Blackpink drop name and release date for new album, fans ask 'did YG really name it The Album?'
Blackpink's highly-anticipated first full-length album, titled 'The Album', is scheduled to release on October 2 as per a new teaser photo shared to their social media and while fans are ecstatic about the news, not everyone is on board with the title or the date.
Following their debut in 2016 with their single album 'Square One', which included the number-one hits 'Whistle' and 'Boombayah', Blackpink went on to release three extended plays, two single albums, and three live albums, as well as their Japanese studio album titled 'Blackpink in Your Area'. They've also put out multiple chart-topping singles and collaborated with artists like Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga. But despite their massive success worldwide, the girl group is yet to release their first full-length album in Korean, a rather odd choice on the part of their label YG Entertainment and one that has earned them a significant amount of backlash from Blackpink's fandom, Blinks.
YG finally announced earlier this year that the group would have their comeback within 2020 and promised their first Korean album would be just around the corner. In the lead-up to the album, they dropped the record-breaking single 'How You Like That' and have confirmed that a second as-of-now untitled single would be released in August featuring a mystery guest artist. While no other details have been revealed about the track, fans are convinced the featuring artist is Ariana Grande and in addition to her, fans are also sure that the album will feature other top international artists. But speculation about who is on the album aside, Blinks finally have an album teaser, name and release date for Blackpink's next album, which drops over a year after their previous record-breaking EP, 'Kill This Love'.
The teaser photo features an all-black background along with a shining pink crown, with 'The Album' above and the date '2020.10.02' below. It's a classy yet mysterious way to tease the long-overdue album and fans are naturally over the moon. "It’s here, the queen has arrived, the album we’ve all been waiting for, y’all better be jotting down the DATE," tweeted one excited Blink while another shared, "Other fandoms be like: Oh, one more. But for us, this feels so unreal, the level of happiness that I have right now is so big, I'm full of tears!!" One fan said, "BLACKPINK IS SAVING 2020 AND I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THAT. LETS SUPPORT THEM 4EVER I STILL CANT BELIEVE THIS IS ALL HAPPENING AT ONCE," and several others commented n the girls being "Queens."
Some fans are already speculating about the album's featuring artistes, with one sharing, "Ryan Tedder finally introduced Blackpink to Taylor, this gonna be the start of their friendship which may lead to Taylor feature in THE ALBUM." Considering Taylor Swift herself just dropped a secret album with no warning, it's hard to predict what she'll do next, so this fan theory could just turn out to be true. But amid their celebrations, several fans found the title to be quite underwhelming. "Did YG really name the album “The Album”??" asked one fan, adding, "Also...I better NOT see a remix or acoustic version of songs on this album. Actually wait... a KTL acoustic version would be epic... OTHER THAN THAT!!" Another mused, "What if THE album means the ONLY album," while one fan shared, "They said the album..and we’re still celebrating idc!!" Some fans thought the name was perfect, stating, "Tt’s called ‘The Album’ bc it’s finna be THAT ALBUM," as well as, "BP naming it THE album bc it'll be that impactful we’ll just call it THE ALBUM."
Beyond the name, fans also took issue with the release date. "Girl I thought it was coming in September why do y’all lie so damn much!" asked one evidently angry fan, while another said, "Y'all really can't keep with the schedule right?" Other Blinks thought their fellow fans were not justified in "bashing YG for the album not being in September when its literally just a 2-day difference." Regardless, Blackpink instantly grabbed several trending positions following the announcement, so it's clearly time for us all to gear up. Because, as the Blinks point out, #BLACKPINKISCOMING.