#BLACKPINKLEAVEYG trends on Twitter, asking band to exit 'big 3' K-pop company
MANILA, Philippines — Korean girl group Blackpink is being asked by fans to leave K-pop label YG Entertainment due to allegedly poor promotion and a series of highly-publicized controversies involving its other artists, according to tweets that used #BLACKPINKLEAVEYG which trended on Thursday.
The band – consisting of Jisoo (visual and lead vocalist), Jennie (main rapper), Rosé (main vocalist) and Lisa (main dancer and lead rapper) – on Monday became the first Korean group to reach the one billion YouTube view mark for a single music video.
Blackpink also won all three categories they were nominated for at the 2019 E! People's Choice Awards on Monday, namely Group, Concert and Music Video of 2019 for "Kill this Love."
‘Wasted potential’
Twitter users have claimed that YG Entertainment is "wasting" Blackpink's potential by only promoting them once a year since “As If It’s Your Last” in 2017.
What’s the point of being a top global girl group when they have 1 comeback per year, no full album, and they don’t even get promoted as a group anymore. The girls trained for up to 6 years and aren’t even given the chance to grow as artists. #BLACKPINKLEAVEYG
— M???? (@jennietrends) November 14, 2019
Fans said that aside from the group's studio album "Blackpink in Your Area" composed of Japanese-language versions of their Korean hit title tracks, the group has not had a full-length album since it's debut in August 2016.
All this rigorous training for 6 tedious years and for what exactly? Since their debut, they were banned from doing the same thing & YGE has been responsible in just 3 years of breaking the confidence and energy they formed in their time as treinees #BLACKPINKLEAVEYG pic.twitter.com/sM7OyTJOWM
— ? (@FLOWERSLALISA) November 14, 2019
Despite the group’s recent success, they have less than 20 songs in their discography excluding alternative versions of their original Korean releases.
this is honestly so sad the blackpink deserve better #BLACKPINKLEAVEYG pic.twitter.com/81c4ukR97G
— ? (@firejennie) November 14, 2019
Aside from Blackpink, YG Entertainment trained and produced popular K-pop idol groups like Big Bang, 2NE1, iKon and Winner. It was also the label of solo artist and internet sensation Psy, whose music video for “Gangnam Style” became the first-ever video of any category to reach one billion YouTube views.
YG Entertainment is part of the “big three” K-pop entertainment agencies known for their cultural and economic impact on the Korean music industry. The other two companies are SM Entertainment (label of EXO, Red Velvet, Girls’ Generation, Super Junior) and JYP Entertainment (label of Twice, GOT7, Wonder Girls, Itzy).
YG scandals
The stock price of YG on Thursday closed on the Korean Securities Dealers Automated Quotations at 24,850 South Korean Won (KRW), or roughly $21 (United States). The company’s stock price only in January was valued at 48,900 KRW or about $41, marking a 49% drop or almost half by November.
The company’s stock dips are attributed to a series of scandals that rocked South Korea involving YG Entertainment and its artists.
These include the departure of Seungri from Big Bang in March following investigations of his alleged involvement in sex trafficking and prostitution along with other male K-pop idols.
Boy band iKon’s leader B.I. also left the group in June after his attempts to purchase illegal drugs in 2016 was reported.
Former YG Entertainment head Yang Hyun Suk himself was questioned by police last week based on charges that he had tried to cover up B.I.'s drug incident by threatening a witness to modify her testimony, according to reports by Korean media.
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