Universal Music Group (UMG) has signed one of the world’s biggest all-female K-pop groups, BLACKPINK, to Interscope Records.
The deal marks a major coup for UMG. Why?
Because the announcement follows the breakout success of k-pop superstars BTS who recently hit the No.1 spot on the Billboard 200 with their album, Love Yourself: Answer.
BTS release records in the US via Big Hit Entertainment, through Sony Music-owned distribution and services company, The Orchard.
It’s going to be very interesting to see what effect an Interscope-backed superstar K-pop group will have on the charts in the coming months – especially as BLACKPINK have already made a big impact in the States this year.
On June 15 of this year, BLACKPINK released their debut EP Square Up and premiered its lead single Ddu-Du Ddu-Du, which shot to No.55 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the highest-charting debut single by an all-female K-pop act.
In addition, Square Up debuted at No.40 on the Billboard 200, the highest-charting release to date by an all-female K-pop group.
That same day, the video for Ddu-Du Ddu-Du surpassed 10 million views in just six hours and earned 36.2 million views by the end of the day.
In August, Ddu-Du Ddu-Du appeared at No.3 on YouTube’s Global Top 10 Songs of the Summer list, surpassing Drake’s In My Feelings and Ed Sheeran’s Perfect.
The video currently has over 400,000,000 views on YouTube.
The signing is part of global a deal with YG Entertainment, the multi-faceted South Korean entertainment company responsible for artists such as k-pop stars such as Big Bang, PSY, and 2NE1, and others.
Interscope and Universal Music Group will represent the group’s music in all of the world excluding Asia.
The group was discovered by YG Entertainment and K-Pop artist/producer Teddy Park.
They made their debut in August 2016 with the two singles: Boombayah and Whistle, which debuted at No.1 and No.2 on Billboard’s World Digital Songs chart.
That November, BLACKPINK delivered their singles Stay and Playing with Fire, their second single to reach No.1 on World Digital Songs.
Yang Hyun Suk, Founder & Chairman of YG Entertainment, said: “We will work closely with the biggest music company, Universal Music Group, globally for the successful global debut and promotion of BLACKPINK. In addition, we will do our best to help other YG artists to break through the North American and European territories as well.
Teddy Park added: “We are more than thrilled to begin a partnership with UMG and Interscope. Entertainment today is more global than ever.
“Music and real talent transcends culture, language, and really has no boundaries. Through this partnership we feel we can truly showcase BLACKPINK’s potential on a grander scale and we look forward to what’s to come.”
“We look forward to building upon BLACKPINK’s remarkable early success by putting the global resources and expertise of UMG behind them and growing their audience around the world.”
Sir Lucian Grainge, Chairman and CEO of Universal Music Group, said: “Chairman Yang has built YG Entertainment into a global music powerhouse with an impressive track record of breaking artists. I’m thrilled to expand our relationship with YG through the addition of Blackpink to the Interscope family.
“We look forward to building upon BLACKPINK’s remarkable early success by putting the global resources and expertise of UMG behind them and growing their audience around the world.”
John Janick, Chairman and CEO of Interscope Geffen A&M said: “BLACKPINK are global superstars in the making.
“The music and visuals are so immediately striking and so different from anything else happening in pop music. We are beyond excited to partner with YG in pursuit of their vision for BLACKPINK world domination.”Music Business Worldwide
