Latest news with #BlackPink
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: Director defends BlackPink's Jisoo's sniper role in 'Omniscient Reader'
SEOUL: All eyes are on Omniscient Reader ahead of its July 23 release in South Korea, but it's BlackPink's Jisoo who finds herself at the heart of a controversy regarding her character's transformation. Koreaboo reported yesterday that fans of the film, which is based on a popular novel of the same name, are upset about changes made to Jisoo's character, Lee Ji-hye. In the novel, Ji-hye is a sword-wielding warrior guided by a powerful sponsor — Admiral Yi Sun-sin. However, in the film, she has been reimagined as a sniper, with her sponsor storyline omitted entirely. Director Kim Byung-woo addressed the backlash, saying the omission was due to time constraints. "Her sponsorship narrative simply hasn't come into play yet; we thought the timing for that part of the story just hasn't arrived within this film," he told Korea JoongAng Daily. "Some fans might worry that we've changed Ji-hye's sponsorship, but I want to clarify that we haven't changed anything." Kim explained that the film only covers the first 10 per cent of the novel and emphasised the importance of focus. "We felt it was much more efficient to only introduce the elements relevant to the events happening in the film." The core theme, he said, is "solidarity" — as protagonist Kim Dok-ja finds strength in new allies when the world turns into a novel he once read. Kim hinted that Ji-hye's full backstory could surface later. "I did think about how I would approach it if I got the chance to make a sequel," he said. Based on the hit web novel by Sing N Song, the film also stars Lee Min-ho, Ahn Hyo-seop, Chae Soo-bin, and Shin Seung-ho.
New Straits Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: BlackPink first K-pop group to top Spotify's global weekly chart twice
SEOUL: BlackPink continues to dominate the global music scene, proving they're not just K-Pop royalty but a worldwide pop powerhouse. Their latest single, 'Jump', has soared to No.1 on Spotify's Global Weekly Top Songs chart, making them the first K-Pop group to top the chart twice, according to The Korea Herald. Following their 2022 hit 'Shut Down', 'Jump' solidifies BlackPink's position as the K-Pop act with both the first and most No.1 entries on the platform's global chart. Released earlier this month, the track garnered over 44.7 million streams in just one week — the biggest debut of any song released in 2025 so far — and maintained the No.1 spot on Spotify's global daily chart for six straight days, as reported by YG Entertainment. The group's success extends beyond streaming. 'Jump' debuted at No.18 on the UK Official Singles Chart, marking their highest placement yet and their ninth appearance on the chart overall. Meanwhile, the song's music video, which premiered on July 11, became the most-viewed video on YouTube within 24 hours and has held the No.1 spot on YouTube's Global Daily Top Music Videos chart for an entire week. Currently, BlackPink is thrilling fans worldwide with their BlackPink World Tour, which spans 16 cities and 31 shows, with stops in Bangkok, Jakarta, Bulacan, and Singapore.
Time of India
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Time of India
How Jennie's Fashion Choice Made Vibram FiveFingers the Must-Have Shoe of 2025
Okay, let's be real here. If your college roommate showed up wearing shoes that looked like they were designed by someone who had never seen actual human feet before, you'd probably stage an intervention. But when BlackPink's Jennie rocks up to Incheon Airport wearing what can only be described as "athletic socks that went to engineering school," suddenly everyone's like "OMG, where can I get these?" This is the kind of power that makes you wonder if celebrities could convince us that wearing traffic cones as hats is the next big thing. Jennie literally made thousands of people look at shoes that separate each toe - EACH TOE - and think, "Yes, this is what my feet have been waiting for their entire existence." The funniest part? These aren't even new shoes. Vibram FiveFingers have been around since 2006, apparently just waiting for the right moment to traumatize the fashion world. For almost two decades, they've been sitting in sports stores, making hikers and marathon runners look like they're cosplaying as human-duck hybrids. But one airport appearance later, and suddenly they're the hottest thing since sliced bread. It's like that one friend who's been trying to make "fetch" happen for years, and then suddenly it actually happens because the popular kid said it once. Except instead of fetch, it's convincing people that their toes need individual apartments. The Great Toe Liberation Movement of 2025 The speed at which these shoes sold out is honestly terrifying. We're talking about footwear that looks like it was designed by someone who took the phrase "think outside the box" way too literally. Within days, every major retailer in Korea was basically like "Sorry, we're fresh out of foot-gloves." What's hilarious is watching the mental gymnastics people are doing to justify wanting these shoes. "They're actually really good for your posture," they say, as if they weren't perfectly happy with their posture last week. "It's about natural movement," they insist, while probably spending 12 hours a day sitting in front of a computer. The resale market going absolutely bonkers just adds another layer of absurdity. People are paying ₹41,000 for shoes that originally cost ₹12,200, which means someone looked at footwear that resembles surgical gloves and thought, "You know what? This is worth three times the original price because a K-pop star wore them once." It's the same energy as paying premium prices for "vintage" items that were probably just sitting in someone's closet being ignored until they became "retro." Except this time, the vintage item is designed to make your feet look like they belong in a medical textbook. The whole situation is peak 2025 behavior: taking something that was perfectly functional in its original context and turning it into a fashion statement that makes zero sense but somehow works because the right person wore it at the right time.
