By Mr. Will Wong
Record-breaking K-Pop Girl Group BLACKPINK debuted on-top in 2016 and have continued to be a global phenomenon as the world continues to obsess about them. Their success has extended well beyond their home market of Korea, becoming the first K-Pop group ever to perform at Coachella in 2019 and in addition to eye-popping numbers, they’ve solidified their standing among Pop Music’s elite with collaborations with the likes of Cardi B, Lady Gaga, Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez and more. Their just-released debut Disc THE ALBUM landed them the distinction of being the highest-charting K-Pop Album ever in the U.S.. Netflix Documentary BLACKPINK: LIGHT UP THE SKY is a 79 minute introduction to the Group with a peak into their origins, an intimate reflection on their accomplishments and a look at their unfathomable success.
Director Carolina Suh, whose most recent work includes popular Netflix series SALT FAT ACID HEAT, gets the enviable task of travelling with the girls and helping us get to know them. She takes us from intimate one-on-ones with each of the girls to the bright lights of the arena, filled with screaming “Blinks” (what their fans go by). While the glossy Doc avoids going too deep under the veneer, we get as comfortable as the girls are willing to go about the challenges they faced in their education under YG Entertainment‘s stringent tutelage. Suh gets them to open-up about the challenge of harsh criticism, which enabled them to be where they are today.
In addition to meeting each of the girls, Jennie, Rosé, Lisa and Jisoo, we meet the man responsible for their sound, Teddy Park, himself a former boy band member. Suh takes us right into the studio and they generously allow us to see a bit of the process and multiple tries required to land on a good take.
The Doc examines sisterly bonds within the group and we see the tight bond between two elder members Jennie and Jisoo, the latter still learning English. We also see the two younger members Rosé and Lisa, both who grew-up in Australia and Thailand respectively, which helped bring one another closer. And collectively we see the Group’s common bond – their love back for their fans and their drive to win.
Like many other groups, it remains to be seen where Blackpink will land, but what Suh manages to capture well in BLACKPINK: LIGHT UP THE SKY is that bright magical moment of glory as they reach the pinnacle of their fame.
BLACKPINK: LIGHT UP THE SKY streams now on Netflix.
Join us as we unbox BLACKPINK‘s THE ALBUM:
For advertising opportunites please contact mrwill@mrwillwong.com