Play in this article ↓BLACKPINK BORN PINK: Pink Venom, Shut Down and a No. 1 Album
- Category: Album & Song Guide
- Artist: BLACKPINK
KPOP NO1 Editorial · Sources checked October 25, 2026
YG announced BLACKPINK’s 2022 comeback as a project, not just an album. A trailer on August 1 gave the plan in three lines: a pre-release single in August, the album in September, a world tour in October. Its name, BORN PINK, was explained by YG as the confidence of a group with a presence “different from birth.” Two months later, BORN PINK became the first album by a K-pop girl group to top the Billboard 200.
A project in three steps
In July 2022, YG said BLACKPINK were in the final stage of recording and would shoot their videos that month. “Many songs that sound like BLACKPINK, finished with great care over a long time, are ready,” YG said. YG LIFE: comeback plan Later that month YG added that the videos had the biggest production budget in its history. YG LIFE: video budget
| Date (KST) | What happened |
|---|---|
| August 1, 2022 | BORN PINK announcement trailer: August pre-release, September album, October world tour |
| August 8, 2022 | On their debut anniversary, YG names the pre-release: Pink Venom |
| August 19, 2022, 1 p.m. | Pink Venom is released |
| September 7–8, 2022 | Title track Shut Down and the track list are revealed |
| September 16, 2022, 1 p.m. | BORN PINK is released |
| October 15–16, 2022 | The world tour opens at KSPO DOME, Seoul |
Sources: YG LIFE: trailer, YG LIFE: Pink Venom date, YG LIFE: Shut Down title, YG LIFE: track list
On August 8, YG said it was glad to announce the pre-release date “on BLACKPINK’s debut anniversary,” and hoped it would be a gift to fans who had waited.
Pink Venom: hip-hop with Korean instruments
YG describes Pink Venom as a hip-hop song with BLACKPINK’s own charisma. A strong beat and the sound of Korean traditional instruments open it, then quick raps and “deadly” vocals bring out each member. A minimal beat drop reveals the hook. YG adds that the contrast between “Pink” and “Venom” is captivating “even while it is dark.” YG: Pink Venom
YG called it the start of the whole project: “Pink Venom is the beginning of the BORN PINK project, which will run through 2023.” YG LIFE: Pink Venom release
According to YG, the video reached 100 million views in 29 hours and 35 minutes, the fastest for a K-pop girl group at the time. YG LIFE: 100 million A
Official video · YouTube / YouTube
Watch the original on YouTube ↗followed six days after release. The music video drew 90.4 million views in its first 24 hours, a record for a female artist, and passed one billion in August 2025. YG: Pink Venom 1 billion
Shut Down: the title track
YG revealed the title on September 7. “‘Shut Down’ means closing a space,” YG explained. “It’s an intuitive title that also gives a strange sense of tension.” YG LIFE: Shut Down title
While filming its video in August, YG said the title track would be a song “to surprise music fans around the world.” YG LIFE: title track video The release-day announcement on YG LIFE describes Shut Down as a meeting of classical music and hip-hop: it samples Paganini’s “La Campanella” over a hip-hop beat, with a sharp violin line. YG said the video used the biggest budget in its history, and includes objects drawn from BLACKPINK’s journey so far. YG LIFE: release day
Official video · BLACKPINK / YouTube
Watch the original on YouTube ↗Three days later came the
Official video · YouTube / YouTube
Watch the original on YouTube ↗.
Our take: The release-day notes mention objects from BLACKPINK’s past in the video. If you’ve seen their earlier videos, see how many you can spot.
Eight tracks
YG’s track list, with the release-day notes from YG LIFE: YG LIFE: track list, YG LIFE: release day
| # | Song | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pink Venom | Pre-release single |
| 2 | Shut Down (title) | Samples Paganini’s “La Campanella” |
| 3 | Typa Girl | Hip-hop with a brass tone in the chorus |
| 4 | Yeah Yeah Yeah | ’80s retro sound; JISOO and ROSÉ co-wrote the lyrics |
| 5 | Hard to Love | Vintage guitar riff with a strong beat |
| 6 | The Happiest Girl | Lyrical ballad |
| 7 | Tally | Mixes hip-hop and rock |
| 8 | Ready For Love | First heard at BLACKPINK’s in-game concert |
Track order: YG official discography
YG named the producers: TEDDY with 24, Danny Chung, Bekuh BOOM and R.Tee, plus songwriters Freddy Wexler, Teddy Sinclair and Nat Dunn. “The many colors of music that run through BLACKPINK’s identity melt into the whole album,” YG said. “We worked on all eight songs with great care over a long time.”