Daily Record
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Record
Bruno Mars jokes he's 'almost out of debt' after $50m gambling loss
The singer made a cheeky joke about his debt problems on his Instagram as he shared a clip from a recent gig. Bruno Mars has made a light hearted joke about his rumoured debt as he performed with BlackPink's Rosé in Los Angeles. The 39-year-old singer delighted fans on July 13 when he made a surprise appearance on stage during BlackPink's Deadline World Tour Show. The star, whose real name is Peter Gene Hernandez, performed their hit song APT on stage with band member Rosé. Sharing the moment on social media, Bruno shared a clip of himself running across the stage as confetti fell from the ceiling with his 42.M Instagram followers. Bruno hilariously captioned the post: "Almost out of debt BehhhhhBehhhhh!!! Preciate You ROSAAAAYYYYYY!!!!" Fans were left in stitches by the singer's cheeky comment and laughed along with him. One replied: "Almost out of debt lollll". Another wrote: "BRUNO YOUR SENSE OF HUMOR IS ICONIC." A third commented: "Hahaha the caption!!" A fourth added: "We love you Brunoooo!" The official YouTube Instagram account also wrote: "We live for this duo." The post has now brought in over 950k likest. Bruno's caption referred to rumours from 2023 that the singer was in millions of pounds worth of debt after gambling away $50m (£37.4m) at MGM Casinos, the Metro reports. It was then claimed that the singer's long-term performance partnership, which has been in place with the company since 2016, was put in place to offset the money the star owed. MGM Resorts International denied the claims, stating: "MGM and Bruno's partnership is longstanding and rooted in mutual respect." Their statement in March 2024 to E! News was: "Any speculation otherwise is completely false; he has no debt with MGM. "We're proud of our relationship with Bruno Mars, one of the world's most thrilling and dynamic performers. Together, we are excited to continue creating unforgettable experiences for our guests." Bruno and Rosé's hit song APT has been a huge hit across the board for the pair with almost two billion streams on YouTube and 1.8billion streams on Spotify. The singer, who is originally from Hawaii, has many collaboration tracks which have been a huge success. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. These include his 2024 song Die With A Smile with Lady Gaga which has 2.7bn streams on Spotify. The singer's other popular songs with features include Uptown Funk with Mark Ronson and Please Me with Cardi B. Bruno rose to fame in 2010 with his debut Doo-Wops & Hooligans which featured tracks Just The Way You Are, Grenade, Marry You and The Lazy Song. It has been estimated that the 16-time Grammy winner is worth approximately $175M (£131m), all thanks to his hit songs, songwriting, album sales, tours, and luxurious Las Vegas residencies.
New Straits Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- New Straits Times
#SHOWBIZ: BlackPink's 'Jump' tops Spotify global chart with 13,000,000 streams in two days
SEOUL: BlackPink has soared to the top of Spotify's Daily Top Songs Global chart with their latest single, "Jump", marking the girl group's third number one on the platform. YG Entertainment announced on Monday that the track secured the top spot on Sunday, following their 2022 hits, "Pink Venom" and "Shut Down", as reported by Yonhap News Agency. "Jump" signals a stylistic shift for the group, featuring guitar riffs reminiscent of Western films and highlighting the quartet's distinctive vocals, the agency noted. The song amassed over 13 million streams within two days of its release last Friday, gaining significant traction in key markets including the United States and Britain. The track also topped the iTunes Top Songs chart in 60 countries and regions. BlackPink kicked off the North American leg of their "Deadline" world tour with two sold-out shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles over the weekend.
