Posts made in July 2020

Pitbull × Wyland × National League of Cities

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Wyland kicks off his 9th nationwide campaign for conservation August 1 in support of Water Quality Month. The program, which was postponed in April due to coronavirus, encourages residents across America to make small changes in their lives to better manage our water resources and improve the health of our ocean, lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands. Conservation partners this year include Pitbull, mayors across the country and the National League of Cities among others.

“It’s more important than ever to maintain smart habits that support the health of the world around us — especially when it comes to our water and air, “ said marine-life artist and conservationist Wyland. “If Covid has taught us anything, it’s that we can change behaviors for the benefit of everybody.”

Participants can win thousands in eco-friendly prizes at www.mywaterpledge.com starting August 1.

Wyland is available for interviews as is Wyland Foundation President, Steve Creech.

Everyone is invited to share how they are doing their part with hashtag #mywaterpledge. Examples include:

* I use cloth shopping bags instead of plastic. #mywaterpledge
* Instead of plastic water bottles, I switched to reusable containers. #mywaterpledge
* I helped clean up my local beach this weekend! #mywaterpledge
* I biked to the store instead of using my car. #mywaterpledge #airquality

About the National Mayors’ Challenge for Water Conservation

The annual Wyland National Mayors’ Challenge for Water Conservation will relaunch in August as part of national water quality month, Aug. 1-30. The program, which was postponed in April due to coronavirus, encourages residents across America to make small changes in their lives to better manage our water resources and improve the health of our ocean, lakes, rivers, streams, and wetlands.

Presented nationally by the Wyland Foundation, the campaign rewards residents who take part with a chance to win $3,000 toward their home utility bills, home irrigation makeovers, environmentally friendly cleaning products, and hundreds more eco-friendly prizes. Residents can also nominate a deserving charity in their city to receive a 2020 new-generation Toyota Highlander Hybrid XLE. Cities with the most residents that make pledges qualify for over $50,000 in prize drawings. Residents make their pledges online at www.mywaterpledge.com throughout the month of August.

Encouraging Green Living

In the wake of the current pandemic, the campaign will provide residents with more opportunities to get involved safely from home, including making water-friendly lifestyle changes on behalf of their city, undertaking home-based environmental projects that add up to cleaner, safer communities, and sharing tips and strategies with friends and neighbors. Last year, mayors from 39 states encouraged residents to make more than 740,000 pledges to promote drought resiliency, protect watersheds, and reduce stress on aging water infrastructure.

“It’s more important than ever to maintain smart habits that support the health of the world around us — especially when it comes to our water and air, “ said marine life artist and conservationist Wyland. “If Covid has taught us anything, it’s that we can change behaviors for the benefit of everybody.”

Green Homeschooling

Despite school closures, teachers working remotely are also encouraged to engage their students to take part by accessing a special section of the website to make a series of water-saving commitments with their classes and win classroom supplies and gift cards for their school.

Partners

The non-profit campaign, which has included numerous live events, educational tours, and hundreds of city-led activities over the past decade, is presented in association with The Toro Company, EPA WaterSense, National League of Cities, Conserva Irrigation, and Earth Friendly Products (makers of ECOS) and PETAL (withpetal.com sustainable personal care products which reduce waste and take the dirt out of clean.) The Challenge encourages residents to follow their city’s progress throughout the month and to use that information to encourage friends, neighbors, businesses, and civic groups to get involved.

George Floyd Foundation

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Tonight, the George Floyd Foundation will launch “A Monumental Change: The George Floyd Hologram Memorial Project.” The foundation is working with the family of George Floyd and Change.org to bring awareness to the Black Lives Matter movement. The project starts in Richmond, Virginia — the former capital of the Confederacy. Richmond is also where the movement saw a recent major victory with the removal of the monument to Jefferson Davis. As part of the project, a three-dimensional hologram of George Floyd will sit in its place. Watch this video to see a preview of the hologram and be inspired by its message then retweet to share with your friends.

Protesters in Richmond need your help. That’s why Aaron Brown started a petition to protect their rights as the movement for Black lives goes on. As he says in his petition, “We need your support to help us pressure lawmakers to stop criminalizing youth who are standing up in defense of our community.” Will you add your voice for Richmond protesters?

