Here’s Why BLACKPINK Almost Didn’t Debut With “WHISTLE”—The Song That Got Them Their First Win
When BLACKPINK made their debut in 2016 with “WHISTLE”, it was an instant hit.
At the time, they were the fastest girl group to win first place after their debut—only fourteen days, according to the documentary.
Despite its success, not everyone initially saw how iconic the song would end up becoming. Rosé revealed in their Netflix documentary BLACKPINK: Light Up The Sky that the group almost didn’t debut with “WHISTLE”.
BLACKPINK’s producer Teddy was in the same room when they discussed the topic, and he revealed why others in YG Entertainment were against it.
According to him, many thought it was too “risky”, “minimal”, and “empty”. In his own words, “It has a weird country vibe to it“.
Rosé added that even if there was significant opposition from others, they knew that it was the perfect song for them.
Last minute, we were like: it has to be the one.
— Rosé
After recording the whistle sound 1,000 times, they finally made a memorable debut on August 8, 2016.
In the end of the scene, the girls’ first photoshoot as BLACKPINK was shown, and it was revealed to be the one that Teddy considers his favorite.
If Teddy and BLACKPINK never stood their ground, K-Pop would’ve lost one of its most iconic debut songs.
