Kim Ji-soo (Korean: 김지수; born January 3, 1995), known mononymously as Jisoo, is a South Korean singer and actress. She is a member of the South Korean girl group Blackpink, which debuted under YG Entertainment in August 2016. Outside of her music career, she made her acting debut with a cameo role in the 2015 series The Producers and played her first leading role in the JTBC series Snowdrop (2021–22).
In March 2023, Jisoo released her debut single album Me, which became the best-selling album by a female soloist in South Korea and the first to sell over a million copies. Its lead single "Flower" was a commercial success, peaking at number two on the Billboard Global 200 and the Circle Digital Chart and breaking the record for the highest-charting song by a Korean female soloist on the Canadian Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart. In 2024, she established her own label named Blissoo.
Kim Ji-soo was born on January 3, 1995[1][2] in Gunpo, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.[3][4] She has an older brother and sister.[5][6] As a child, she played basketball and practiced taekwondo.[7] She dreamt of becoming a painter and writer.[8] She was a fan of the Korean boy group TVXQ.[7] Jisoo attended high school at the School of Performing Arts Seoul;[1] in 11th grade, she joined a drama club at the school and earned more experience in the entertainment industry by attending auditions.[8] Prior to debuting, Jisoo lived with her parents, siblings and grandparents.[8] In addition to her native Korean, Jisoo has also learned to speak Chinese and Japanese.[1][9]
Jisoo debuted as one of the four members of girl group Blackpink on August 8, 2016, alongside Jennie, Rosé and Lisa. The group's debut single album Square One featured the singles "Whistle", which topped the charts in South Korea, and "Boombayah."[9] In 2018, Blackpink signed with Interscope Records in a global partnership with YG Entertainment.[14]
From 2017 to 2018, Jisoo joined Inkigayo as a host alongside Got7's Jin-young and NCT's Doyoung.[15] She first ventured into acting in 2019 with a short cameo appearance in the tvN fantasy drama Arthdal Chronicles as Song Joong-ki's love interest.[16] In June 2020, Jisoo's style in the teasers for Blackpink's single "How You Like That" went viral on social media. Celebrities and influencers in South Korea, China, Thailand, and Vietnam replicated her "two-bow hairstyle" and makeup, which Jisoo created herself.[17] Her "dot style", a makeup idea she originated, trended on social media platforms such as Instagram to promote the challenge among overseas fans.[18][19] Jisoo took part as writer on "Lovesick Girls," the third single from Blackpink's first studio album The Album (2020).[20]
In 2021, Jisoo had her first leading role in the JTBC television series Snowdrop, helmed by Sky Castle's writer Yoo Hyun-mi and director Jo Hyun-tak.[21] She played a college freshman, Eun Yeong-ro, who is held hostage by her love interest Lim Soo-ho, a North Korean agent portrayed by Jung Hae-in. The show ranked number one on Disney+ in four out of the five countries it was made available in, including South Korea.[22] In September 2022, Jisoo was awarded Outstanding Korean Actress at the Seoul International Drama Awards for her role in Snowdrop.[23]
Jisoo contributed songwriting credits once again to "Yeah Yeah Yeah," the fourth track from Blackpink's second studio album, Born Pink (2022).[24]
2023–present: Me, film debut and independent label
On January 2, 2023, YG Entertainment announced that Jisoo would debut as a solo artist within the year and was in the process of recording music for her album.[25][26] On February 21, her label revealed that filming for her music video was underway in a top-secret location overseas, with the highest production budget they have ever invested into a Blackpink music video.[27] Jisoo's single album Me was released on March 31, 2023, containing the lead single "Flower" and B-side track "All Eyes on Me."[28]
Me debuted at number one on the Circle Album Chart with 1.03 million copies sold in the first week of release. It broke the record for the best-selling album by a K-pop female soloist and became the first to sell a million copies in history.[29] The lead single "Flower" was a commercial success in South Korea, peaking at number two on the Circle Digital Chart and remaining in the top ten for 12 weeks.[30] Internationally, the song debuted at number two on the Billboard Global 200 and earned the third-largest streaming start for an artist's debut track in the chart's history.[31] It also became the highest-peaking song by a Korean female soloist on the Canadian Hot 100 and the UK Singles Chart.[32][33] Jisoo promoted "Flower" by performing it on SBS's Inkigayo and went on to achieve nine music show wins on South Korean cable music programs, including Triple Crowns on Inkigayo and Show Champion.[34] She performed the song during Blackpink's headlining concerts at Coachella in April and BST Hyde Park in July.[35][36]