Needtobreathe – Celebrating Out of Body

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Award-nominated rock band NEEDTOBREATHE have announced they will welcome their new album with Celebrating Out of Body, a fully immersive concert experience directed by acclaimed filmmaker Elizabeth Olmstead (Brandi Carlile, The Highwomen) that will see the band perform their new songs live for the very first time. Streamed from the studio in Nashville, TN, this high definition audio and video experience will put fans right in the middle of a live performance to celebrate the album’s release. Celebrating Out of Body will take place on Friday, August 28th at 9:00pm ET.

NEEDTOBREATHE introduced Out of Body in April with the release of anthemic lead single “Hang On” and ballad “Seasons”. American Songwriter claimed, “‘Hang On’ could easily be the next summertime sing-along,” and E! News praised the track as “The sort of anthem we all need right about now.” “Hang On” has already soundtracked a national campaign for the PGA Tour’s Impact Initiative and been featured in the season finale of American Idol. Last month, NEEDTOBREATHE launched the album’s pre-order, and shared its third song “Survival” (feat. Drew & Ellie Holcomb)”. The band also shared the emotionally charged track “Who Am I”. Fans who pre-order Out of Body will receive immediate downloads of all four songs the band has unveiled. On Out of Body, the platinum-certified trio—Bear Rinehart [vocals, guitar], Seth Bolt [bass, vocals], and Josh Lovelace [keys, vocals]—examine life, family, and friends through a youthful prism. The guys take stock of not only two decades as a band, but also first-time fatherhood and the future over a rich soundtrack of soulful rock with stadium-size scope and poetic intimacy. After spending a week at a beach house in Charleston to gather thoughts and ideas, the trio headed to Nashville, to record alongside producers Cason Cooley and Jeremy Lutito. As they cultivated a team atmosphere, the songs organically came to life. Out of Body follows 2016’s H A R D L O V E, which debuted at #1 on the Billboard Top Current Album Sales Chart, and featured the gold-certified title track “Hard Love”.

ABOUT NEEDTOBREATHE

GRAMMY® Award-nominated NEEDTOBREATHE have mounted a steady ascent to the top of the charts and packed arenas everywhere. Formed in 1998, the group attracted a loyal grassroots following with their full-length debut Daylight [2006] and its follow-up The Heat [2007]. Two years later, The Outsiders became their first Top 20 entry on the Billboard Top 200 before eventually going gold. During 2011, The Reckoning landed at #1 on the Billboard Top Rock Albums Chart and #6 on the Top 200. In addition to bowing at #3 on the Top 200, 2014’s Rivers in the Wasteland yielded the platinum-selling Hot 100 hit “Brother” [feat. Gavin DeGraw] and “Multiplied,” which garnered their first GRAMMY® nod. Meanwhile, H A R D L O V E [2016] marked their highest chart bow yet, debuting at #1 on the Billboard Top Current Album Sales Chart, as the title track “Hard Love” [feat. Andra Day] scored a gold plaque. Along the way, they headlined and sold out iconic venues such as Red Rocks Amphitheatre, The Greek Theatre, and Ryman Auditorium, to name a few. The group picked up a pair of nominations at the Billboard Music Awards, and received praise from People, Rolling Stone, Forbes, and more. Now, NEEDTOBREATHE reflect the freedom of youth on their seventh full-length offering, Out of Body [Elektra Records/Centricity Music] over a rich soundtrack of soulful rock with stadium-size scope and poetic intimacy.

The Blossom – Angel Fangs

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PRAISE FOR THE BLOSSOM

“Windows-down cruise music for runaways and self-searchers” – Complex

“Music is in the genes for Lily Lizotte” – Daily Telegraph

“The LA artist takes ‘bedroom pop’ to its highest form” – Document Journal

“Lily Lizotte is a Sydney, Australia raised, LA based talent who has the world ahead of her in the form of music” – Lyrical Lemonade

Sydney-raised, LA-based singer-songwriter and producer The Blossom (a.k.a. Lily Lizotte) today presents her latest single, the impossibly intimate “Angel Fangs.”

