Blackpink release new song Pink Venom ahead of 9-month world tour, Latest Music News - The New Paper
Music

Blackpink release new song Pink Venom ahead of 9-month world tour

SEOUL (REUTERS) - K-pop girl group Blackpink released their new song, Pink Venom, on Friday (Aug 19), their first single in nearly two years, ahead of a planned nine-month world tour.

The music video of the hip-hop track, the lead single of the group's new album to be released next month, has already attracted more than 20 million views on YouTube three hours after its release.

The foursome - Jisoo, 27, Jennie, 26, Rose and Lisa, both 25 - have become a global phenomenon since their debut in South Korea in 2016 and have collaborated with stars such as Lady Gaga, Cardi B and Dua Lipa.

Some of their songs, such as Kill This Love (2019), have gathered more than a billion YouTube hits, but the group members have focused more on solo releases recently.

"Since it's our comeback after a long time ... we wanted to express our identity. So we put together words Pink and Venom, two contradictory words that will well remind you of us," Jennie said at a media event.

The band's management agency YG Entertainment said the music video for the song, which features traditional Korean instruments, is the most expensive it has ever produced.

The new album, Born Pink, set for release on Sept 16, presold more than 1.5 million copies in a week, double the number of the group's first album in 2020, YG said.

"Rather than focusing on breaking records, we have really prepared for the new song so our fans and audiences can love it ... (but) if we are able to break records, we would be really thankful," Rose said.

Blackpink will kick off their world tour in October and visit at least 26 cities, including Singapore, through to June next year, performing to some 1.5 million fans.

k-popCelebritiesMusicCONCERTS