile Rodgers)
NCT DREAM – ‘Candy’
NewJeans – ‘Ditto’
SEVENTEEN – ‘Super’

Artist of the Year (Global Streaming)
aespa – ‘Spicy’
BTS – ‘Take Two’
(G)I-DLE – ‘Queencard’
IVE – ‘I Am’
BTS’ Jimin – ‘Like Crazy’
BLACKPINK’s Jisoo – ‘Flower’
BTS’ Jungkook – ‘Seven’ (featuring Latto)
LE SSERAFIM – ‘Unforgiven’ (featuring Nile Rodgers)
NewJeans – ‘Super Shy’
SEVENTEEN – ‘Super’

The post Here are the nominees of the 2023 Circle Chart Music Awards appeared first on NME.

K-pop girl group BLACKPINK are still discussing their individual contracts with YG Entertainment, the label has confirmed.

• READ MORE: ‘Sweet Home’ season two review: monstrous return feels like flimsy filler

YG Entertainment announced yesterday (December 6) that BLACKPINK had re-signed with the K-pop agency following a months-long negotiation process, saying that the quartet would be releasing “new albums” and embarking on “world tours” in the future.

However, in its statement, YG Entertainment also said that BLACKPINK had “signed an exclusive contract for group activities”, which left questions about the quartet’s individual contracts with the agency.

In a later statement to South Korean news outlet eToday, YG Entertainment confirmed that “the exclusive contracts for individual members are still being negotiated”.

In addition, the label also said that it is currently “difficult to provide details” about the duration of BLACKPINK’s new group contract, as well as any possible upcoming plans for new music. “For now, please kindly refer to the official statement only,” per TV Report, as translated by Soompi.

Yesterday, the share price of YG Entertainment shot up by as much as 29 per cent after it announced that BLACKPINK have renewed their contracts with the agency. The news also seemed to have a knock-on effect in the industry, with the shares of other K-pop companies also increasing after the news, including HYBE (8.5 per cent) and JYP Entertainment (7 per cent).

BLACKPINK made their debut in 2016 under YG Entertainment, and have since go on to become one of the most successful K-pop girl groups globally. Notably, despite not having released any new groups music in 2023, the quartet were still the second-most streamed K-pop act on Spotify for the year.

The post BLACKPINK are still negotiating individual contracts with YG Entertainment, the label says appeared first on NME.

The share price of YG Entertainment has shot up after it announced that K-pop girl group BLACKPINK have renewed their contracts with the agency.

• READ MORE: BABYMONSTER’s highly anticipated debut ‘Batter Up’ is a swing and a miss

The share price of YG Entertainment soared as much as 29 per cent today (December 6 KST), following the agency’s announcement that BLACKPINK have re-signed their contracts after a prolonged negotiation process.

According to CNBC, the share price of YG Entertainment had closed at ₩48,000 (US$36.50) the day prior, but surged to as high as ₩61,900 (US$47.15) today. The price of the company’s stocks have since cooled slightly, hovering at around ₩60,000 (US$65.70) at time of writing.

Meanwhile, Bloomberg also notes that the stock price of YG Plus, which is partially owned by YG Entertainment, jumped up by the daily limit of 30 per cent. Meanwhile, the shares of other K-pop companies also rose after the news, including HYBE (8.5 per cent) and JYP Entertainment (7 per cent).

The announcement that BLACKPINK have renewed their contracts with YG Entertainment comes after a months-long negotiation process, one that began as early as July 2023. At the time, the K-pop agency said that the girl group’s contracts were still “under discussion”, following media reports that Lisa would not be renewing her contract.

The K-pop agency said largely the same in September 2023, when reports claimed that Jennie, Jisoo and Lisa would not be renewing their contracts. YG Entertainment provided an update on negotiations with BLACKPINK in mid-November, saying that it was “still negotiating with the artists”.

BLACKPINK made their debut in 2016 under YG Entertainment, and have since go on to become one of the most successful K-pop girl groups globally. Notably, despite not having released any new groups music in 2023, the quartet were still the second-most streamed K-pop act on Spotify for the year.

The post YG Entertainment share price shoots up after BLACKPINK contract renewal appeared first on NME.

K-pop girl group BLACKPINK have renewed their contracts with YG Entertainment, following a months-long negotiation process.

• READ MORE: BABYMONSTER’s highly anticipated debut ‘Batter Up’ is a swing and a miss

On the early morning of December 6, YG Entertainment announced in a press release to NME that BLACKPINK will “continue their partnership” with the K-pop agency, following a prolonged negotiation process.

In its statement, YG Entertainment said that the quartet have “signed an exclusive contract for group activities”, noting that the re-signing is “based on strong trust after careful discussions”.

YG Entertainment also said that the K-pop girl group will be releasing “new albums” and embarking on “world tours” with the “full support” of the K-pop agency.

