42. BLACKPINK, ‘Born Pink’

With the accolades BLACKPINK received for the release of 2020’s The Album, the pressure was on when it came time for the world biggest girl group to drop its sophomore album. But with powerhouse record label YG and trusted producer Teddy Park by Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa and Rosé’s side, success was always in the cards for Born Pink. The Billboard 200-topping set sees the K-pop stars fully stepping into superstardom, rapping with classic braggadocio (“Shut Down,” “Typa Girl”), highlighting their vocal skills (“Hard to Love,” “The Happiest Girl”) and providing timeless dance hits for the genre (“Pink Venom”). The album soars not just because of its impeccable balance between English and Korean, or its general infectiousness – Born Pink shows the idols marrying the excitement of the old BLACKPINK with and a more mature, grown-up version of the group, emboldened by a fanbase which endlessly supports them. — STARR BOWENBANK

cr. Billboard