《Kim Ji-won's Shooting Star》
Kim Ji-won, a reporter from Ten Asia's music team, brings you a refreshing taste of the music industry like a 'shooting star'.
BLACKPINK is back, and their comeback project is as unique as expected. The group has teamed up with the National Museum of Korea for a special collaboration. After 3 years and 5 months, BLACKPINK has returned to the music scene.
Until the 8th of next month, BLACKPINK will present the 'National Museum X BLACKPINK' project. This collaboration is a meeting between BLACKPINK, who has spread K-pop globally, and Korea's representative K-museum. Global audio and music streaming platform Spotify is also an official partner.
Fans from around the world gathered to listen to BLACKPINK's new songs. A listening session was set up at the 'Path of History' in the museum's main lobby, where fans could preview all the tracks from their mini 3rd album. Fans lined up, eagerly waiting for their turn. The reporter, who visited at 2 PM, could only enter at 3 PM after waiting for about an hour.
Inside the listening session, standing in front of mirrors with song titles allowed the music to play. Attendees enjoyed the new songs in a pink-hued setting, moving step by step to listen to each of the five tracks before exiting. Afterward, they could listen to the songs again using headsets provided on the wall. The members participated in audio guides for eight representative artifacts. After listening to the new songs, fans could view the artifacts while listening to the members' voice explanations.
Hearing the artifacts explained in the members' voices naturally connected tradition with popular culture. It likely sparked interest in Korean culture among international fans. However, there were some shortcomings. Besides listening to the new songs, the session offered no additional content. With many fans visiting from abroad, more diverse content could have enhanced their satisfaction.
BLACKPINK's explanations were accessible by scanning QR codes near the artifacts, but this method was easy to miss unless actively sought out. Many visitors overlooked this feature. The reason for the collaboration with the National Museum was also unclear. Most of BLACKPINK's new songs are in English, and while some Korean elements are present in the music videos, the album doesn't have a distinctly Korean theme.
Despite this, fans expressed satisfaction. Many global fans visited Korea because of their love for BLACKPINK. Danida, 42, from Thailand, was clearly a fan, wearing a pink hoodie with 'Deadline' written on it. She had also attended a previous concert in Goyang. Danida came from Thailand specifically for this project.
She said, "I became a fan after watching BLACKPINK's Coachella performance on YouTube in 2019. Although it's been 3 years and 5 months since their last comeback, they released 'JUMP' and had a world tour, so it didn't feel like a long hiatus. I previewed the new songs on the way here, and they exceeded my expectations." Danida discovered the charm of K-pop through BLACKPINK. "Listening to BLACKPINK's songs led Spotify's algorithm to recommend other K-pop groups, which piqued my interest. I even attended a concert of a group I discovered this way while in Korea," she added.
A high school fan visiting with her younger brother also came to Korea for BLACKPINK. "I've been a Blink (fandom name) since 4th grade. I'm from Kyrgyzstan and have been studying in Korea for two years. I love BLACKPINK's music. I attended the pre-listening event yesterday. The songs were so good that I got goosebumps," she said. This fan showed her affection for Jennie, her favorite member, by holding up a Jennie-lookalike MD doll. "I came today hoping to get a Jennie photocard. They give out one random card each, so I brought my brother to increase my chances," she explained.
Hanbin, 19, a fan of five years, was curious about the project and traveled from Incheon to the museum. Listening to BLACKPINK's audio guide in front of a stone pagoda, he said, "I'm a senior in high school, but I put studying aside because BLACKPINK is back," drawing laughter. He continued, "They always come back with new yet distinctly BLACKPINK songs. It's a bit disappointing that there aren't many new songs, but I'm happy they're back as a full group." Hanbin smiled, "The collaboration with the National Museum is meaningful, and I'm proud of BLACKPINK for promoting Korea in various ways."
BLACKPINK's mini 3rd album 'DEADLINE' was released at 2 PM that day. It includes five tracks: the title track 'GO', the pre-released 'JUMP', 'Me and my', 'Champion', and 'Fxxxboy'. YG stated, "As the title 'DEADLINE' suggests, the album is filled with 'unforgettable peak moments' and 'the brightest present of BLACKPINK'."
Kim Ji-won, Ten Asia Reporter one@tenasia.co.kr