“Angel Fangs” follows on from her debut EP, Bleeding Buttercup, as well as her appearance on Future Classic’s Shelter in Place, a compilation highlighting emerging musicians from around the world during the COVID-19 pandemic. Blending together dreamy shoegaze, guitar-driven indie, skittering, hip-hop-influenced pop production, and Lily’s multilayered approach to her vocals, Bleeding Buttercup played with the restrained sonics of bedroom pop to explore the emotional and mental terrain of that private space.

Where her debut EP was defined by an unfaltering commitment to openness and vulnerability, “Angel Fangs” takes that purpose even further, relying solely on grainy acoustic guitar, Lily’s close, lonely vocals, and her painstakingly self-conscious lyrics. From an artist who is building a career out of excavating her own defenses, “Angel Fangs” is The Blossom’s most exposed and understated track yet.

Of the track, The Blossom shares that she “wrote ‘Angel Fangs’ during an isolated quarantine, hanging off the side of my bed… I was feeling restless and hopeless… this song felt like an ache, something that was building up and lamenting. I wanted to confront myself with an over-awareness that in its confrontational manner feels soothing and liberating… cause I guess I ended up writing a lot of lyrics that had been buried and burrowing underneath my skin for a while. So I chewed up my feelings and spat out something that we recorded in 1 take and left it at that. I didn’t use written lyrics, I just let whatever fall off of me.”

Jaden Smith × Vote for the Earth

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Future Coalition, the creators of Earth Day Live, one of the largest digital mobilizations in history held in April 2020 that garnered 5 million views worldwide – announced the “Vote For the Earth” livestream series. The series unites Black and Indigenous youth leadership and calls on young people to tackle systems of oppression by turning out the vote in November. In partnership with Earth Guardians, We Stand United, Hip Hop Caucus and the International Indigenous Youth Council, the event will air on Future Live, Twitch, Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.

Vote For the Earth will reach a broad audience and leverage the best civic engagement technology and frontline and digital tactics to register new voters. It will encourage voters to access absentee ballots and to Vote For the Earth to build a sustainable future for the next seven generations.

The livestream series features stories of power, resilience and movement-building on the ground from frontline community members, along with musical performances and speakers such as Jaden Smith and Van Jones. Speakers will share messages on the intersectionality of social justice and climate justice, while also sharing the many resources available from the climate movement.

Vote For the Earth aims to contribute to a 55 percent youth voter turnout in the November election, while also aiming to reach 2 million Black and Indigenous youth eligible to vote. The series will also facilitate partnership building with Black and Indigenous organizers to diversify the climate movement and allow for partnerships with universities and organizations to register voters.

“Protecting our communities from systemic racism and violence and the climate emergency go hand in hand,” said Thomas Lopez, Partnerships Coordinator of the Climate Strikes with Future Coalition. “The youth vote is critical to turning the tide in the November presidential election, and Vote For the Earth will help us accomplish that.”

The 2-hour livestream will start at:

5 p.m. PST / 8 p.m. EST on Wednesday, August 12

To tune in, sign up at https://votefortheearth.us/.

Featuring musical and spoken-word performances from artists involved in climate activism and social justice movements, including:

Xiuhtezcatl Martinez
Leala Pourier
Portugal the Man
Zakaria Kronemer
Jasilyn Charger
Tokata Iron Eyes
Cody Looking Horse
Anjelah Johnson
The Grand Alliance – Sur Ellz , Kayla Marque & Crl Crrll
Van Jones
Simone Johnson
Reverend Lennox Yearwood
Kaylah Brathwaite
Jaden Smith
UMI
Supaman
Ayoni
Antoine Edwards & Nattaanii Means

The second and third livestreams of the series will air on September 16 and October 14. For more information, visit https://votefortheearth.us/.

About March On: March On is a political organization composed of women-led political activist groups that grew out of the women’s marches of January 21, 2017. They have come together as a united force to take concrete, coordinated actions at the federal, state and local levels to impact elections and take our country in a better direction. March On is not affiliated with Women’s March, Inc. For more information, visit wearemarchon.org.

About Future Coalition: Founded by youth activists for youth activists, Future Coalition is a network and community for youth-led organizations and Gen Z and young millennial leaders from across the country that came into being as a project of March On in the fall of 2018. The Future Coalition works collaboratively to provide young people with the resources, tools, and support they need to create the change they want to see in their communities and in this country. For more information, visit futurecoalition.org.

