Will Blackpink leave YG to join affiliate The Black Label?
SEOUL – K-pop girl group Blackpink will change their management to The Black Label, an affiliate of YG Entertainment, according to industry sources.
On Friday, an industry insider told The Korea Herald that the four-piece girl group would leave YG to join The Black Label, and that discussions over the contracts were completed early this year.
The Black Label is headed by Teddy Park, a creative director and songwriter who has worked with Blackpink since the group’s debut.
Formerly an in-house producer for YG, Park co-founded The Black Label in 2016, and has since produced and written songs for several YG artistes such as Jinusean, Seven, Big Bang, 2NE1, Lee Hi, Blackpink and Jeon Somi.
Taeyang of Big Bang also recently signed with The Black Label, saying his decision was based on his strong trust in the producer and their long-time teamwork.
Asked about Blackpink joining forces with The Black Label, a YG official said: “There’s nothing I can confirm regarding the news. What I can say is that our contracts with the members have not ended yet. It’s hard to confirm whether they will sign with The Black Label or not after their contracts end.”
Industry insiders have been closely watching Blackpink’s next step, as YG’s contract with the group, which debuted in 2016, expires in 2023.
The standard length of exclusive agreements between agencies and artistes in South Korea is seven years.
Blackpink released their second full-length album Born Pink in September, and are currently on a world tour, having recently finished the North American and European legs. They are set to embark on the Asian and Oceanian sections of the tour in 2023.
Meanwhile, K-pop boy band iKon are leaving YG, their current agency, as the exclusive contract has come to an end.
According to industry sources, the members of iKon – Song, Jay, Ju-ne, Chan, Bobby and DK – decided not to renew their contracts with YG.
This comes seven years after their debut in September 2015.
The iKon members are looking for new agencies and, at the same time, are considering the option of forming an agency themselves to continue their careers together as a band. - THE KOREA HERALD/ASIA NEWS NETWORK
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