Ready For Love: a video in a game
Ready For Love came out before the album, as a special track for BLACKPINK’s concert inside the game PUBG MOBILE. Its video, released July 29, 2022, stars 3D avatars of the members. BLACKPINK said they were glad to work with a game loved around the world and hoped fans would share the experience. YG LIFE: Ready For Love
Official video · BLACKPINK / YouTube
Watch the original on YouTube ↗How it did
- Pre-orders: more than 2 million, YG said in August, the highest for any K-pop act. YG LIFE: pre-orders
- Sales: about 2.14 million copies on Circle Chart in the first two days, YG said, making BLACKPINK the first K-pop girl group with a double million-seller. YG LIFE: double million
- iTunes: the day after release, YG said Shut Down was No. 1 in 43 countries and the album in 54, including the U.S. and the U.K. YG LIFE: iTunes
- Billboard 200: No. 1, the first for a K-pop female artist, along with No. 1 on the UK Official Albums Chart. The members thanked fans in a statement through YG: “This is a glorious moment made by our BLINKs.” YG LIFE: Billboard 200
The tour that followed ran for about a year: 66 shows in 34 cities and about 1.8 million people, a record for a K-pop girl group, according to YG. YG: 2025 tour teaser
Official videos from this era
| Date (KST) | Video |
|---|---|
| July 29, 2022 | Ready For Love M/V (with PUBG MOBILE) |
| August 17, 2022 | Pink Venom M/V teaser |
| August 19, 2022 | Pink Venom M/V |
| August 25, 2022 | Pink Venom dance practice |
| September 14, 2022 | Shut Down M/V teaser |
| September 16, 2022 | Shut Down M/V |
| September 19, 2022 | Shut Down dance performance video |
| September 21, 2022 | Shut Down M/V making film |
All are on the official BLACKPINK YouTube channel. Dates are upload dates in Korea time.
The release at a glance
| Format | 2nd full-length album, eight songs |
| Released | September 16, 2022, 1 p.m. KST |
| Pre-release | Pink Venom (August 19) |
| Title track | Shut Down |
| Formats | Box set (three versions), KiT album, LP, digipack |
| Records | Billboard 200 No. 1; about 2.14 million copies in two days (Circle Chart, per YG) |
YG added that the physical album used FSC-certified and low-carbon paper with soy ink, and that the KiT album used biodegradable plastic. YG LIFE: pre-orders open The digipack version was added later in August. YG LIFE: title track video
How to listen for the first time
- Watch Pink Venom, then Shut Down. That’s the order YG released them.
- Listen for the instruments. Korean traditional sounds in Pink Venom, a violin in Shut Down.
- Play the album to Ready For Love. It’s the track that began in a game.
Where to go next
- Before this: THE ALBUM, the first full-length album, in 2020.
- After this: DEADLINE, the 2026 mini album, with JUMP.
- New to BLACKPINK? Our beginner guide has a card for each member.
Sources
- YG Entertainment discography: Pink Venom, BORN PINK
- YG LIFE (YG’s official blog), 2022: comeback plan (Jul 6), video budget (Jul 26), Ready For Love (Jul 29), trailer (Aug 1), Pink Venom date (Aug 8), pre-orders open (Aug 11), Pink Venom release (Aug 19), 100 million (Aug 20), title track video (Aug 24), pre-orders (Aug 25), Shut Down title (Sep 7), track list (Sep 8), release day (Sep 16), iTunes (Sep 17), double million (Sep 22), Billboard 200 (Sep 26)
- YG Entertainment news: 2025 tour teaser (Feb 6, 2025), Pink Venom 1 billion (Aug 4, 2025)
- BLACKPINK official videos: see “Official videos from this era”