Featuring big-budget sets, fierce choreography, and jaw-dropping costumes — BLACKPINK’s videos are ‘Pretty Savage’ and impressive. Naturally, they’ve raked up views by the billions on YouTube, breaking several records on the channel in the meantime. Here’s a look at BLACKPINK’s most-watched videos.
Few K-pop girl groups can lay claim to the kind of success that BLACKPINK has seen over the span of their seven-year career. During this time, the quartet — featuring Jennie, Jisoo, Rose, and Lisa — has sold out concerts, topped music charts, and broken records. Not to mention, it’s found a place in the playlists across generations around the world. And all this, with a very short discography and spaced-out comebacks in an industry that demands quick, back-to-back releases to stay relevant.
The secret? Experts point to the unique quality of the group’s signature trap-hip hop tracks and stellar stage presence. Many credit their high-production music videos — supported by jaw-dropping costumes and choreography — that outdo themselves with each release and amass views by the millions every few months. We’re taking a look at the figures — courtesy of a report by data analysis website Statistica — that looks at top tracks as of May 2023 to determine which were the most-watched titles.
Most-watched YouTube videos of BLACKPINK
Ddu-Du Ddu-Du
Wildly popular pop-rap song Ddu-Du Ddu-Du recently made headlines for crossing the 2.1 billion views mark on YouTube, a quick jump from the 2 billion count in May 2023. Not to mention, it’s the first K-pop video to achieve this feat. This most-watched BLACKPINK video spotlights the group’s honest and devil-may-care approach to music. The lyrics, meanwhile, touch upon the self-assuredness of their place in the music industry as well as their meteoric success.
“Our hands are full with a fat check. If you’re curious, fact check,” Lisa raps, challenging naysayers in the process. The video supports this message — with different shots spotlighting how each member spends lavishly, proudly sits atop thrones or pedestals, wields katanas like powerful samurais, or stands their ground even as cameras follow their every move. Not to mention, the choreography is powerful. There are plenty of black and pink motifs running through the visuals — from costumes to set design — a likely nod to the group’s name.
BLACKPINK Songs That Best Describe You According To Your Zodiac Sign
Kill This Love
The electro-pop-trap number Kill This Love marked BLACKPINK’s comeback after a long break in 2019. Naturally, it quickly raked up the views to become the fastest music video to reach 100 million views in under three days. Not to mention, it was also titled the biggest YouTube Premiere with over 979,000 pak currents. No surprises why it went up from 1.78 billion in May 2023 to 1.84 billion as of August.
The song touches upon the complicated emotions that come up with a toxic relationship and the group’s resolve to move past them all. The video is hard-hitting, depicting various versions of toxicity and attempts to put an end to love through motifs and symbolism. This includes a large bear trap, love-themed cereal boxes, an Aphrodite statue that’s blown up, and dark powerful costumes. As always, the choreography and costumes are memorable and complementary to the lyrics.
Boombayah
The group’s debut track Boombayah is a fun EDM dance and hip-hop number that comes with hypnotic chants and heart-thumping beats. The music video is just as vibrant and boisterous – seeing BLACKPINK dancing their way across black-neon-pink sets, complete with bright sound systems. The lyrics complement the mood and melody – with the group singing and rapping about being spontaneous, living in the moment, and approaching love with a free-spirited air. “I’m young and fearless, man,” Lisa raps for instance. This song surpassed 1.5 billion views in May 2023, sitting at a whopping 1.6 billion in August.
Like It’s Your Last
This peppy track fuses synth-pop with reggae, house, and disco. It sees BLACKPINK embrace a softer side to their personas — singing about their tendency to wear their hearts on their sleeve and asking their fictional love interest to show them affection like it’s their last love. There’s a certain youthful energy to the whole song, reflected well in the music video through props like stuffed toys and cotton candy as well as the distinctly pink, vibrant sets and colourful costumes, including high school uniforms. The choreography is catchy and fun as well. This track sat at 1.27 billion in May 2023, coming up to its current 1.3 billion.
