BLACKPINK, a forced 10th anniversary..a bitter birthday party [★FOCUS]

*This content was translated by AI.

On August 8, the girl group BLACKPINK, which rewrote K-pop history, finally marked its 10th debut anniversary.

For BLACKPINK, which easily surpassed the 'cursed seven years' to rise to the position of a global top star, the 10th-year span should have been an occasion for a grand celebration amid fervent blessings from within and outside the music industry. However, the scene on the day the curtain rose for the 10th anniversary was as bitter as it gets, due to a deluge of fan criticism and the awkward outcome of "at least holding the event."

The 10th anniversary had no clean spot from start to finish. Just a few days prior, YG Entertainment (hereinafter YG), which had maintained silence without any event announcement, suddenly announced the 'Meet & Greet' event late on the night of the 6th, only two days before the 10th anniversary, after fan group Blink's anger reached its peak.

However, the surprise announcement poured oil on a fire. The number of invitees for the 10th anniversary event of an artist with tens of millions of fans worldwide was merely 40, and even specific times and locations were not specified. Furthermore, a half-hearted notice stating that "only some members could attend due to schedule conflicts" added fuel to the criticism that they were "openly mocking fans."

As the controversy intensified, YG stated on the 7th, "It has been finally confirmed that all four members will attend," and hurriedly moved to contain the situation. Although a dramatic 'full four-member lineup' was achieved, this cannot be packaged as a beautiful story of goodwill.

Behind the scenes of this 10th anniversary event lie awkward communication breakdowns and bitter circumstances between the agency and the members. According to entertainment industry sources, YG has been continuously proposing various planning concepts to commemorate BLACKPINK's 10th anniversary to the members for a long time. However, during this process, communication with the members was not smooth, and confusion continued regarding schedules and the direction of the event.

Ultimately, as the agency's casual attitude and the members' lukewarm response collided just before this monumental milestone of the 10th anniversary, the situation was pushed to this point. This is why neither the agency nor the members can be free from responsibility.

The attendance of all four members was also rushed. It is reported that two members suddenly expressed their willingness to attend, prompting the other two to hastily adjust their existing schedules to barely secure a spot. The fact that even the minimum time for all four members to gather in one place was not coordinated in advance clearly demonstrates how urgent and haphazard this event was promoted.

The venue for the 10th anniversary event, which was finally held after many twists and turns, is reported to be the National Museum of Korea. The rationale that an artist representing K-pop would meet fans in a symbolic space where South Korea's history and culture breathe sounds plausible. However, looking into the details, it turned out to be an absurd scene where only 40 fans were gathered in a corner of a huge museum for communication.

The bigger problem is that this 10th anniversary event is read not as a joyful self-celebration but as a foreshadowing of an uncertain future. Currently, the exclusive group contract between YG and BLACKPINK is approaching expiration again. According to the music industry, discussions regarding contract renewal between both sides have not even officially begun yet.

Members focusing on individual activities while walking their own paths, and an agency losing the momentum to keep them together. The current reality of marking this symbolic day with a hastily assembled event for 40 people due to poor communication between the two sides clearly shows that dark clouds are looming over BLACKPINK's future contract negotiations.

After many twists and turns, on the 8th, BLACKPINK met 40 fans at the National Museum of Korea. The global fans who have been with them for 10 years did not desire a farce in front of 40 people gathered by forcing time together. It is something that the agency and members, who are relieved saying "at least the event was held," should deeply reflect on how today's date will be remembered as regret and bitterness to all Blink fans worldwide.

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*This content was translated by AI.