Judging by my Instagram feed alone, it seems like this year's Coachella Music Festival was a success. But even if you had a fantastic time with your friends drinking vodka sodas and catching Ariana Grande's set (with a Justin Bieber surprise!), or you danced under a palm tree with Instagram models while people threw glitter on you during Bad Bunny, I'm sorry to break it to you: You did not have nearly as good of a time at Coachella as BLACKPINK.
Not even close.
The South Korean quartet, composed of Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé, and Lisa, became the first K-pop girl group to ever play a U.S. festival, so we already knew that these two weekends would be a big deal for them, as well as fans. But with it came a pressure to deliver a killer performance, especially since their newest video for the title track of their EP, Kill This Love, smashed existing YouTube records shortly after its release. But according to fans and critics, BLACKPINK far exceeded expectations — and likely left the stage with hundreds more Blinks (the group's fandom name) because of it. They opened the set with the showstopper “DDU-DU DDU-DU,” and played three songs from Kill This Love.
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LOOK AT THIS! ?
— NG (@stylizeddream) April 13, 2019
Coachella crowds are usually boring af but Blackpink did that!!!!
People were loving them!!pic.twitter.com/3r8qIWRF8b
But BLACKPINK wasn't at the festival just to play — they were there to make friends and join in on the fun. And listen, I'm sure everyone who attended Coachella had an amazing time! But did you dance and rave around with Khalid? Because BLACKPINK did.
✨?? pic.twitter.com/WHMkQWGC84
— Khalid (@thegreatkhalid) April 20, 2019
What about Kanye's famed Sunday Service? Did you get invited by Willow Smith to join in? Because Lisa did.
Highlight of #sundayservice was watching @OfficialWillow convince @ygofficialblink Lisa to join Kanye’s dance troupe pic.twitter.com/n7epdh44TO
— Brodin Plett (@brodinplett) April 21, 2019
Did you basically spend the whole day with Jaden Smith and make him and a group of fun celebrity friends (including Harry Hudson and Nina Dobrev) laugh? Because BLACKPINK did — Rosé did that!
Blackpink x Jaden Smith
— qt (@pinktopsblack) April 20, 2019
Look at my Rosie making everyone laugh. ?#BLACKPINKxCoachella_D2 pic.twitter.com/I5f7nRMNF0
blackpink with nina dobrev and jaden smith, I love that they met so many celebrities and made some new friends. look how happy they are!! pic.twitter.com/ZU2arPU8HF
— orbit (@velvetsjisoo) April 20, 2019
Are Jaden's very cool parents, Will Smith and Jada Pinkett-Smith "officially fans" of yours? Because they're BLACKPINK's!
Did you take a very cute picture with Ariana Grande, who will probably change the name of her song "7 Rings" to "10 Rings" because you're perfect members to add to her squad? No?
What about Billie Eilish, your celebrity crush and likely the coolest 17-year-old on Earth right now? Did you take an adorable picture with her? Jennie certainly did!
The whole thing was so wholesome, and truly underscores Rosé's thoughts she shared during BLACKPINK's set about how music truly brings people together from all over the world.
"Us coming all the way from South Korea, we didn’t know what to expect," said the singer. "And obviously we — you guys and us — we’re from totally different worlds. But tonight I think we’ve learned so deeply that music brings us as one."
BLACKPINK did all of that.
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