According to Korean media, Blackpink's mini album "Deadline" broke the record of Kpop girl groups when it sold more than 1.77 million copies in its first week of release, achieving resounding commercial success despite mixed reviews from music critics.
According to the Hanteo chart, the first week sales of the album "Deadline" increased by about 230,000 copies compared to the group's previous studio album "Born Pink" in 2022.
Deadline" set a new record for Kpop girl groups, surpassing the previous highest achievement of aespa group with the album "My World" reaching 1.69 million copies sold in the first week (in May 2023), and NewJeans' album "Get Up" with 1.65 million copies in the first week.
The album "Deadline" also dominated the market, topping iTunes' Top Albums chart in 38 regions worldwide.
YG Entertainment said: "Due to global demand far exceeding expectations and additional production underway, final sales will increase even higher".
However, commercial success is completely opposite to mixed reviews from the media and international critics.
Rolling Stone magazine praised this music product, stating in a review titled "Blackpink returns to peak form with Deadline" that the group "mixes strength and seduction in their own unmistakable style".
AllMusic rated the album "Deadline" 4/5 stars, commenting: "Short and easy to listen to, it highlights all the different styles and moods that this quartet can express".
However, music critic Pitchfork gave a rather harsh assessment, scoring the album 5.7/10 and criticizing the album as "too rudimentary, only repeating outdated styles".
Slant Magazine also agreed with this view, rating the album "Deadline" 2.5/5 stars and describing the songs as "built on sequences of parts embedded in a forced way; made predictably with the accuracy of mass production".
