Blackpink isn't just one of the biggest names in the Korean pop scene - they're one of the
most popular bands in the whole world.
Since Blackpink's arrival in 2016, the four-woman girl group has dazzled audiences worldwide
with hits like "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du," "How You Like That," and "Ice Cream," shattered records
left and right, and amassed millions of fans who call themselves "Blinks," which is a combination
of "black" and "pink" - get it?
Now, get ready to see Blackpink in a whole new light.
Blackpink: Light Up the Sky offers unprecedented access to one of South Korea's hottest acts
by following the group from their early days in training to become pop idols all the way
through their history-making performance at Coachella 2019.
If you're already a Blink, Light Up the Sky is going to be a dream come true.
If you're new to the group, this documentary is a great opportunity to see what all the
fuss is about.
Either way, you're in for a treat: Blackpink is one of the most exciting things happening
in music today, and Light Up the Sky is here to show you exactly why.
Blackpink's story is a collection of firsts: The first all-female K-pop band to top Billboard's
Emerging Artists chart.
The first Korean girl group to get a record certified gold by the RIAA.
The first to appear on the cover of Billboard, to win an MTV Music Award, to have two music
videos with over a billion views on YouTube, and to play at the Coachella Valley Music
and Arts Festival.
"Who would have imagined thousands of people singing in Korean?"
For Blackpink, it's been that way since the beginning.
When the group debuted in 2016, five years after YG Entertainment announced that a new
girl group was on the way, fans went wild for their first collection of singles, Square
One.
"Boombayah," which leans into the group's bad-girl image and has a hard hip-hop edge,
charted at number one.
"Whistle," which is more sentimental, hit number two - and they held both at the same
time.
Not only did Blackpink hit those spots faster than any other group in history, but they
were only the third act to ever hold them simultaneously.
Since then, Blackpink has released a number of hit singles, including "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du,"
which holds the record for the most-watched music video by a Korean group of all time.
That's not the only milestone that Blackpink has shattered, either.
On its debut, Blackpink's video for "How You Like That" set five Guinness World Records,
including the most views for a single YouTube video in its first 24 hours.
In addition, Blackpink has played on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert and Good Morning
America.
They've collaborated with the likes of Selena Gomez.
They've even starred in their own reality show, Blackpink House.
"Welcome to…"
"Blackpink House!"
And, best of all, their whole rise to fame was captured on camera.
There are plenty of excellent girl groups on the K-pop scene, but there's a reason why
Blackpink in particular deserves a feature-length documentary.
The name tells you everything you need to know.
As explained by a representative for Blackpink's record label, YG Entertainment, pink is usually
associated with beauty.
Blackpink is more than that.
The rep explained:
"Pretty isn't everything.
They are a team that encompasses not only beauty, but also great talent."
That holds up in their music.
Sure, Blackpink's tunes have catchy hooks, but there's also something bold, edgy, and
unique about their sound and look.
When describing Blackpink, the word "ferocious" gets thrown around a lot.
Every member of Blackpink is a powerhouse in her own right, and the band's songs and
videos are striking, confident, and tinged with a darkness that makes them stand out
from the crowd.
While their outfits are coordinated, Jisoo, Jennie, Rose, and Lisa all have their own
fiercely individual styles, that help each of them shine amidst such a talented group.
Before debuting as Blackpink, the girls underwent years and years of hard work, much of which
you'll get to see first-hand in Light Up the Sky.
"I'd ask myself, do you want to give up because it's not easy?"
First, the four members of Blackpink had to audition for YG Entertainment, beating out
thousands of other would-be stars.
Next, they all underwent a rigorous, years-long training program that taught them how to sing,
dance, and rap, as well as other skills they needed to be successful pop idols.
Only then were the four girls hand-picked from YG's roster of trainees to become Blackpink.
"One, two, three."
"You got it!"
Through revealing interview segments and plenty of behind-the-scenes footage, Light Up the
Sky lets you get to know each member of Blackpink on a deeply personal level, as the film delves
into what really goes on during photoshoots, concerts, recording sessions, and the band's
off-time.
"What song should we listen to?"
More importantly, Light Up the Sky also reveals why these four young women work so well together,
and why each of them is an integral part of Blackpink.
Individually, Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa are phenomenally talented.
Together, they're practically unstoppable.
Blackpink's story is exciting, fascinating, and inspiring.
The only way to do it justice is to enlist some top-tier filmmakers.
And so, the Light Up the Sky team has done just that.
The documentary itself is directed by Caroline Suh, who you probably know best as the director
of the four-part documentary series Heat Acid Salt Fat.
Further, Light Up the Sky is produced by Cara Mones, who worked on the documentary series
Rolling Stone: Stories from the Edge, and is executive produced by Jon Kamen, David
Sirulnick, and Zara Duffy, who are all part of RadicalMedia.
Anyone who loves culture-focused docs knows that's good news.
RadicalMedia is the company behind music-focused documentary hits like Metallica: Some Kind
of Monster and Made in America.
It's a team that knows how to create compelling, human stories out of big pop culture moments
- and, right now, Blackpink is about as big as it gets.
"I don't want to cry, I don't want to cry."
"Everyone cry."
Thanks for watching.
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