Recently, Rolling Stone magazine published an article analyzing why Blackpink members did not receive a Grammy nomination for Best New Artist.
In the article, the magazine mentioned: Blackpink (there is no doubt) is the biggest K-pop group in history and has been for many years.
However, the title of the biggest K-pop group in history for Blackpink immediately caused controversy. In particular, the fan community of BTS was very upset. They pointed to objective metrics such as album sales, awards and ratings to refute Rolling Stone's claim.
When the controversy spread on social media, Rolling Stone magazine edited the description about 6 hours after posting the article. Blackpink's title has been changed to "the biggest Kpop girl group in history".
In response, Blackpink fans also defended the group, citing YouTube streaming data and the group's recent achievements.
Fans emphasized that Blackpink's new song "Jump" has stayed on the Spotify global chart the longest of all K-pop group songs released in 2025.
Meanwhile, according to YouTube Music's recently released global streaming data, Rose ranked No. 1 among all K-pop artists over the past 12 months, with 4.14 billion views - marking the first time in history that a K-pop solo artist has reached this milestone.
The incident between BTS fans and Blackpink shows that the growing presence of Kpop on a global scale has made even a phrase in international media a "hot spot" for the fan debate.
Both Blackpink and BTS are preparing to return with a new album.
Korean press reported that Blackpink's album will be released in January 2026.
But a representative from YG Entertainment told the media: Album is in the final stages of musical completion. We will share good news through the official promotion schedule, as soon as the preparation stage is completed.
Blackpink is currently on their deadline global tour, which is expected to last until early 2026.
As for BTS, by November this year, the 7-member boy band had completed recording a new album and was expected to release the album in the spring of 2026.
After that, BTS plans to meet fans again on their next global tour to promote the album.