About Earth Guardians: Earth Guardians began in 1992 as an accredited high school in Maui, Hawaii, focusing on environmental awareness and social justice issues. Seeing the need to empower and amplify the voice of a wider audience,Since then, Earth Guardians has become a global movement providing a platform for hundreds of youth crews in over 60 countries to engage in some of the greatest issues we face as a global community. Earth Guardians continues to inspire and train diverse youth to be effective leaders within the climate justice and environmental movement worldwide. For more information, visit https://www.earthguardians.org/.

About International Indigenous Youth Council: The International Indigenous Youth Council (IIYC) is a social justice non-profit that serves Indigenous and POC youth in their journeys as young leaders. IIYC provides education-based resources and training in direct action, resistance art, spiritual practice and civic engagement. IIYC was started and led by womxn and two-spirit peoples during the Standing Rock Indigenous Uprising of 2016 while peacefully protecting the Cannonball and Missouri Rivers against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline. In 2017 IIYC extended the reach of the organization through a chapter model which serves youth across Turtle Island in areas including Chicago, Denver, New Mexico, Southern California, South Dakota, Texas (Yanaguana Chapter), Twin Cities Minnesota and Washington DC. The IIYC is a completely youth-led organization serving young people up to the age of 30. For more information, visit https://indigenousyouth.org/.

About We Stand United: We Stand United is an organization of award-winning artists, activists, political strategists and communications experts working together to protect our democracy and to advance social, economic, and environmental justice across the United States. https://wsucampaign.org/.

About Hip Hop Caucus: We link culture and policy to make our movements bigger, more diverse, and more powerful. We exist for everyone who identifies with Hip Hop culture to come together for positive change. Being part of Hip Hop Caucus means you can use your cultural expression to shape your political experience. For more information, visit https://hiphopcaucus.org/.

Follow Jaden Smith: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | YouTube

Logic – Aquarius III Video

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“Logic’s contribution to hip-hop is deep-rooted in inclusivity and compassion, and ‘No Pressure’ continues the trend even as he bids farewell to the art form that raised him and gave him a platform to speak his truth.”

“The 15 tracks that comprise No Pressure is a reminder of the Maryland-native’s pure skill and dedication to the craft. His passion and talent are evident in all the sonic aspects of the album, from his double-timed flows to his melodic offerings and engaging lyricism.”

“…Logic at his finest, raging with righteous indignation and heightened melodic skills.”

“Logic’s No Pressure does what all retirement albums should aspire to accomplish: conclude a rapper’s career on a high note. The music is on par, lyrically, with the best material Logic has released throughout the past six years, and the Maryland rapper is keenly aware this is it.”

ABOUT LOGIC:

Multi-platinum, Grammy Nominated artist Logic (aka Sir Robert Bryson Hall II, aka Bobby Hall) – among the top streaming artists in the world with billions of streams to date – burst onto the music scene through a series of mixtapes that led to a significant, rabid underground fanbase. Those tapes – Young, Broke, and Infamous (2010); Young Sinatra (2011); Young Sinatra: Undeniable (2012); and Young Sinatra: Welcome to Forever (2013) – garnered millions of downloads and streams. They jumpstarted a worldwide tour that led up to his record deal with Def Jam Recordings in 2014, and the release of his debut album Under Pressure that year. Logic kept up the pace with his second album, The Incredible True Story (2015, with the RIAA gold “Fade Away”), followed by Everybody (2017), containing the landmark 5x-platinum “1-800-273-8255” (National Suicide Prevention Lifeline) featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid. Overlapping Logic’s albums were new mixtapes Bobby Tarantino (2016, with the RIAA gold single “Flexicution”), and Bobby Tarantino II (2018, with the RIAA platinum “44 More” and “Everyday”). YSIV (September 2018), the fourth chapter of his Young Sinatra saga, contained “One Day” which Logic performed with Ryan Tedder and over 200 immigrant children, their siblings and parents at the MTV VMAs. 2019 kicked off with the publication in March of Supermarket (Simon & Schuster), the debut novel written by Bobby Hall, which entered the New York Times Paperback Fiction bestseller list at #1 – first-ever for a hip-hop artist. It was accompanied by the Supermarket “soundtrack” album, which debuted inside the Top 10 on the Billboard Alternative Album chart, an ‘Alt’ chart first for Logic. The prolific artist dropped his fifth studio album in May 2019, Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind. It was preceded by the title tune single and video, “Confessions Of A Dangerous Mind,” and RIAA platinum “Homicide” featuring Eminem.

