BLACKPINK’s 10th anniversary: Jisoo apologises after backlash over low-key plans, cites ‘miscommunication’

BLACKPINK rang in their milestone 10-year anniversary with a livestream broadcast that opened with an apology. All four members appeared together after days of uncertainty over their individual schedules, and eldest member Jisoo stepped forward to speak directly to the group's fanbase, BLINK, about the disappointment surrounding how the anniversary had been handled.

Jisoo acknowledged that the group understood the significance of the occasion and had initially hoped to mark it with a larger celebration involving fans broadly. She explained that internal miscommunication among the members had gotten in the way of those original plans, and she extended a heartfelt apology on behalf of the group, expressing hope that BLINKs who felt let down would still feel the members' genuine affection for them. "We know how important this 10th-anniversary milestone is, and we originally wanted to celebrate it with many people. However, there were communication issues among the members, and we are deeply sorry; we hope BLINKs who felt disappointed know our true feelings and that we love you," she said.

The apology followed a wave of criticism from fans after the anniversary festivities were initially scaled back to a small, last-minute gathering — a meet-and-greet limited to just 40 fans held at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul, announced only two days beforehand and without venue details disclosed in advance. That decision drew significant backlash before the group ultimately came together as a full four-member unit for this broader livestream event.

But this is just one of the many controversies, over the years.

A famously small discography for the group's size

Despite debuting in 2016 and becoming one of the biggest girl groups in the world, BLACKPINK's group output has remained strikingly limited. As of January 2026, including the then-upcoming DEADLINE EP which had four, the group had officially released only 33 group tracks through albums and digital singles across a decade, with fans noting that their total discography under YG Entertainment sits at under 40 songs. Critics have pointed out that the members' individual solo projects already outnumber the group's combined releases, with much of the blame directed at YG Entertainment for the slow pace.

Comparisons to peers made the gap more visible

Fans have long contrasted BLACKPINK's output with same-generation groups — for example, the 13-member group WJSN, which debuted the same year, has released seven mini-albums, one special album, and a studio album, a volume of music that dwarfs BLACKPINK's two EPs and two mini-albums over a comparable stretch. Even the members themselves have acknowledged the frustration, Jennie once said during their 2019 world tour that she wished she had ten more songs to perform, a comment fans read as a pointed jab at the company's limited output.

Additional criticism around live performances

Beyond music output, the group has also faced scrutiny over touring. During the BORN PINK World Tour, fans criticised what they saw as inconsistent effort — noticing members forgetting or messing up choreography and appearing under-practiced during certain shows, with "BLACKPINK concert mess" becoming a recurring trending phrase online. More recently, on the DEADLINE tour, some fans raised concerns about lip-syncing and off-beat choreography, though other fans pushed back, praising improved sync and energy on specific nights.

Underlying theme

Across nearly all of this criticism, the common thread is that fans largely blame the agency's release strategy rather than the members' talent or work ethic, a frustration that lines up with the recent 10th-anniversary controversy, where limited-scale celebration plans (before the group course-corrected with a full livestream) again fed into a broader narrative that BLINKs have long felt under-served relative to the group's massive global success.