With Blackpink’s 10-year anniversary just behind us, we’re feeling nostalgic looking back at the journey that took Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa from four bright-eyed and bushy-tailed K-pop trainees to pop culture powerhouses. And when you’ve spent a decade at the centre of this generation’s cultural zeitgeist, there’s a lot to reminisce about.
Now, trying to whittle down 10 years of Blackpink history into one list is a little like trying to pick a favourite song from their extensive discography—there are simply too many contenders. Still, there are just some moments that deserve to go down in the Blackpink Hall of Fame, should such a thing exist in the future (and we won’t be surprised if it does). Ahead, Blackpink’s greatest hits.
Their Pre-Debut Dance Cover Goes Viral
A few months shy of their official debut, a single video was uploaded onto the then-newly created Blackpink Youtube channel. Simply titled, “Blackpink – Dance Practice Video,” the 74-second clip showed the girls tearing up Parris Goebel’s legendary choreography to Rihanna’s Bitch Better Have My Money, originally performed by Goebel’s dance crew, Royal Family. It clocked up nearly a million views in just two days, with the K-pop world already clamouring to know more about the four girls. There was a time when Lisa was only known as “the blonde girl” in the Timberlands, and it was July 2016.
The Release Of Whistle
Blackpink’s pre-debut reception should have been enough to hint at the success to come, but the release of Square One practically sealed the deal. Upon its release, Whistle—one of two album songs—was an instant hit, topping South Korea’s Gaon Digital chart and winning Best Music Video at the 2016 Mnet Asian Music Awards. It also earned Blackpink their first music show win, just two weeks after its debut—the fastest ever for a girl group at the time. They really did make the world whistle like a missile bomb, bomb.
Square Up Drops
That opening riff of Ddu-du ddu-du is probably still echoing in your head. Released as the lead single from Square Up, it became the breakout hit of the four-track mini album, with Forever Young, Really, and See U Later all charting as well. It was a time of absolute girl crush dominance, Rosé’s red velvet cupcake hair, and that four-count finger-gun sequence being copied endlessly. To this day, Ddu-du ddu-du is considered one of Blackpink’s biggest milestones, and one that launched the group into global fame.
How You Like That Sparks A ‘90s Hair Revival
After more than a year away, Blackpink’s 2020 comeback with How You Like That was hardly a quiet return. The girls stomped their way back onto the scene in a maximalist music video, notably dressed in modernised hanboks by Korean fashion designer, Danha Seoul (who became a fan of Blackpink during the Ddu-du ddu-du era). Another particularly memorable moment was Jennie’s two-tone hair. Her face-framing blonde streaks were a fresh take on the ‘90s and 2000s hair trend, popularised by pop stars like Christina Aguilera. Soon after Blackpink’s music video dropped, there were a million money pieces to be found.
Pinkchella Takes Over Coachella
“Coachella, are you ready for tonight?” Jennie had asked the roaring crowd from the Coachella 2023 main stage. Four years after making history as the first K-pop girl group to perform at the festival, Blackpink returned as its first K-pop headliners, opening with Pink Venom and Kill This Love. The girls blessed Coachella with some solo material before breaking into a flamboyant, feathered performance of Typa Girl. To answer Jennie’s question, in retrospect, we weren’t ready for Pinkchella then, and we’re still not over it now.
The Girls Go Solo
The girls were booked and busy in 2024. While finalising their group contract renewal with YG Entertainment, all four members embarked on solo projects—and to say they went well would be an understatement. Jisoo wrapped filming for her big-screen debut, Omniscient Reader: The Prophecy, the live-action adaptation of the South Korean web novel Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint. Jennie’s release of Mantra marked her first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100. Lisa, meanwhile, took home Best K-Pop at the MTV VMAs for Rockstar. Finally, Rosé had perhaps the biggest viral moment of the lot with Apt., her pop-rock collaboration with Bruno Mars. The song went on to win Song of the Year at the 2025 MTV VMAs, making Rosé the first K-pop act to win the category.
Blackpink Makes It To The Met Gala
The 2026 Met Gala was a wonderfully wholesome moment for the girls of Blackpink. For the first time, all four girls made an appearance at fashion’s biggest night, appearing atop the Met steps in stunning gowns. For the theme of “Fashion is Art,” Jisoo made her Met Gala debut in a custom pink Dior dress covered in floral embroidery, inspired by Impressionist paintings. Jennie went for the other side of the colour wheel, wearing a strapless blue Chanel gown shimmering with 15,000 sequins. Lisa went full drama in a Robert Wun ensemble featuring 3D-printed sculptures of her own arms that mimicked the intricate movements of traditional Thai dance. And Rosé, as usual, kept things sleek in a black Saint Laurent dress, finished with a bird-shaped brooch referencing George Braque’s The Birds, a 1953 ceiling painting from the Louvre.
This story first appeared in Grazia Singapore.
READ MORE