Pink Venom

Lore & Background

The story behind "Pink Venom" begins with YG Entertainment's July 6, 2022 announcement that Blackpink was finishing recording for a new album and preparing to shoot a music video in mid-July for an August release. On July 31, a trailer video for *Born Pink* confirmed a world tour starting in October, with a pre-release single in August and the album in September. The label later confirmed two music videos were filmed with the highest production budgets they had ever invested. On August 7, the pre-release single was titled "Pink Venom" for an August 19 release. Individual teaser posters and concept videos were released from August 10, and on August 13, the song's credits were revealed via a teaser poster. A concept video showed all four members trapped in a glass box, and the music video teaser premiered on YouTube on August 19. The song was released to Italian airplay on August 26 and US airplay on August 30, 2022.

In Their Own Story

The air hums with static as the four figures step out of the shadows, the neon pink lights flickering against the stark black walls of an abandoned industrial complex. There is no hesitation in their movements; every gesture is calculated, a dance of power that seems to warp the gravity around them. As the beat drops, the silence shatters, replaced by a rhythm that feels like a heartbeat amplified to a roar. They do not ask for attention; they simply take it, their eyes locking onto an unseen audience with a gaze that promises both delight and danger.

Reader's Guide

The narrative arc begins with a sense of anticipation, building tension through a minimalist introduction before exploding into high-octane action. The members are introduced as dominant figures in a stylized, almost futuristic setting where they navigate obstacles with grace and aggression. As the story progresses, the focus shifts to individual prowess and group synergy. Each member showcases their unique strength—whether through vocal delivery or dance precision—while reinforcing the collective identity of BLACKPINK. The environment transforms around them, reflecting the intensity of their performance. The climax brings a unification of themes, where the duality of pink and black merges into a singular force of nature. The impact is immediate: the audience is swept up in the energy, leaving no doubt about the group's status as global icons who have successfully evolved their sound and image.

Did You Know?

• "Pink Venom" became the first song by a K-pop group to reach number one in Australia and topped charts in eight other territories.
• The music video received 90.4 million views within 24 hours on YouTube, the biggest 24-hour debut for a music video in 2022 and the third-largest of all time on the platform.
• The song includes lyrical references to The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Kick in the Door" (1997), Rihanna's "Pon de Replay" (2005), and Taylor Swift's "Look What You Made Me Do" (2017).
• It broke the record for Spotify's most-streamed song by a female artist in a single day in 2022 and became the first song by a female K-pop artist to top Spotify's Global Top Songs chart.
• "Pink Venom" spent two weeks atop the Billboard Global 200, marking the first time a girl group reached number one on the chart.