Jisoo made a special cameo appearance as a Korean traditional fairy in the film Dr. Cheon and Lost Talisman, which was released on September 27, 2023.[37] It was announced on August 31 that Jisoo had been cast as the lead role alongside Park Jeong-min in Coupang Play's new television series Newtopia, a drama about a zombie outbreak written by Han Jin-won, the writer of Parasite, and Ji Ho-jin and directed by Yoon Seong-hyun.[38][39] Jisoo will also make her big screen debut in the film adaptation of the webtoon Omniscient Reader's Viewpoint, of which she is said to be a fan. She will star in her first leading movie role as Lee Ji-hye alongside actor Lee Min-ho.[40] The full-scale filming will begin in December.[41]
On November 22, 2023, Jisoo was invested by King Charles III as an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) alongside her bandmates during a special investiture at Buckingham Palace which was also attended by President of South Korea Yoon Suk Yeol.[42] On December 5, YG Entertainment announced that Jisoo along with the other members of Blackpink had renewed their contracts for group activities and that the members' individual contracts were still under discussion.[43] YG Entertainment subsequently confirmed on December 29 that Jisoo and the other Blackpink members agreed not to proceed with a contract with the label for individual activities.[44] On February 21, 2024, Jisoo established her own label, Blissoo.[45]
Jisoo was ranked as the 10th most popular K-pop idol in 2018 and 17th in 2019 in annual surveys conducted by Gallup Korea.[46] In 2019, she was ranked as the sixth most popular female K-pop idol in a survey of soldiers doing mandatory military service in South Korea.[47] During the same year, Jisoo was the only one of two Korean singers added on the BoF 500 list, a "definitive professional index" of people shaping the $2.4 trillion fashion industry.[1] In December 2022, Time recognized Jisoo as the most-followed Korean actress on Instagram, with over 66 million followers at the time.[48] She is also the third most-followed K-pop idol behind bandmates Lisa and Jennie, achieving 76.7 million followers on the platform as of December 2023.[49]
Jisoo was included in the ranking for the top ten celebrities and influencers leading the world of cosmetics for the first five months of 2020. Women's Wear Daily, a fashion industry trade journal, revealed that Jisoo led the ranking in average engagement per post, followed by Rihanna and Kylie Jenner.[50] She placed 7th in the overall ranking despite having the fewest posts at just 12 in total. Jisoo was the only East Asian on the list.[51]
Jisoo ranked first in the girl group's personal brand reputation list created by Korea Enterprise Research Institute, which analyzed data from brands and online consumers habits to measure those with significant impact on brand consumption and interest.[52] Director of the Korean Language Research Institute Seong-sun Lim noted the Korean wave in the global community was rapidly destroying the conventional Western cultural dominance, naming Jisoo and Jungkook as standards for world beauty over actors Olivia Hussey and James Dean.[53]
In 2020, Dior's increase in sales during the COVID-19 pandemic in South Korea was also attributed to a marketing campaign with Korean pop singers, including Jisoo.[54] She appeared in promotions for Dior's new Bobby bag alongside other prominent influencers such as Chiara Ferragni and Kat Graham.[55] At the brand's Spring/Summer 2021 collection showcase, Jisoo garnered attention as a Korean representative.[56] Her attendance at the showcase earned Dior its highest rated post, with average 33% MIV,[a] since its Fall 2020 show.[58] In March 2021, creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri revealed that Dior's Autumn/Winter 2021 collection was inspired by Jisoo.[59] It was also revealed that one of ten shades of Dior Addict Lip Glow lip balm, #025 Seoul Scarlet, was inspired by Korean women such as Jisoo.[60]
Her attendance at the Dior Spring/Summer 2022 collection show generated buzz both inside and outside of the Jardin des Tuileries venue.[61][62] Jisoo became the public figure that generated the most media impact value throughout Paris Fashion Week, with four photos on her personal Instagram valued at $1.84 million. Furthermore, she was the top celebrity for Dior's MIV, making up $15.7 million of the total $39.1 million generated with just two posts.[63] In March, she generated the highest media impact value for a social media post during Dior's Autumn/Winter 2022 fashion show at Paris Fashion Week, with one photo valued at $1.74 million.[64]
