Jisoo, the “late bloomer” of BLACKPINK: going against set expectations to bloom in fashion and music
Against all odds, Jisoo (BLACKPINK) makes herself known both in fashion and in music.
Back in the early days of BLACKPINK, Jisoo was often regarded to be overshadowed by her members, in terms of what she could contribute to the group, according to netizens. Apart from her stunning visuals, many believed she did not attempt to diversify her image and adhered too tight to innocent appearance.
From 2019 to 2021, BLACKPINK started going through a transformation in fashion. Jennie, Rosé and Lisa received contracts to work with major names in the fashion world. And Jisoo was the last to have a collaboration with Dior as an Ambassador in Fashion and Beauty in 2021.
She was also the last to receive her Ambassadorship with the luxury jewelry brand Cartier in the middle of 2022. The moment she received the title from Cartier, netizens started to question as they could not see her real potential. At that time, they thought the idol only went for safe options and lacked personal style, making it hard to believe she was named ambassador by Cartier.
Nonetheless, the idol quickly proved she was more than what met the eyes. After Jisoo became the Ambassador for Dior, the revenue of the brand increased by 400%, coming from consumers in the age from 20 to 30. The fashion house always leads the chart of media impact value thanks to Jisoo in every Fashion Week season. In this year’s Paris Fashion Week, the brand received 42 million USD in media impact value. In the cosmetics department, the public is fondly calling the “Dior Addict” and “Dior Rouge” as the “Jisoo’s lipstick” because these two products sold out after the singer’s promotion.
Jisoo’s journey in music also witnesses the same leap. In 2018, when “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” came out, Jisoo embodied the online discussions about her as well as the excessive attention of the press and paparazzis. 4 years later, Jisoo recreated the exact same scene, but with a long black hair and exuding power as if a farewell to her old innocent front. It is a retaliation to the sarcasm she received in the old days.
However, such a leap has to be seen in concrete statistics. In just two weeks, Jisoo’s solo album surpassed 950,000 pre-orders, boosting the singer to be the female K-pop solo artist to record the highest pre-order in history.
Closer to the debut date, more images of Jisoo is revealed to the public. At the end of January, she took on an attractive and sensual image for a pictorial. In February, Jisoo became the first K-pop face to appear on Vogue France with much personality to show. The teaser materials also convey a new image of Jisoo. The singer boasts a mysterious allure, piquing the viewers’ interest of what is in store in her solo release.
After a look-back at Jisoo’s long journey, it suffices to say the idol deserves the fame and popularity she is having now. Jisoo’s solo album “[Me]” is set to release on March 31 at 1 p.m. (KST).
Source: K14
