Seoul: K-pop girl group BLACKPINK has reached a groundbreaking milestone by becoming the first official artist channel on YouTube to surpass 100 million subscribers.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the global video sharing platform and BLACKPINK's label, YG Entertainment, announced that the group achieved this historic feat at around 7 p.m. the previous day. This accomplishment comes roughly nine years and eight months after BLACKPINK launched its YouTube channel in June 2016, which now hosts 648 videos.
To commemorate this achievement, YouTube presented BLACKPINK with a custom Red Diamond Creator Award. On its official blog, YouTube praised the group's impact, stating, "The dynamic female powerhouse that is BLACKPINK has earned international acclaim on YouTube with their mega hit songs and fierce performances. The group has continuously raised the bar on YouTube, pioneering new ways to connect with their fans."
The members of BLACKPINK expressed their gratitude to their fans, commonly known as Blinks, for their unwavering support. Jennie of BLACKPINK conveyed, "We would like to sincerely thank everyone who has always shown interest in our music and supported us with so much love. We're especially happy that we achieved this incredible record together with Blinks." Rose reiterated the significance of the achievement, stating, "This milestone is especially meaningful as we are apparently the first official artist channel to reach 100 million subscribers on YouTube." Lisa added, "Most of all, thank you Blinks, for watching, listening and growing with us every step of the way. We wouldn't be here without you."
In July 2020, BLACKPINK became the first non-English-language artist to enter the top five for YouTube subscribers. They have since surpassed global pop icons such as Ariana Grande, Eminem, Ed Sheeran, Marshmello, and Justin Bieber to claim the No. 1 spot worldwide in September 2021, a position they continue to maintain.
BLACKPINK has nine videos, including "Ddu-du Ddu-du" and "Kill This Love," in YouTube's "Billion Views Club." They also hold three of the 10 most-viewed music videos within 24 hours of release. YG reports that BLACKPINK has 50 videos with more than 100 million views, and total channel views have exceeded 41.1 billion. The group is recognized by Guinness World Records as the most-viewed band on YouTube.
The channel has attracted more than 3.3 billion views over the past year, fueled by excitement for their upcoming third EP, "Deadline," set to release next Friday. Since announcing the new release on Jan. 15, the channel has gained approximately 10,000 new subscribers daily.
YG highlighted the significance of subscriber numbers in shaping global music trends, emphasizing that BLACKPINK's fan base continues to grow despite already being one of the world's most prominent acts.