Is mystery artist on Blackpink's upcoming single Selena Gomez? Fans say 'we don’t even want that collab'
Blackpink and YG Entertainment continue to titillate fans by keeping mum on the mystery around the quartet's upcoming single's featuring artist. While fans were previously convinced the singer in question would be Ariana Grande owing to the two acts working with the same producer for their upcoming releases, others have begun theorizing that it could be Taylor Swift owing to their shared connection with Ryan Tedder. But the latest speculation is that it could just be Selena Gomez on the track, which is due some time in August.
While the other potential collaborations have been mere hints, the rumor that Gomez is the featured artist on Blackpink's August single stems from Korean news outlet My Daily reporting the same. Blinks and Selenators were both soon sharing their excitement online, but unfortunately, not all in both camps were happy with the news. One user tweeted, "We don’t even want that collab no more Selena's “singing” will ruin the song," while several Blinks claimed they "lost" and were upset the artist was not Grande instead and stating, "We want AriPink we’ve already decided that as a whole I thought."
Not all fans were on board the hate train, though. One Blackpink fan shared, "Blinks, please, don't drag Selena if this is true. She's a great artist, she's one of the most respected artistes in the universe fighting for human rights and women empowerment, and she has a big fandom. Let's be happy that we have QUEEN collaborating to our PINKS. #SELENAPINKisComing." Several others thought the hate was misogynistic, with multiple responding to these tweets stating, "We support all female artists."
But beyond fan reactions, YG themselves are yet to confirm the news, which still leaves room for speculation. On July 28, the label released a statement on the matter, sharing that it was "difficult to confirm the collaboration" between Blackpink and Gomez at this time. They also politely asked fans to "wait for the official announcement later."
Blackpink's comeback single, 'How You Like That', has already smashed all their own records in addition to those set by fellow K-pop acts like BTS. Their collaboration with Lady Gaga before that on the track 'Sour Candy' also swept charts, earning them several new titles including being the first Korean girl group to enter and top Billboard's Emerging Artists chart and to have three number-one singles on Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart. And they're going to keep the momentum going with their first full-length Korean album, 'The Album', due on October 2.
Speaking about their plans for the Blackpink this year, YG further stated, "Blackpink in 2020 will focus on the global market through systematic and thorough planning and practice. In order to make the leap forward for Blackpink, the ongoing global project with Universal Music, the world's largest music group, is progressing well."