BLACKPINK-listening event
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| ▲ Fans attend a prelistening event of girl group BLACKPINK's upcoming new EP at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul on Feb. 26, 2026. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ Fans arrive to attend a prelistening event of girl group BLACKPINK's upcoming new EP at the National Museum of Korea in Seoul on Feb. 26, 2026. (Yonhap) |
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| ▲ The exterior of the National Museum of Korea in Seoul is illuminated in pink lighting on Feb. 26, 2026, to mark the upcoming release of girl group BLACKPINK's new EP, "Deadline." (Yonhap) |
BLACKPINK-listening event
Fans get first listen to BLACKPINK's new album at National Museum of Korea
By Shim Sun-ah
SEOUL, Feb. 26 (Yonhap) -- The lights inside the National Museum of Korea in central Seoul had already gone out for the night Thursday, but the marble-floored lobby still buzzed with quiet excitement.
Dozens of BLACKPINK fans, phones raised and faces lit by a soft pink light, walked toward the end of the main corridor where an exclusive prelistening of the girl group's new album was about to begin.
The event, co-hosted by the K-pop quartet and the museum in partnership with Spotify, offered about 300 selected fans a rare preview of "Deadline," a day before the album's release. It marks the quartet's first album involving all members in four years since "Born Pink."
In the corridor known as the "path of history," a giant carpet reading "BLACKPINK WILL MAKE YOU" led visitors to a seating zone surrounding the digitally restored Gwanggaeto the Great Stele.
The memorial stele for the tomb of Gwanggaeto the Great, the 19th monarch of the ancient Korean kingdom of Goguryeo (37 B.C.-A.D. 668), is an iconic national heritage of ancient Korean history.
As the opening beats of last year's prerelease track "Jump" reverberated through the quiet space, LED pillars came alive with pulsating visuals and glowing rhythms.
Over six sessions of 50 people each, fans sat together to listen to five new tracks, including the main song "Go" and "Fxxxboy," as the museum's solemn ambience transformed into a futuristic concert hall.
After the album's release on Friday at 2 p.m., anyone can freely take part in the session at a dedicated listening zone in the lobby during the museum's regular operating hours.
The collaboration extends beyond music: BLACKPINK will provide voice commentary on eight of the museum's signature artifacts, allowing visitors to hear descriptions of Korea's historical treasures in the members' voices.
The museum's exterior will be illuminated in the group's signature color of pink to mark the release until March 8.
Fans posed for photos against the museum's illuminated walls, their exhilaration mixed with awe.
"It felt so special hearing BLACKPINK's new songs here," said Lee Hak-min, an office worker in Seoul who attended with five friends. "When the music started in front of the Gwanggaeto monument, it even felt patriotic somehow. I think that's the power of BLACKPINK."
Another fan, Ko Eun-seo, said she was moved to tears.
"I almost cried because the songs were so good, but I didn't want my friends to tease me," she said with a laugh. "It's amazing to see how far they've come in 10 years. I'll love BLACKPINK forever."
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