K-Pop Sensation Blackpink Makes History at Coachella 2023

Blackpink made history on Saturday night at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival as the first K-pop band to headline the event, as reported by Daily Mail. Comprising of members Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé, the girl group debuted – after perfecting their craft for several years in a traditional K-pop trainee program – in 2016 with the songs Whistle and Boombayah. The last time powerhouse Korean girl group Blackpink played Coachella, during a much-hyped mid-day set in 2019 on the Sahara stage, it was a different band and the world was a different place. 

The ladies arrived in style for their headlining set, donning sparkly black and pink outfits and performing in front of what looked like a large temple. They kicked off the evening with Black Venom, a hit off their latest album, Born Pink. As per Yahoo, the group first addressed their fans and thanked them for their support. "So… let me start off with, four years ago we were invited to perform here for you at Coachella at the Sahara tent and that made a mark in all of our hearts," Rosé affectionately told the crowd. "I must say, this is a dream come true … the reason all four of us are here is because of you." Jennie added, "We are so so happy to be back here. It’s crazy within the four years we made it from Sahara to the main stage … we love you Coachella.”

The group took viewers back to their earlier days with the hit Kill This Love, which featured a rock show-style display of pyrotechnics that was softened when they introduced themselves, before transitioning into one of their most-streamed songs, How You Like That.

According to USA Today, the reason Blackpink was chosen to headline was the energy that's consistently displayed by the Korean girl band; the top-notch production value of even just the first 15 minutes is reason enough for this choice. The music is fun, and the popularity of the band could point to a broader cultural shift back to the girl power-dominated culture of the '90s and early aughts.

The group's set also showed just how far they've come since their first time performing at Coachella in 2019. That original showing was filled with just as many well-choreographed numbers as Saturday's, but there's something to be said about the artistes' stage presence this year – they seemed even more confident and at home on the Coachella stage four years after their stop in Indio kickstarted their debut North American tour.

Perhaps the most atypical but refreshing decision the women made during their Coachella headlining set was to give each member the opportunity to perform one solo song off their individual single albums. Jennie kicked things off with You And Me, and Jisoo performed the recently released Flower. Confetti flew over the crowd and sparks rained onstage as Rosé sang On the Ground, and Lisa showed off her rap skills with Money. 

By the 45-minute mark, everyone was going crazy for Boombayah and Lovesick Girls, and the audience's LED light bracelets were blinking in sync with the infectious beats. Although the women didn't bring out a guest, another group of stars appeared with Blackpink: the dancers, a mix of men and women of all races who moved with the four women on the catwalk extending into the crowd.