Why BLACKPINK deserve Guinness World Records ICON status after dominating K-pop
No K-pop girlband has made waves in record-breaking quite like BLACKPINK has.
The group, made up of Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa of South Korea and Thailand, formed in 2016 and have been making their mark on the music industry ever since.
Known for their catchy lyrics and slick choreography, it’s no wonder they captured the hearts of K-pop fans the world over.
And even after embarking on solo endeavours, the girls’ fanbase ensured they remained at the very top of the list.
In celebration of the band becoming a Guinness World Records ICON, here’s a look at all the records the girls still hold today.
Credit: YG / Netflix © 2020
But make no mistake, they have broken many others during their career.
On 28 August 2022, BLACKPINK became the first winner of Best Metaverse Performance at the MTV Video Music Awards.
They won after virtual renditions of Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa sang and danced through a complimentary in-game concert called BLACKPINK: The Virtual in Tencent Games’ multiplayer PUBG [PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds] Mobile. They teleported to different locations in the game’s universe and took the opportunity to introduce their brand-new track “Ready for Love”.
That same year, their second full-length album Born Pink became the first K-pop album by a female act to make No.1 on the UK’s Official Albums Chart.
They had just narrowly missed out on the top spot when their debut The Album charted at No.2 in 2020.
The album was also the first K-pop album by a female act to make No.1 on the US Billboard 200.
They sold 102,000 album-equivalent units in the first week to debut at the top of the chart.
Read about more record-breaking music stars in our Arts and Entertainment section.
Fast forward to 2026 and BLACKPINK became the most streamed female group on Spotify.
As of 1 April that year, their tracks had been streamed an unbelievable 16,941,431,115 times. Their most popular songs include “How You Like That” and “Kill This Love”, which both have more than 1 billion streams.
That same day, they were also recognized as having the most subscribers for a band on YouTube with 100 million.
They also have the most views for a band on YouTube with a total of 41,756,433,903 views as of that date.
When it comes to their solo music, Lisa has broken the most records.
Credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/Alamy
She has earned the titles:
- First solo K-pop winner at the MTV Video Music Awards – for “LALISA”
- Most viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours by a solo K-pop artist - for “LALISA”
- First solo K-pop winner at the MTV Europe Music Awards - for “LALISA”
- Most followed K-pop star on Instagram - with 90,739,796 followers as of 24 March 2023
- First track by a K-pop solo artist to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify – for “MONEY”
- Most viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours by a solo K-pop artist - for “LALISA”
- First album by a solo K-pop artist to reach 1 billion streams on Spotify – for LALISA
Lisa’s bandmate Rosé has also earned records with her solo work:
- First artist to reach No.1 on a Billboard Global chart as a soloist and as part of a group – for “On the Ground”
- Highest-charting female K-pop artist on the US albums chart – for Rosie at No.3
- First female K-pop artist to enter the Billboard Radio Songs Top 10 – with “APT.” (featuring Bruno Mars)
There’s simply no denying the incredible impact BLACKPINK has had on the music industry and on the world of record breaking.
Header image: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella