BLACKPINK make history with 100 million YouTube subscribers

YG Entertainment and YouTube said on February 21 that BLACKPINK’s official YouTube channel surpassed 100 million subscribers at 7.31 pm on February 20, becoming the first Official Artist Channel to reach the milestone.

The record was achieved about nine years and eight months after the channel launched on June 28, 2016.

To celebrate the historic achievement, YouTube presented a custom Red Diamond Creator Award to all four members, Jennie, Rosé, Jisoo and Lisa, an honour reserved for creators at the very highest subscriber tier.

YouTube said BLACKPINK have captivated audiences worldwide with fierce performances and a string of mega-hit tracks, while Lyor Cohen, global head of music at Google and YouTube, called the milestone “truly historic”, saying it reflects the deep bond between the group and fans worldwide, and their unmatched global influence.

He added that, beyond being a major milestone for K-pop, it is a clear example of how artists can use YouTube to build a borderless global fandom, and hailed BLACKPINK as a new benchmark for global superstardom.

In platform terms, the group has posted huge view counts: “DDU-DU DDU-DU” has surpassed 2.3 billion views and “Kill This Love” has surpassed 2.1 billion.

In total, BLACKPINK have nine music videos with more than one billion views, more than 50 videos with over 100 million views, and total channel views of more than 41.1 billion.

In addition, three BLACKPINK tracks rank among YouTube’s top 10 all-time 24-hour music debuts, and Lisa’s solo “LALISA” also features on the list.

The group has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the most-viewed band on YouTube.

Over the past 12 months, the channel has added more than 3.3 billion views, led by South Korea, followed by India, Indonesia, Mexico, the United States and Brazil.

Growth has accelerated as the group promote their third mini-album, DEADLINE, due for release on February 27.

Since a release-announcement video was uploaded on January 15, the channel has been gaining roughly 10,000 subscribers a day on average.

The latest milestone comes as BLACKPINK approach their 10th debut anniversary and prepares their first full-group comeback in around three years, reinforcing their status as one of the era’s most influential global artists.

Rosé said the group were delighted to receive the Red Diamond Creator Award, adding that the milestone meant even more to them because they are the first Official Artist Channel on YouTube to reach 100 million subscribers.

Meanwhile, Lisa thanked YouTube and everyone for their support and for creating a space where we can connect with our fans around the world. Above all, thank you to BLINKs for watching, listening, and growing with us every step of the way.

We could not have reached this point without you.