PUBLISHED ONSeptember 19, 2023 4:42 AMBySyarifah NadhirahIs this the end of Blackpink?
This question has been hanging in the air since the K-pop girl group's contracts were expected to be renewed last month.
Blackpink, consisting of members Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo and Rose, debuted seven years ago in August 2016.
Amid rumours of Lisa leaving their management company YG Entertainment, South Korean media reported that details of their contract extension were likely to be released in August this year.
It was mentioned that Lisa and YG Entertainment were having "difficulties" fixing a date to settle the matter.
However, there has been no news since, and their final concert for the Born Pink tour held in Seoul on Sunday (Sept 17) sparked debates on whether the group will continue as a quartet.
Fans were concerned as they noticed Lisa and Jennie were crying during the concert.
In response to a video of Lisa crying, a fan wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: "I feel farewell [coming]."
"Don't cry my girl, we will always support you no matter what you do and where you go," said another, adding crying emojis.
In a separate post where Jennie is seen crying, a fan blasted YG Entertainment: "If Blackpink is really about to disband, it's pretty ironic (and f**ked up) that the group they (YG Entertainment) first marketed as the 'prettier 2NE1' is also going out mismanaged."
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"Thank you for always enjoying and cheering us on. Thank you for gifting me such an amazing experience. Thank you for making my 20s shine," said Lisa during the concert, reading off a speech she wrote on her phone.
South Korean news outlet Star News reported on Sept 14 that there are rumours of Lisa rejecting two contract renewal offers from YG Entertainment.
One of the contracts was said to be worth 50 billion won (S$52 million), though it is unclear whether it was the first or second offer.
The 26-year-old Thailand-born star was also rumoured to have received "several offers" for "more than tens of billions of won from overseas", including her home country.
At the time of writing, there are no updates regarding the contract renewal for the other members of Blackpink.
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