The members of Blackpink suddenly seem like they’re almost angling for the title of Queens of Christmas, as the holiday season has seen a flurry of three big announcements or releases — including Lisa choosing Christmas Eve to drop her cover of a Britney Spears holiday perennial, “My Only Wish (This Year).”
The group has big plans for the day after Christmas, too, with a virtual-reality concert showcase, “Blackpink: A VR Encore,” set to stream on Dec. 26.
The third piece of Blackpink news came earlier on Christmas Eve when the group member Jennie announced directly to fans that she would be launching her own label and company, OA, in the new year
While fans who want in on Jennie’s product line will experience a bit of delayed gratification, Lisa’s Britney cover was something they could unwrap immediately. (Watch it below.)
Lisa is best known as Blackpink’s primary rapper and dancer, so her cover of Spears’ lone holiday song marked a vocal departure from her usual rapping persona.
“Christmas present for my Blinks… Have a wonderful holiday,” wrote Lisa on her Instagram account before dropping her Spears cover onto her YouTube channel, accompanied by a holiday-themed, romantic cinematic escapade shot in Paris.
The surprise cover revives a Spears song originally found on Jive Records’ 2000 all-label holiday album, “Platinum Christmas,” which additionally featured then-top label artists such as NSYNC, Santana, Christina Aguilera, Backstreet Boys and R. Kelly.
“My Only Wish (This Year)” is Lisa’s first solo work since 2021’s “Lalisa” album and that year’s non-LP single, “SG” with DJ Snake, Ozuna and Megan Thee Stallion. Earlier this year, Lisa was a featured guest on “Shoong!” from South Korean singer-songwriter and dancer Taeyang.
For fans wanting to see the full group in action, “Blackpink: A VR Encore” is set to air Dec. 26 at 5 p.m. PT on Meta Horizon Worlds and features the final show from Blackpink’s global 2023 tour in support of “Born Pink.”
The K-girl group dropped a trailer earlier this week for the VR special, which will viewable by owners of the special headsets, teased with the legend “Take a front row seat as Blackpink performs some of their biggest hits and unlock a limited-edition K-pop inspired emote! To get rewarded, set off a confetti balloon on the dance floor in Music Valley.”
Singer-actress Jennie’s is apparently looking to start 2024 off with new product, not fresh recordings. After acting in the Weeknd’s much-maligned HBO series, “The Idol,” she dropped her own new song in October with “You & Me.” But at the moment, she appears to be focused on product lines apart from music.
“OA, which stands for Odd Atelier, is a space that aims to create new things that attract attention in a different way from what is usual or expected,” she wrote. before showing off several OA-branded hoodies.
It remains to be seen whether Jisoo and Rosé will make their own power moves in the near future.
Along with headlining Coachella earlier in 2023, Blackpink (only the third K-pop ensemble to top the Billboard 200 album chart, with 2022’s “Born Pink”) renewed exclusive contracts as a quartet and as soloists with YG Entertainment, the South Korean talent agency, record label, production company, concert group and music publishing house.