On the latest episode of the Rolling Stone Music Now podcast, Rolling Stone senior writer Brian Hiatt, and reporter Haeryun Kang, delving inside the world of BLACKPINK and discuss their history making Rolling Stone cover.
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Surprised by the candid nature of her interview with the worlds biggest girl group, based on K-Pop interviews she’s conducted in the past, Kang excitedly expressed that BLACKPINK were "really ready to talk about their lives and more honest than I really expected.”
After the success of BTS, when YG Entertainment had plans to create a girl group, the hope was to emulate the formula to be able to transcend the genre of just K-Pop to worldwide Pop. And with BLACKPINK expanding to borders beyond Korea, having both global reach and a global sound, they did just that.
All members of BLACKPINK joined YG, one by one in the trainee program, with Jennie being the first in 2010. As the girls explained to Haeryun, every week they would have a test, where they’d dance and sing in front of judges that would decide whether they’d remain the program or go home. Obviously none the group members ever got the boot, remaining in the program for 4-6 years, with “there sole focus… was just debuting.”
Despite coming out on the other side and achieving global success, Kang mentioned that band member Jisoo, “was probably the most vulnerable with me in the interview,” noted that “sometimes performing still feels like a test.” As for Jennie, the main rapper of the group, she classifies herself as the one in the group “that makes sure people do their jobs.” When describing Rosé, Kang noted “she has this wonderful insecurity about her where she’s questioning herself as a musician and she wants to be better.”
“They all have such different strengths as musicians," Haeryun went on to say, “Rosé is definitely the vocalist, whereas Jennie and Lisa are more the rap, and in Lisa’s case especially dancing. And Jisoo is good at harmonizing and she’s also a lead vocalist.” Before delving into more behind-the-scenes deets of her candid sit down with the girls.
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