After a two-year hiatus, BLACKPINK are on the brink of releasing a new single, “Pink Venom,” and a highly anticipated sophomore effort, ‘Born Pink.’ Here’s everything you need to know about the quartet’s forthcoming full-length album, out Sept. 16.

It’s been two years since BLACKPINK released their debut studio album, The Album, which featured the Top 40 hits”How You Like That” and”Lovesick Girls” as well as guest appearances from Selena Gomez and Cardi B. The record-breaking album quickly solidified the quartet as K-pop superstars, and they became known as the”biggest girl group in the world.”

As COVID-19 prevented BLACKPINK from embarking on a promotional tour, the innovative foursome decided to bring the show to fans at home, with a livestream pay-per-view concert that was critically lauded and commercially successful.

Shortly after the promo tour wound down, the group went on a hiatus to regroup and pursue other projects. Lisa and Rosé dropped solo albums, while Jennie and Jisoo pursued acting careers — Jennie will star in the Weeknd’s upcoming HBO Max series,”The Idol,” and Jisoo played a college student in the Korean TV drama,”Snowdrop.”

Now, the girls are back together and ready to kick off their comeback with Born Pink, out Sept. 16 through YG Entertainment. Here’s everything GRAMMY.com knows about BLACKPINK’s sophomore album.

Born Pink Arrives On Sept. 16

Fans can pre-order physical copies of the album, including a limited-edition pink vinyl, via the group’s website, which is also offering an exclusive box set — available in black and pink — which comes with a CD, folded poster, sticker, poster book, photo cards and more. 

BLACKPINK & YG Entertainment Began Promoting The Album In July

YG Entertainment, the group’s record label, thrilled fans when they announced the quartet’s new album and world tour on July 6. A few weeks later, BLACKPINK shared a series of promo pics on Instagram and dropped a trailer on YouTube with their forthcoming schedule. 

The 30-second trailer has racked up more than 20 million views since, which comes as no surprise — the girl group recently became the most-followed musical act of all time on YouTube, where they have more than 75 million subscribers.

There Are A Few Fan Theories About Born Pink

Since their debut in 2016, BLACKPINK has forged a strong connection with their loyal fanbase — affectionately known as Blinks — through live streams and interviews where they sometimes offer playful spoilers about the lyrics, visuals and choreography in their upcoming new releases. 

And like any great fanbase, Blinks have taken these clues and created theories and predictions that they share via YouTube, Reddit, Discord, and other online communities. Alongside speculation that the album will explore heartbreak, some fans believe that Jisoo’s name will finally be mentioned in the lyrics of a Born Pink track. (Lisa, Rosé and Jennie’s names appear in “Ice Cream,” “BOOMBAYAH” and Lisa’s debut solo single, “LALISA,” respectively.) 

Unreleased Track “Ready For Love” May Appear On Born Pink

In July, the girl group partnered with PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds Mobile for the mobile game’s first-ever virtual concert, which featured a performance of “Ready for Love,” an unreleased song that the quartet is seen recording in their 2020 Netflix documentary, BLACKPINK: Light Up The Sky. The song’s inclusion in the documentary sent fans into a frenzy, and they began speculating about the group’s next era. 

The tracklist for Born Pink has yet to be released, so it’s unclear if “Ready for You” will appear on the album, but the song is listed on Genius.

Their New Single, “Pink Venom,” Drops Aug. 19

On Aug 8., BLACKPINK commemorated the sixth anniversary of their formation with messages of gratitude and love on Instagram. As an anniversary gift to fans, they announced the Aug. 19 release of “Pink Venom,” their second single of 2022. Fans can digitally pre-order the highly anticipated song on BLACKPINK’s official website or pre-save it on streaming services. 

After announcing “Pink Venom,” the group shared a set of concept teaser photos on Instagram, in which they appear in blush pink costumes posed in front of broken glass arranged in the shape of spider webs. The promo blitz continued the following day with the release of “Pink Venom” teaser concept videos for each member, giving fans a sneak peek of the quartet’s costuming for the upcoming visual.

OneRepublic’s Ryan Tedder Produced Tracks For The Group That May Appear On Born Pink

The singer-songwriter behind Beyoncé’s “Halo” discussed his collaboration with the foursome in a recent interview with “Good Morning America“: “I think one or two of my songs have made the album,” he said. “From what I’ve been told, and the stuff that I did with them, I can just say is very true to their sound.” 

This isn’t Tedder’s first time working with the K-pop sensations — he helped write and produce “Bet You Wanna,” a hit track from The Album featuring a verse from GRAMMY-winning rapper, Cardi B.  

The Group Will Embark On A Global Tour To Promote Born Pink 

In mid-October, BLACKPINK will set off on a global tour in support of Born Pink and their label says it will be the biggest the world has ever seen.

“On top of new music and large-scale projects, BLACKPINK will also go on the largest world tour in the history of a K-pop girl group by the end of the year to expand their rapport with fans worldwide,” YG Entertainment stated in a press release. The Born Pink World Tour kicks off in Seoul and will touch down in 26 cities, including Los Angeles, Bangkok, London and Auckland, with more to be added at a later date. 

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