In March 2021, the KartRider Rush+ app's ranking increased to 11th place after the announcement of design cooperation with Jisoo.[65] The collaboration she participated in also received a positive response from users.[66]
On January 3, 2023, her 28th birthday, Jisoo created her personal YouTube channel named 'Happy Jisoo 103%'. She expressed that the proceeds from her newly established channel will be donated to charity.[67][68] On March 12, 2024, it was revealed that the charity of choice was Save the Children.[69]
Before her debut with Blackpink, Jisoo featured in advertisements for Samsonite, Smart Uniform, LG Electronics, and Nikon.[70][71][72][73] In September 2018, Jisoo and band-mate Rosé became endorsement models for Japanese cosmetics brand Kiss Me.[74] In February 2021, Korean clothing brand It Michaa selected Jisoo as muse for their Spring 2021 collection.[75] She was also appointed for 2021 summer campaign on It Michaa's line, For a Day Michaa.[76] In August 2021, Jisoo was selected as the spokesperson for Korean short brand CELEBe.[77] In March 2022, Jisoo became the brand ambassador for Nexon's game MapleStory, making her the second ambassador after Olympic archer Kim Je-deok.[78] In December 2023, Dyson selected Jisoo as their official Brand Ambassador as a representative of the new Dyson hair care products.[79] Then in January 2024, the American athletic apparel retailer Alo Yoga, announced Jisoo as the new face for its spring 2024 campaign, which met jisoo's value in terms of wellness and health through yoga and pilates.[80] On March 6, 2024, Jisoo was selected as the new face of London fashion house, Self-Portrait, as part of the Spring 2024 collection, making her the first musician in the campaign.[81]
In December 2019, Jisoo became a local ambassador for Dior's cosmetics brand, Dior Beauty.[82] The next summer, Jisoo was recruited to be Dior's muse[83] and modelled for Dior's Fall/Winter 2020 collection.[84] In September 2020, Jisoo covered the 155th edition 2020 of DazedKorea, where she discussed her work with Dior.[85][86] In December 2020, Jisoo was photographed with the Lady Dior and D'Lite bags in Dior's Cruise 2020–2021 Collection.[87][88]
In January 2021, Dior Beauty's "Dior Forever Skin Glow Cushion", endorsed by Jisoo, was released exclusively in Korea.[89] She also promoted the brand's Spring/Summer Collection, wearing Dior's Caro bag.[90][91] The next March, Jisoo cemented her long-term partnership with Dior when they announced her as their new global ambassador,[92] alongside Natalie Portman and Cara Delevingne.[93] In May 2021, Jisoo embarked on her first collaboration project with the brand, fronting the Dior Fall '21 and Dior Vespa campaigns as Elle magazine's June cover star, which hit shelves in four countries—Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore and India.[94][95][96] Jisoo modeled Dior's newly launched lip balm, Dior Addict Lip Glow, for the Dior Beauty series.[60][97][98]
In June 2021, Jisoo attended the Dior Resort 2022 show at Greece's Panathenaic Stadium,[99] wearing all-white linen dress by creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri.[99] In September 2021, Jisoo attended Dior's Womenswear Spring/Summer 2022 show, held during the 2021 Paris Fashion Week at Jardin des Tuileries. She sat in the front row, next to the chairman and CEO of Dior, Pietro Beccari.[100][101][102] Ahead of the show, her journey to Paris was documented on Dior's social media accounts, showcasing moments ranging from her visit to the house's ateliers and the inspiration behind the Spring/Summer 2022 collection and to the archives of Lady Dior, named after Princess Diana.[103][104]
In February 2022, Jisoo became the face of Dior's Addict lipstick collection along with fellow ambassadors Anya Taylor-Joy and Sharon Alexie.[105] In honor of her 28th birthday, Dior released a new shade of lipgloss, "031 Strawberry".[106]
In February 2021, Line Friends announced Jisoo as their exclusive partner to design a character in mobile game KartRider Rush+, which would be released on March 19, 2021.[113] She personally sketched items and idea of the character herself.[114] Her items included Chichi, a rabbit inspired by Jisoo's nickname "Turtle Rabbit Kim" among fans, and Dalgom, also the name of her pet. Both Chichi and Dalgom were developed into stickers on the platform Line Messenger.[115]
^Media Impact Value is a proprietary algorithm developed by Launchmetrics to measure the impact of placements and mentions across different voices in the Fashion, Luxury, and Cosmetics (FLC) industry.[57]
^Established in 2003, the Brand of the Year Awards is an awards ceremony based on nationwide surveys hosted by the Korea Consumer Brand Committee and organized by the Korea Consumer Forum.