“We are more than thrilled to finally make an official statement that YG will continue the intimate relationship with BLACKPINK,” said YG Entertainment founder and executive producer Yang Hyun-suk in the press release.

“As the group represents YG and K-pop itself, they will certainly endeavor to shine brilliantly in the global music market,” he added. “YG will send unwavering support and trust in their actions”.

The news of BLACKPINK’s decision to renew their contracts with YG Entertainment follows months of negotiation with the label. In July 2023, the K-pop agency said that the girl group’s contracts were still “under discussion”, following media reports that Lisa would not be renewing her contract.

The K-pop agency said largely the same in September 2023, when reports claimed that Jennie, Jisoo and Lisa would not be renewing their contracts. YG Entertainment provided an update on negotiations with BLACKPINK in mid-November, saying that it was “still negotiating with the artists”.

BLACKPINK made their debut in 2016 under YG Entertainment, and have since go on to become one of the most successful K-pop girl groups globally. Notably, despite not having released any new groups music in 2023, the quartet were still the second-most streamed K-pop act on Spotify for the year.

The post BLACKPINK renew contract with YG Entertainment after months-long negotiation appeared first on NME.

Spotify has shared the platform’s 10 most-streamed K-pop tracks and K-pop artists of 2022, featuring the likes of NewJeans, members of BTS, BLACKPINK and more.

• READ MORE: BABYMONSTER’s highly anticipated debut ‘Batter Up’ is a swing and a miss

The music streaming service launched the 2023 edition of its annual Spotify Wrapped event on November 29, where it shared data on the platform’s most-streamed artists, music and podcasts.

As part of the Wrapped 2023, Spotify Korea also shared lists of the Top 10 most-streamed K-pop songs and K-pop artists this year. BTS member Jungkook‘s debut solo song ‘Seven (feat. Latto)’ emerged as the number-one most streamed song, with bandmate Jimin‘s ‘Like Crazy’ coming in at Number Three.

The rest of the list, however, is dominated by girl groups and female K-pop idols. The highest among the bunch is FIFTY FIFTY‘s viral hit ‘Cupid – Twin Ver.’, which came in at Number Two. Elsewhere, BLACKPINK‘s 2022 single ‘Shut Down’ ranked at Number Nine, with members Lisa and Jisoo clinching Number Seven and Eight with ‘Money’ and ‘Flower’, respectively.

Meanwhile, NewJeans are the only K-pop act to claim more than one spot on the Top 10 list. The girl group’s 2023 songs ‘Super Shy’ and ‘OMG’ are Number Six and Four, respectively, while their 2022 hits ‘Ditto’ and ‘Hype Boy’ charted at Number Five and Ten.

The most-streamed K-pop songs globally in 2023, according to Spotify Wrapped, are:

1. ‘Seven (feat. Latto)’ by Jungkook
2. ‘Cupid – Twin Ver.’ by FIFTY FIFTY
3. ‘Like Crazy’ by Jimin
4. ‘OMG’ by NewJeans
5. ‘Ditto’ by NewJeans
6. ‘Super Shy’ by NewJeans
7. ‘Money’ by Lisa
8. ‘Flower’ by Jisoo
9. ‘Shut Down’ by BLACKPINK
10. ‘Hype Boy’ by NewJeans

Over on the most-streamed K-pop artists list, global juggernauts BTS topped the list. Group members Jungkook and Jimin, meanwhile, came in at Number Three and Six, respectively. Other boybands on the list are Stray Kids (Number Five), SEVENTEEN (Number Eight) and Tomorrow X Together (Number Nine)

The most-streamed K-pop girl group in 2023 are BLACKPINK, who are also second on the overall list. Meanwhile, NewJeans clinch fourth place, with TWICE at Number Seven and LE SSERAFIM at Number Ten.

The most-streamed K-pop artists on Spotify globally in 2023 are:

1. BTS
2. BLACKPINK
3. Jungkook
4. NewJeans
5. Stray Kids
6. Jimin
7. TWICE
8. SEVENTEEN
9. Tomorrow X Together
10. LE SSERAFIM

스포티파이 2023 랩드로 보는 글로벌 연말결산

여러분들의 최애곡도 궁금하시다면 지금 바로 만나보세요!
https://t.co/agydLmgm8t#SpotifyWrapped연말결산 #스포티파이_랩드_연말결산 pic.twitter.com/doFn4NI37h

— Spotify Korea (@SpotifyKR) November 30, 2023

Spotify users can access their personalised Spotify Wrapped analytics via the platform’s iOS and Android apps via the 2022 Wrapped hub. Users are required to have the most-updated version of the app installed.

In related news, Apple Music has unveiled its official list of the most-streamed songs on the platform for this year, with five entries belonging to K-pop acts such as NewJeans, BTS‘ Jungkook and more.

The post Spotify unveils the most-streamed K-pop songs of 2023, featuring NewJeans, Jungkook and more appeared first on NME.