Johnny Cash – A Night To Remember

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Third Man Records, in partnership with Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment and the John R. Cash Trust, have announced the mystery artist for the A-side of the 7” single in the upcoming release of Vault Package #45: “Johnny Cash – A Night To Remember.”

The previously unreleased track is from The Lumineers and titled “Pretty Pictures In My Mind.” The B-side of the 7” single announced last month features a new track from Ruston Kelly, “Dark and Bloody Ground.” In addition to the 7” single, the Vault Package #45, will be released in September and includes a previously unavailable Johnny Cash 1973 concert at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles.

Vault #45 – “Johnny Cash – A Night To Remember” is available now for pre-order here. The deadline for orders is this Friday, July 31, 2020.

These two recordings are part of the continuation of Johnny Cash: Forever Words, a multi-year project by John Carter Cash, who has combed the Johnny Cash archive for unreleased poems, prose and lyrics. These new tracks by Ruston Kelly and The Lumineers will be included in a future installment of the next compilation.

Johnny Cash: Forever Words was released in 2018 and is comprised of Cash’s unknown poetry, lyrics, and letters, set to music by an all-star array of contemporary artists including Ruston Kelly & Kacey Musgraves, Chris Cornell, Rosanne Cash, Alison Krauss & Union Station, Kris Kristofferson & Willie Nelson, Brad Paisley, John Mellencamp, Carlene Carter, Elvis Costello, The Jayhawks and more.

“It is great to hear my father at such a prime place in his career and I am excited fans will be able to enjoy this never released concert,” says John Carter Cash. “I am even more excited to be continuing Forever Words with the release of these two new tracks. Dad’s lyrics transcend genre and defy easy definition. This is yet another example of his legacy continuing in diverse and groundbreaking ways.”

Chaz French – What A Day Video

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Today, critically acclaimed Washington, D.C. rapper Chaz French presents a powerful music video for his latest single “What A Day.” Watch it HERE. Get it HERE via Motown Records.

In the sunny day-in-the-life visual directed by Nicolas Castro, the MC gives a tour of various black-owned businesses in his hometown of Washington, D.C. Taking to the streets on his bike, he cruises the neighborhood and meets up with author and activist Tony Lewis, Jr. to pick up his book Slugg: A Boy’s Life In The Age Of Mass Incarceration before stopping by Southwest Soda Pop Shop, The Museum, Spice Suite, and the legendary Horace & Dickies. We see the faces of this community in the clip.

In a thoughtful post-script, he recalls, “I spent Black Out Tuesday supporting friends and family with Black-owned businesses and hope you did too… What A Day.”

Stay tuned for more music from Chaz French very soon.

Follow Chaz French: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Youtube

Adrian Kulp – World’s Greatest Dad Jokes

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Entertainment industry veteran and Amazon best-selling author, Adrian Kulp, provides much needed comic relief with the release of his fifth book, “World’s Greatest Dad Jokes,” published by Callisto Media. The book, which is available now through digital retailers, includes illustrations by Jeremy Nguyen, a cartoonist for The New Yorker Magazine. To purchase “World’s Greatest Dad Jokes,” click HERE.

While producing “The Ty Bentli Show” under pandemic quarantine from home, Kulp put together “World’s Greatest Dad Jokes,” sharing, “With so much instability and uncertainty in the world right now, I felt like it was the perfect time to turn some of those frowns upside down. Sometimes cringeworthy, often times hilarious – dad jokes have become my bread and butter, especially with four kids under 10. Laughter and humor has played an integral part in my life ever since I was a boy, joking around with my own dad.”