^Son, Minji (June 23, 2017). [아이돌 고향을 찾아서①] 우리 고향 아이돌 누가 있을까. Sports Tendency (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 5, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2019.
^블랙핑크 지수 "'인기가요' MC 하차, 블랙핑크로 돌아오겠다" 소감 [Blackpink Jisoo, "I quit being the MC of "Inkigayo" and I'll be back as Blackpink"]. OSEN [ko] (in Korean). February 4, 2018. Archived from the original on June 5, 2019. Retrieved May 29, 2019.
^블랙핑크 지수-제니, 신곡 '러브식 걸스' 작사-작곡 참여..카디 비 수록곡 피처링(공식) [Blackpink's Jisoo and Jennie participated in writing lyrics and composing for the new song 'Lovesick Girls'.. Featuring a song from Cardi B (Official)]. Herald POP (in Korean). September 29, 2020. Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved September 29, 2020.
^ abKang, Min-kyung (September 8, 2022). 김선호·블랙핑크 지수·임영웅·강다니엘, 전 세계 팬들이 선택한 한류 스타 [Kim Seon-ho, Black Pink Jisoo, Lim Young-woong, and Kang Daniel, Hallyu stars chosen by fans around the world] (in Korean). Ten Asia. Archived from the original on October 7, 2022. Retrieved September 8, 2022 – via Naver.
^Choo, Seung-hyun (January 2, 2023). 블랙핑크 지수, 솔로 데뷔 임박..."재킷 사진 촬영 마쳐". YG Life (in Korean). Seoul Economic Daily. Archived from the original on January 2, 2023. Retrieved January 2, 2023.
^Lee, Seung-hoon (February 21, 2023). "YG, "지수 솔로 MV 역대급 제작비..해외 올로케"[공식]" [YG, "Jisoo's solo MV record production cost...Overseas olke" [Official]]. Money Today [ko] (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 19, 2023. Retrieved February 21, 2023.
^Ha, Su-jeong (April 8, 2023). 블랙핑크 지수, '꽃' 英오피셜 차트 38위 진입..K팝 여솔로 신기록 [공식] [BLACKPINK's Jisoo, 'Flower' entered UK Official Charts 38th... New K-pop female solo record [Official]]. OSEN [ko] (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 8, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2023.
^Kang, Joo-il (April 16, 2023). 블랙핑크 지수, '인기가요' 1위···음방 6관왕 [Blackpink Jisoo, 1st place on 'Inkigayo'···6 gold medals] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2023 – via Naver.
^Yang, So-young (September 19, 2023). '천박사' 감독 "지수 선녀 캐스팅 팬심 50%". Naver (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023.
^Choi, Bo-ran (August 31, 2023). [단독] 박정민·지수, 좀비물 '인플루엔자' 주연...'기생충' 작가 신작 [[Exclusive] Park Jung-min and Ji-soo, starring in the zombie water 'Influenza'...'Parasite' writer's new work]. YTN (in Korean). Archived from the original on August 31, 2023. Retrieved August 31, 2023.
^Kim, Ji-hye (February 21, 2024). 블랙핑크 지수, 개인 레이블 설립 공식화 "새 시작 지켜봐달라"[전문] [Blackpink Jisoo formalizes establishment of private label, "Please watch for a new beginning" [Full text]] (in Korean). Herald POP. Archived from the original on February 21, 2024. Retrieved February 21, 2024 – via Naver.
^Kim, Seong-ryeol (March 2, 2021). 개발진 교체, 대규모 업데이트 앞둔 넥슨 V4 'TOP10' 재진입... 데브시스터즈 '쿠키런 킹덤' TOP5 [Nexon V4 re-enters 'TOP10' ahead of development team change and large-scale update... Devsisters 'Cookie Run Kingdom' TOP5]. Game Focus (in Korean). Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved March 6, 2021.
