The past two years have seen BLACKPINK release a continuous stream of solo music — a repeated trend after the group decided to renew its contracts for just group activities, but not individual ones.

All members have now branched out to expand their creativity, free from the limits YG previously imposed. Three of the four members have launched their own labels, spurred from a domino effect with Jennie’s Odd Atelier label last fall.

Lisa and Jisoo soon followed suit with their own labels in February 2024, LLOUD and BLISSOO, respectively.

Rosé, on the other hand, signed with The Black Label in June — a YG subsidiary headed by Teddy Park, BLACKPINK’s primary producer.

The two most active BLACKPINK members are Jennie and Lisa, whose labels have announced partnerships with Columbia Records and RCA Records, respectively.

At the beginning of this year, Jennie collaborated with artists Matt Champion and ZICO, and starred in the reality show “Apartment 404.”

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Her collaboration with Champion was not a sound I had heard before from Jennie or BLACKPINK, so it came as a shock and was a bit trippy. But this does not mean it’s bad, just new, which is the point all of the girls are trying to make.

She also appeared on Lee Hyori’s talk show, “Lee Hyori’s Red Carpet,” to discuss her choice to pursue solo endeavors. This rare show appearance excited many fans because of a possible strained relationship between their company and television stations that may have prevented previous interviews.

On the talk show, Jennie said she founded her label to be freer in her individual activities. She’s now posting teasers for her upcoming single, “Mantra,” dedicated to “pretty girls,” on Instagram. The song’s music video will be released on Oct. 11, and she has shared a snippet of the song on her social media. From the previews, “Matra” sounds like an absolute banger for the clubs.

Speaking of bangers, since July, Lisa has released three singles — “Rockstar,” “New Woman” featuring Rosalía and “Moonlit Floor.”

With these singles, Lisa created a new sound for herself by meshing genres, utilizing metaphoric lyrics and emphasizing her vocals that were often overlooked. She defines herself as a new artist — not just BLACKPINK’s talented dancer and rapper, but also a phenomenal singer and songwriter.

“The new version of Lisa feels like growth,” the artist said in a Genius Verified video. “I just keep, you know, challenging myself, trying new stuff, try to get out of the box.”

Lisa’s recent music won her a second “Best K-Pop” award at the VMAs, which made her the first female artist and soloist to win the award twice, having previously won in 2022 for “LALISA.”

As the group’s main vocalist with a passion for songwriting, Rosé described how she ended up in a recording session in Los Angeles after the group’s world tour in an Instagram post announcing the album.

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In 2021, she released her single album R, with songs “On the Ground” and “Gone.” She also had a solo, “Hard to Love,” on the group’s last album.

Rosé will release her first studio album, rosie — a full length album, unlike her last solo project with YG.

“That led on to a year of walking in and out of the studio, writing songs with songwriters and producers I’d met for the first time, trying to figure out the next chapter in my career,” she wrote on an Instagram caption.

I fully expect her to wear her heart on her sleeve in this album, as she has done with her songs in the past.

While Jisoo has not promised any new music, she is expected to continue her acting career in the Korean drama Influenza and the film Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, the former of which she finished shooting in July.

The break from YG highlights the diverse paths each member can take as they continue to grow as artists. The members can excel as solo artists just as much as they do together as a group. While the group has reached tremendous heights under their company, the women truly do not need YG and continue to serve us fantastic and consistent content — unlike before.