Between a collection of solid EPs, gargantuan first-day streaming numbers for any one of the group’s music videos, huge international endorsements (like this one with Adidas), headlining major music festivals, and a recent, high-profile collaboration with Lady Gaga, there really isn’t much that K-pop girl juggernaut BLACKPINK hasn’t accomplished. Now, Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rosé can finally cross one more major milestone off of their collective list: a full-length album. Per Forbes, YG Entertainment has officially confirmed that BLACKPINK’s long-awaited studio LP will arrive October 2. The label made the announcement through its official Twitter page on Monday.
Titled quite simply The Album, the long-gestating record has already set its roots with a hit leading track “How You Like That” and another pre-release single expected to drop in August. Aside from that, BLACKPINK nor the group’s label have set any expectations beyond a surprise featured artist that will appear on the next single. Physical copies of The Album will come with goods for fans, like a photo book, a lyrics book, and more. But mostly, the group’s patient fans (or Blinks, as they are officially dubbed) can look forward to finally having an honest-to-goodness full-length collection that will hopefully flex the group’s charisma as performers (though their EP Kill This Love also does a great job of that).
The news is a big deal for those who have been waiting for this milestone since the group debuted in 2016. Over the course of four years, the four-piece act has released record-breaking hits and made actual history when it became the first K-pop girl group to play Coachella. We’ll see what records this debut album will undoubtedly shatter in the fall.