Blackpink in the (Toronto) Area: Blinks descend in Hamilton
Blackpink's concert has been receiving mixed reviews on social media. But did the girls deliver?
(YG Entertainment)
Blackpink is arguably one of the biggest girl groups in the world right now.
The quartet, comprised of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa, are the highest charting female Korean act on the Billboard Hot 100.
They’ve performed at Coachella. Their music videos for “Kill This Love” and “How You Like That” each set a record for the most-viewed music video within the first 24 hours of release, with the latter breaking three and setting two Guinness World Records. And, their latest album, Born Pink, became the best-selling album of all time by a Korean girl group and the first to sell more than two million copies.
It’s easy to see why they are beloved. Their songs often discuss themes of love and self-confidence. Many have described them as “badass and fierce.”
But despite their worldwide popularity, fans have often questioned why the group hasn’t released more music since their debut in 2016. The group only released their very first studio album in October 2020, even though they’ve already reached commercial success with songs like “Ddu-du Ddu-du” and “Kill This Love” years prior.
After the success of The Album, it took two more years for Blackpink to make a comeback together with a second studio album, Born Pink. That’s seen as unusual in the world of K-pop, where groups often make comebacks and release new music within months.
Still, Blinks, as Blackpink’s fans are called, had lots of content fed to them.
In between the two albums, fans saw the solo debuts of Lisa and Rosé, who both released songs that went viral on TikTok. Jisoo went on to act in Snowdrop. And Jennie took on more high profile fashion campaigns for brands like Chanel and Calvin Klein, and started her YouTube channel.
Despite all of that, many have asked why they are rarely seen together. Some have even compared Blackpink to influencers who get together once in a blue moon to tour and perform with each other. There have even been rumours posted on forums like Deuxmoi, suggesting the girls are planning to disband after the world tour. (For the record, no one but Blackpink and their management team know exactly what is in store for the future.)
Regardless of all these discussions, many fans have been looking forward to finally see the girls go on tour for the first time since the pandemic.
But so far, early TikTok reviews of Blackpink’s shows have been mixed.
Videos of the girls in concert have been circulating, showing the members messing up choreography. Other clips portrayed the members having a lack of enthusiasm when performing. Some fans even suggested Rosé and Lisa, known for their close friendship with each other, are in a fight because they barely interacted with each other on stage.
Because TikTok never truly paints a full picture, I went into their show with an open mind. I’m glad I did.
Blackpink performed in Hamilton’s FirstOntario Centre, a bit of a trek for those living in Toronto. I was a bit annoyed I had to travel far to see them because the girls could easily sell out Scotiabank Arena and even the Rogers Centre. But alas, sports games and other concerts prevented them from coming closer to the downtown core.
Having been to two other K-pop stadium and arena shows though, I was pretty excited to see Hamilton become a Blackpink utopia, with K-pop fans descending into a city known for its football team and the iron and steel industry. Fans dressed to the nines wearing platform boots, chains and Black and pink outfits.
Getting into the venue was a bit of a mess, unfortunately. When I arrived at FirstOntario Centre, I saw a large crowd of people. What was supposed to be separate lines for merch and ticketholders ended up merging into one as more and more people tried to get into the venue.
There didn’t seem to be enough security guards handling the order of the line ups. I arrived at the venue around 6:30 pm and it took an hour to finally get into the arena. Once I was inside, I immediately headed to the merch table because I did not have a lightstick and I wanted one.
Needless to say, the merch area was a HOT MESS. It was basically a large crowd of people standing together in one spot barely moving. People were unmasked and coughing around me, making me even more uncomfortable. I was surprised there wasn’t a blocked off section for people to line up single file for merch. Instead, we were slowly inching forward with the crowd. Considering recent news of terrifying crowding situations, this was poorly planned.
Regardless, I got the merch I needed and ran into the arena with 10 minutes to spare.
Before the show started, music videos played on a big screen in the arena, with fans singing along and cheering as the clock ticked closer to show time. I sat in the nosebleeds, but the energy was felt across the whole venue.
