The group BLACKPINK returned as a full lineup on the 27th of last month. Provided by YG Entertainment

BLACKPINK, the ‘flagship K-pop girl group,’ has hit a crisis. Album sales set new records, yet they veered away from global mainstream traction, showing a stark contrast.

According to music industry and album sales data on the 8th, BLACKPINK’s third mini-album ‘Deadline’ (DEADLINE), released on the 27th of last month, recorded sales of approximately 1,774,500 copies in its first week (initial sales).

This surpasses the first-week tally (1.54 million) of their second studio album ‘Born Pink’ (BORN PINK), released in September 2022, and marks the all-time No. 1 record for K-pop girl groups. The album’s total sales are projected to reach about 2.66 million.

On release day alone, 1,461,785 copies were sold and praise like ‘As expected of BLACKPINK’ poured in, but that was as far as it went.

Unlike the cheers in the physical album market, the response in the global streaming market has cooled compared with before. According to Spotify’s daily cumulative streaming metrics, the album’s day 1~5 streaming figures have plunged by about 59% at peak compared with the previous release. In other words, its performance has been cut in half.

It is also struggling on Billboard, the major U.S. albums chart. For ‘Deadline,’ the projected ‘Billboard 200’ ranking is expected to fall to No. 6 (60,000 units), unlike its predecessor ‘Born Pink,’ which hit No. 1 (102,000 units). Entry into the Billboard main chart, the ‘Hot 100,’ where audio points carry significant weight, also looks unlikely for now.

BLACKPINK returned last month, but the group’s streaming and global chart performances diverged. Kyunghyang Shinmun AI image

The causes of this anomaly are cited as the album hiatus of more than three years and YG Entertainment’s lack of strategy. The core fandom, weary of waiting, engaged in so-called ‘retaliatory consumption’ by buying albums in bulk, but trend-sensitive global listeners turned away.

In particular, observers point out that the ‘late release’ debaclewhere the pre-release tracks (‘JUMP’ ‘GO’), which should have been timed to the start and end of the world tour, were pointlessly delayedsparked strong discontent within the fandom and dispersed streaming firepower. Analysts say the synergy between the new tracks and the tour was lost, as ‘JUMP,’ which should have dropped at the tour’s start, was delayed, and ‘GO,’ which should have arrived at the tour’s end, was also late.

The pre-released tracks themselves have received lukewarm reviews. Among overseas fans, harsh criticism such as ‘It sounds like a big-box store promo jingle’ and ‘It’s a B-class song’ has continued. Backlash against the label’s repeated concept recycling and lack of communication has also reached a peak.

A music industry source who requested anonymity said, “First-week sales of 1.77 million will make an outsized contribution to the label’s revenue, but the decline in overseas audio indicators, which prove long-term IP (intellectual property) competitiveness in the pop market, is a painful point,” adding, “Meticulous crisis management to quell public sentiment is urgently needed.”