Kulp started the award-nominated parenting/fatherhood blog “Dad or Alive“ in 2010 and was also the Senior Story Producer on the critically-acclaimed reality series “Modern Dads” for A&E Networks. His debut book, “Dad or Alive: Confessions of an Unexpected Dad,” a comedic memoir about his transition from Hollywood TV Executive to full-time stay-at-home dad, was released by Penguin Publishing in 2013.

In 2018, Kulp launched his parenting trilogy with the release of “We’re Pregnant! The First-Time Dad’s Pregnancy Handbook,” an Amazon Best-Seller, holding consistent No. 1 positions in categories of Fatherhood, Obstetrics & Gynecology and Devotionals. The sequel, “We’re Parents! The New Dad’s Guide to Baby’s First Year,” was released the following year and is currently No. 3 on Amazon, while the latest release “We’re Parenting a Toddler! The First-Time Parents’ Guide to Surviving the Toddler Years‘” debuted in 2020 and is on the move.

About Adrian Kulp

Adrian is a former TV development executive for Adam Sandler’s Happy Madison Productions and VP of Development for Chelsea Handler’s Borderline Amazing Productions, along with being the comic booker for “The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson.” In 2010, he started the award-nominated parenting/fatherhood blog ‘Dad or Alive’ and was also Senior Story Producer on the critically-acclaimed reality series “Modern Dads” for A&E Networks. Most recently, he was the Senior Executive Producer on the Internationally syndicated country music morning show, “The Ty Bentli Show'” for Cumulus Media/Westwood One in Nashville, Tennessee. He lives just outside of Nashville in Mount Juliet, Tennessee with his wife and four young kids.

Follow Adrian Kulp: Instagram | Twitter | Website.

BLACKPINK – Debut Album

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South Korean superstar quartet BLACKPINK has announced an October 2nd release date for their massively anticipated debut album. Set for release via YG Entertainment/Interscope Records, BLACKPINK’s first full-length studio effort will feature “How You Like That” — a trap-pop anthem that surpassed a staggering 100 million streams on Spotify in under a month. Merch bundles for the album available now at BLACKPINK’s website.

Next month, BLACKPINK will share the second single from their debut album. As the group revealed last week, the single will include a surprise feature.

Released on June 26th, “How You Like That” debuted at #33 on the Billboard Hot 100, making BLACKPINK the K-pop act with the second-highest number of Hot 100 entries in chart history. The song also shot to #1 on the iTunes charts in the U.S. and 66 other countries (spending four consecutive days at #1 worldwide), and peaked at #2 on Spotify’s Global Top 50 (reaching the #8 spot in the U.S.).

LISTEN TO “HOW YOU LIKE THAT” HERE.

Meanwhile, the mind-blowing visual for “How You Like That” became the fastest video in YouTube history to cross 10 million likes, as well as the fastest video to amass 150 million views. It also shattered the YouTube record for most views within the first 24 hours (86.3 million), and set an all-time record for the biggest YouTube premiere (with over 1.6 million peak concurrent viewers). Check out the video HERE.

ABOUT BLACKPINK:

Since first bursting onto the scene in 2016, BLACKPINK has redefined the possibilities of K-pop, transcending all categorization and ascending to global stardom. With their unstoppably catchy single “DDU-DU DDU-DU,” the South Korean quartet broke the record for the highest-charting Billboard Hot 100 debut by an all-female K-pop act, while its head-turning video surpassed 10 million views in just six hours and racked up 36.2 million views in one day.

Discovered by YG Entertainment, BLACKPINK is comprised of JISOO, JENNIE, LISA, and ROSÉ: four immensely charismatic vocalists, dancers, and burgeoning fashion icons. Released in 2016, their debut “SQUARE ONE” quickly proved their crossover power; in 2018, “SQUARE UP” climbed to #40 on the Billboard 200 and #1 on the Billboard World Albums chart. Several months after “SQUARE UP” hit the charts, YG Entertainment and Interscope Records announced a global partnership for BLACKPINK, paving the way for the group’s international breakthrough. With their EP Kill This Love arriving in April 2019, BLACKPINK further boosted their popularity by successfully completing a world tour and becoming the first K-pop girl group to perform at Coachella, the largest music festival in the U.S.

FOLLOW BLACKPINK: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | YouTube