How You Like That
The song that spotlights BLACKPINK’s grit and perseverance — How You Like That fuses together house, trap, electronic pop, and hip hop. It sees the girls talk about making their way up from a dark phase, only to emerge and ask the naysayers “How you like that?” This transition is well represented in the video, where the girls go from empty, dark, gruelling spaces and coffins to vibrant open forests, markets, and thrones. They brave the elements — snow to fire — even thriving in it as they perform their hard-hitting choreography. Just the teaser for this release hit over 10 million views in the first 24 hours. No surprise that it went from 1.21 billion views in May 2023 to the current 1.23 billion.
Solo
The first solo venture from the group was by the main rapper and lead vocalist Jennie with the dance-pop-EDM-hip-hop track Solo. The song, as the title suggests, touches upon discovering independence and freedom during the course of and after a breakup. Jennie talks about going from being unable to express herself wholly in a relationship to finally coming out on her own. “Used to be your girl, now I’m used to being the GOAT, you’re sitting on your feelings, I’m sitting on my throne.” she raps. This is supported by the video, which sees her all by her lonesome in a large palace, dawdling, tearing pages off a book and flinging roses to cruising in a convertible and dancing at clubs and carnivals. With this song, Jennie became the first K-pop female soloist to cross 900 million views. In May, this figure was at 922 million. At the moment, it sits at 945 million.
Ice Cream ft. Selena Gomez
This electro-bubblegum pop with trap track was a highly-anticipated pandemic release in collaboration with Selena Gomez. Post release, it quickly garnered views — clocking 80 million views in the first 24 hours. In May 2023, this figure sat at 840 million views, going up to the current 861 million. The song is a fun, confident summer bop with the lyrics featuring ice-cream-related innuendos. In line with this, the music video is fun, bright pink, and peppy with ice cream cones, shops, carts, and other motifs peppered throughout.
Whistle
The wildly popular Whistle is a hip-hop number that sees the girls talk about their desire for a fictional love interest and implore them to whistle to reciprocate the feelings. The song incorporates a range of instrumentations and hooks that do this message justice — particularly heartbeats and whistles. The music video, meanwhile, features vibrant sets with BLACKPINK singing across outer space, empty corridors, and while cruising in a car. The song was their first number-one single — topping several charts. Naturally, it raked in the numbers on YouTube as well – going from 841 million views in May 2023 to the current 855 million.
Playing With Fire
This tropical house-pop-dance track sees the girls talk about romance as a raging fire that can’t be put out. The lyrics go deeper, speaking of a love that’s alluring yet dangerous. “When I see you, my heart burns,” Jisoo states for instance. The video, in line with this, is pensive and wistful yet powerful, with large sets with fire motifs, Jennie toying with a matchstick, bright red fall leaves whooshing past, and fireworks crackling as the girls perform this number. This track debuted at number one on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart and also broke through the Canadian Hot 100. No surprise why it was at 820 million views in May 2023 and now sits at 836 million views.
Lovesick Girls
Rounding out this list is the electro pop-EDM track Lovesick Girls which touches upon the struggle of heartbreak while banking on the hope of being happy despite it. “Didn’t wanna be a princess, I’m priceless. A prince not even on my list.” Jennie raps for instance. The video sees BLACKPINK in various lovesick scenarios — getting into heated arguments, riding on a bike while being wistful, sprinting through the city in angst, or even therapy sessions. The track won several awards, topped the charts, and crossed 50 million views within 18 hours. It sat at 675 million views in May 2023, now at 696 million views.
(All images: Courtesy BLACKPINK)
This story first appeared on Lifestyle Asia India
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Answer: BLACKPINK’s most popular video is Ddu-Du Ddu-Du with 2.1 billion views on YouTube.
Answer: BLACKPINK have not yet hinted at coming to India.
