Blackpink is a girl group for the generations

Despite the "lazy allegations" and disbandment rumours, the quartet proved you can't deny their starpower

(Photo credit: YG Entertainment)

Whether you love them or not, Blackpink is a group that often generates conversation.

Since their debut in 2016, Blackpink is one of the rare K-pop groups that has successfully transitioned into western, mainstream success. Their girl crush concept, coupled with songs about empowerment and confidence, resonated with fans at a time when bubble gum pop dominated the 3rd generation of K-pop.

And nearly one decade later, the girls are bigger than ever.

Blackpink is the first K-pop group to headline Coachella. Their songs “Kill This Love” and “How You Like That” broke records for music video views within 24 hours of release. And individually, each of the members—JENNIE, JISOO, ROSÉ and LISA—are mainstays in the fashion and entertainment worlds.

Despite these accolades, Blackpink has often faced criticism over their lack of comebacks and growth in their musical style and sound. I wrote about this back in 2022, when I saw the group perform in Hamilton. At the time, there were numerous Tiktoks criticizing the lack of polish of Blackpink’s choreography. Some even wondered whether Blackpink even wanted to perform with each other at all.

But a lot has changed in the last three years. And I was curious to know how Blackpink has grown as performers. That is why I decided to buy a ticket to see the girls perform at the new Rogers Stadium in Toronto on July 22.

Since 2022, the biggest change for Blackpink was the fact that each member have decided to only renew their contracts with YG Entertainment as a group, and go their separate ways as soloists. JENNIE, LISA and JISOO formed their own companies, while Rosé signed under YG subsidiary THE BLACK LABEL and inked a record deal with Atlantic Records.

In 2025, all members released solo projects of their own, and even found the time to dabble in other projects. JENNIE and LISA performed at Coachella. JISOO pursued her passion for acting. And Rosé found runaway success with her hit single APT. with Bruno Mars. (Trust me when I say people who don’t even follow K-pop tell me how much they love this damn song!) This isn’t even the crux of what each of these ladies were up to over the last couple of months. LISA even found time to act in The White Lotus! Needless to say, the Blackpink ladies were quite literally *everywhere.*

With their relentless schedules, my curiousity to see Blackpink in concert again was due to nostalgia for the group’s music but also how their solo eras would help them grow as a group. I admit I was a bit worried those ladies had no time to even rehearse together for such a production. But when I finally saw the group perform during their first of two nights in Toronto, I was surprisingly and thoroughly impressed.

The moment Blackpink hit the stage with “Kill This Love,” I could already tell the energy in the stadium was far more exciting than Hamilton. Granted, I was in a crowd of nearly 50,000 versus 18,000 in Hamilton. But the energy just felt more lively, and people genuinely seemed excited to see the Blackpink ladies back together again. The live band, fireworks display and electric backup dancers further added to the spectacle of the Blackpink concert.

But most of all, the show gave fans—or BLINKS—a real glimpse of each of the members’ solo eras, letting them shine in their own ways. JISOO channeled ethereal goddess energy while performing her singles “Earthquake” and “Your Love.” LISA showed that she was BORN to dance while performing “Thunder” and “FXCK UP THE WORLD.”

Meanwhile, JENNIE (who often gets criticized for her lack of energy while dancing) beat the “lazy allegations” and showcased her badass aura during her performance of “With the IE (Way Up)" and “Like JENNIE.” And last but not least, Rosé showcased her songwriting prowess and made the crowd emotional by singing “3am”, “toxic till the end” and “APT.” A real crowd-pleasing moment was seeing Rosé pay homage to Canadians, taking a sip out of Tim Hortons coffee and a bite out of a Timbit.

During moments when the girls reunited on stage, it also felt like going back to the years of 2016 to 2018, when I suddenly remembered I knew all the words to songs like “BOOMBAYAH” and “Playing with Fire.”

Even the band’s new single “Jump” (produced by Diplo), got the crowd literally jumping on Rogers Stadium’s notorious shaky bleachers. It proves when a group gives you energy, the crowd gives it right back to you. Most fun of all was seeing the Blackpink ladies genuinely supporting one another, opting to give Toronto a special OT4 version “APT” during the encore. The girls ran across the stage chasing after one another, showing off their chaotic energy. On Day 2, Blackpink switched things up and sang LISA’s “FVCK UP THE WORLD.” I was sad to have missed the latter. But, I hope singing OT4 versions of Blackpink’s solo songs continues to be a tradition!

Outside of the concert itself, I was actually quite moved to see so many generations of fans gather in Toronto just to see a once-in-a-lifetime K-pop girl group take the stage in the city. Moms and daughters wore matching pink outfits. Girlfriends brought their equally passionate boyfriends to the concert with lightsticks in hand. And even my best friend, who I have known since high school, encouraged me to buy a matching Blackpink jersey with her so we could do a photoshoot by the ferris wheel. Blackpink brings people together, and that truly is the beauty of K-pop.

As I said back in 2022, what the future holds for Blackpink still remains an unknown. But what I can say for sure is these ladies seem more refreshed and happier after a period of growth away from each other. As they now edge towards their 30s (JISOO herself is now 30), the group enters an era of maturity. All I want is for these ladies to make the art they want to make, all while continuing to support one another together and apart.

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See me elsewhere!!

I interviewed Jackson Wang about his new album MAGICMAN 2. It’s the most personal the Chinese singer has ever been, as he tackles themes like setting boundaries, loss of identity and making art on his own terms.

I felt particularly seen by hearing the Chinese voice memos used by Wang, both in Cantonese and Mandarin, to pay homage to his family. He also discussed his reunion with his GOT7 members earlier this year.

Read the interview on GRAMMY.com