^모처럼의 휴일, 블랙핑크 지수는 무얼하며 보낼까?. Harper's Bazaar Korea (in Korean). December 13, 2020. Archived from the original on May 1, 2021. Retrieved December 15, 2020.
^Kwon, Yeon-soo (September 11, 2020). 블랙핑크 지수, 어떤 각도에서 바라봐도 완벽한 미모 [Blackpink's Jisoo, perfect beauty from any angle]. The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 9, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
^Kim, Bo-ra (September 19, 2023). 천박사' 박정민·지수→이정은·박명훈 왜 나와?...강렬한 하드캐리(종합)[현장의 재구성] ['Doctor Chun' Park Jung-min, Ji-soo, Lee Jeong-eun, Park Myung-hoon Why me?...Intense hard carry (synthesis) [reconstruction of the scene].] (in Korean). OSEN [ko]. Archived from the original on September 19, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2023 – via Naver.
^Jeon, Hyeong-hwa (October 24, 2023). [단독] 이민호·안효섭·블랙핑크 지수·나나 등 '전지적 독자 시점' 초호화 캐스팅..12월 촬영 [[Exclusive] Lee Min-ho, Ahn Hyo-seop, BLACKPINK's Jisoo, Nana, and others cast for 'Omniscient Reader's Point of View'...filming in December]. Ilgan Sports (in Korean). Archived from the original on October 24, 2023. Retrieved October 26, 2023 – via Naver.
^Ahn, Yun-ji (April 9, 2023). "'인기가요' 블랙핑크 지수, 레드+블랙 '꽃'..화려한 퍼포먼스" ['Inkigayo' Blackpink Jisoo, red + black 'Flower' gorgeous performance]. Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on April 24, 2023. Retrieved April 9, 2023.
^"AAA 인기상 후보100 사전투표 – 가수" [AAA Popularity Award Candidate 100 Advance Voting – Singer]. Star News (in Korean). September 5, 2023. Archived from the original on September 11, 2023. Retrieved September 11, 2023.
^AAA 2024: 인기상 [여자 가수] [AAA 2024: Popularity Award [Female Singer]]. Asia Artist Awards. Archived from the original on October 18, 2024. Retrieved October 17, 2024.
^청룡시리즈어워즈 (in Korean). Blue Dragon Series Awards. Archived from the original on June 18, 2022. Retrieved June 18, 2022.
^Lee, Go-woon (September 3, 2023). 세상을 바꿀 수 있는 힘 브랜드에 있다 [The power to change the world lies in the brand]. The Korea Economic Daily (in Korean). Archived from the original on September 3, 2023. Retrieved September 3, 2023.
^Lee, Da-gyeom (January 10, 2024). NCT 드림, '2023 써클차트' 디지털 앨범상...올해의 가수상은 20팀(종합) [NCT Dream won the '2023 Circle Chart' Digital Album Award... Singer of the Year Award goes to 20 teams (Comprehensive)] (in Korean). Maeil Gyeongje. Archived from the original on January 10, 2024. Retrieved January 10, 2024 – via Naver.
^팬앤스타 초이스 개인 [Fan N Star Choice Award – Individual]. The Fact Music Awards (in Korean). August 9, 2021. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
^Kang, Da-yoon (January 7, 2024). '4관왕' 세븐틴·'2관왕' 뉴진스, 나란히 대상 쾌거 "거창한 상에 당당할 수 있도록" [38회 골든디스크](종합) ['Four-time winners' Seventeen and Two-time winners' NewJeans wins the grand prize "To be able to win a huge prize" [38th Golden Disc] (Comprehensive)] (in Korean). My Daily. Archived from the original on January 7, 2024. Retrieved January 7, 2024 – via Naver.
^"Melon Music Awards" MMA2023: 부문별 투표 [MMA2023: Voting by Category]. Melon (in Korean). Archived from the original on November 17, 2023. Retrieved November 17, 2023. (Note: Tap or click on each subheading to view nominees in the various categories e.g. tap or click on "올해의 앨범" to view nominees for Album of the Year.)