K-pop fans have been discussing BLACKPINK (블랙핑크)’s contract renewal for quite some time now. For those who might not know, the exclusive contracts of the four members of YG Entertainment are coming to an end next month.
Since then, several reports about the members leaving the agency and the group quickly made their rounds on the web. For instance, it was reported that Jennie will be terminating her contract with the agency soon. The rumours circulated mainly on the Chinese online platform Weibo.
“Based on the latest reliable source, Jennie will terminate her contract with YG Entertainment after the Encore concerts,” an anonymous user on Weibo claimed. After wrapping their second world tour in North America, BLACKPINK announced that they’ll be touring a few more cities for their BORN PINK encore shows. They are expected to perform their final show in Los Angeles on 26th August.
In addition, reports also broke out claiming that Lisa will also be leaving YG soon. To quote the Korean media outlet Munhwa Ilbo (as per KpopStarz), BLACKPINK Lisa’s future with YG seems “uncertain”. An anonymous insider from China was the first to break the news about Lisa’s current status with the company. They shared, “We have been coordinating YG and Lisa’s schedules, but it is difficult to discuss the schedule after August because the renewal of the contract with Lisa is unclear.”
Following that, YG immediately issued their response to the claim, saying that this was due to her “personal schedule as well as preparations for their encore shows, and it has nothing to do with the renewal of the contract.” Although YG did not provide a clear stance regarding her contract renewal, it’s understood that they had arranged the “Money” rapper’s schedule through the Chinese agency.
In contrast to Lisa’s situation, the media outlet further added that YG Entertainment’s contract negotiation with the remaining members is going relatively smoothly. An industry official said, “We decided to narrow the gap between our positions and accompany them after renewing our contract.”
So, what’s in store for BLACKPINK in the future, you may ask?
According to the same industry official, the direction of BLACKPINK’s activities in the future is expected to be decided after their renewal is officially announced. They said, “Whether Lisa will serve as a member of BLACKPINK even after her contract with YG finally fails will inevitably have a significant impact on the group’s direction in the future.”
Sources: Asia One, KpopStarz, AllKpop.
