Will Blackpink survive the 7-year curse, like BTS and Exo? Lisa, Jisoo, Rosé and Jennie are in talks with YG Entertainment about their contract renewal amid lucrative solo careers and endorsements
- K-pop girl group Blackpink just wrapped its Born Pink world tour and has come to the end of its contract with YG Entertainment – leaving fans wondering if it’ll withstand the 7-year curse
- Reports suggest that the girls may not be renewing their deals with the South Korean entertainment giant; meanwhile, Shinee, Twice and BigBang all passed the 7-year mark
Since Blackpink’s entrance into the music scene in 2016, the K-pop group has amassed a legion of devoted fans. The girls have accumulated plenty of triumphs over the years, becoming one of the biggest names to come out of South Korea.
But as the group just celebrated its seventh anniversary, fans are apprehensive about its future. Speculations of a possible disbandment has been following Blackpink for months as everyone wonders whether they will fall victim to the looming threat of the notorious seven-year curse.
What is K-pop’s seven-year curse?
The seven-year curse may not be well-known among those who are new to the world of K-pop.
In the past, it was not uncommon for aspiring idols to enter into contractual agreements that bound them to their respective agencies for extended periods, surpassing a decade in some cases.
Labelled as “slave contracts” by the media, these agreements imposed excessively stringent conditions, overwhelmingly favouring the management agencies and leaving K-pop idols with meagre financial gains.
Some K-pop groups took a stand against this, exposing the darker sides of the music industry.