The show started with “How You Like That”, followed by “Pretty Savage” and “Whistle.” This was Blackpink’s second time touring in Hamilton. Their last appearance in The Hammer was 2019.
“Earlier when we were doing out soundcheck, I said it was a little chilly in here. I take it back. I’m sweating so much!” Jennie said describing the crowd and atmosphere.
Despite what people have described online, it was clear the members of Blackpink fed off the energy and loud cheers. The girls seemed really into their dance moves, and was extremely playful with one another, sending multiple hearts to fans and laughing with one another.
A major highlight for me were the solo stages, where each member came out to perform a song or mash-up of their singles. The first was Jisoo, who came out in a dazzling red dress to sing a cover of Camila Cabello’s “Liar.”
Right after, Jennie came out to perform an unreleased single called “You and Me”, owning the stage with a sexy partnered dance with a male dancer. It was the type of song that really showcased Jennie’s ferocity, rap and vocal skills.
Next was Rosé, who came out in a funky blue fur coat singing “Hard To Love,” one of my favourite tracks off of Blackpink’s newest album Born Pink. She then followed it with an energetic performance of “On the Ground.” To me, Rosé is the whole package when it comes to being singer-songwriter and dancer. I would love to see more her work in the future.
Lisa was last to come out, starting with a fun performance of “Lalisa”, highlighting exactly why she is Blackpink’s main dancer. What really got the crowd going was when she transitioned to “Money”. She started the song by doing a pole dancing routine, something that requires MAJOR core strength.
I admit that while her solo songs were not exactly my cup of tea, I enjoyed her stage the most. Lisa is a born performer, and she made me vibe with her songs with her stage presence alone.
As the show came to an end, the girls continued to praise the crowd for their energy.
“I must say, this city is quite intense!” Rosé said. “You guys are definitely something different. We definitely feel the heat, we feel the energy!”
“It wasn’t this loud,” Lisa replies, referring to their last visit in 2019.
“Hamilton is an absolutely amazing city, and we’re totally blown away,” Rosé continued.
“Thank you so much for such an unforgettable night!”
I have to say, it makes a huge difference when the people around you show their excitement, as it makes the whole show more enjoyable. My cousin and I were sitting beside two hardcore male Blinks, who kept screaming for all the girls. Though according to my friends sitting on the other end of the arena, people sat in their seats the entire time.
While there were a lot of lacklustre reviews of Blackpink’s Born Pink Tour, I still had a lot of fun once I put my reservations behind me.
The show was not perfect, however.
While this is not the fault of any of the members, I wish there was just a tad more interaction with fans. I would have LOVED to see the girls react to fan signs created by Blinks, as it is often a tradition with K-pop concerts. I also would have liked the venue to utilize the mega screens a bit more as well, especially when the audience was waiting for the encore.
Most shows take this time to let fans chant and look at the amazing costumes and signs in the crowd. Instead, we were just waiting in the dark. Lightsticks also did not sync up and change colours like they usually do at other K-pop concerts, leading me to wonder if I should have bought one at all.
I have always thought Blackpink deserves more than they get. They should be having more songs, more concepts and more room for them to showcase their songwriting and vocal abilities. But instead, they’ve had long hiatuses between comebacks and infrequent promotions.
Reviews for their latest album received criticisms for a lack of innovation and musical development. It’s frustrating to be a fan when it’s been this long with little change. But regardless, I’ll keep supporting them because I know what they’re capable of.
Blackpink’s contract is assumed to end in 2023, and many are predicting they might choose to leave YG Entertainment or even disband. But at this point, rumours are really just that.
I’ve tried to keep an open mind about where Blackpink could be headed next. Regardless of whether they stay together or not, I hope the members can continue supporting each other in their endeavours.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Fact checkers and editors are important, but few and far in between. They also deserve to be paid fairly. At this moment, I am doing this on my own for free. Accountability is important to me, so please address corrections and concerns by sending me an email at bunnipopnewsletter@gmail.com
I always thought they'd put on an entertaining show, but I had also read some of those mixed reviews. I'm glad to hear you had a great time! I'm not a Blink, just a casual listener, but am looking forward to seeing what they do in the future.