One of the biggest K-Pop groups in the world, Blackpink, released a documentary revealing their journey throughout their career and by the end you’ll have shed a few tears.

Blackpink: Light Up the Sky was released on Oct. 14 as a Netflix original. The documentary opens with the four members: Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa and Rosé, in a car just goofing off and laughing. They’re on their way to the recording studio at their company YG Entertainment. In the studio is where we meet Teddy Park, the main producer for Blackpink.

They talk for a short time and we hear what Teddy Park thinks of all the girls and it’s clear he has a certain admiration for them. The next scene is the girls meeting up for an outfit fitting and we just see the girls laughing with each other. So far the documentary is heartwarming and we get to catch a glimpse of how the members act off of the stage.

The documentary then starts to discuss the background stories of each of the members, starting with Jennie. Jennie was born in South Korea but moved to New Zealand when she was 10 and lived there until she was 15. She was thinking of moving to America but ultimately decided to go back to Korea and pursue her dream of becoming a singer.

In South Korea, when one wants to become an idol (a K-Pop star) they have to audition and if they pass then they start to train under their company. Trainees devote essentially every waking moment to dancing and singing and they go through rigorous testing and if they don’t pass, they get kicked out of their agency. But if you pass the tests then there’s a chance you could debut.

And this is what Jennie, and every other K-Pop star, does. Some are scouted but some audition for companies. Jennie auditioned for YG entertainment in 2010 and got in right away and started training. She would spend the next six years training before she would debut.
The next member we learn about is Lisa. She was born in Thailand and grew up dancing and singing. Her mom would put her in many different dance classes and competitions starting from when she was a little girl. When she heard about the YG auditions, she decided to try it out.

She would then go on to train under YG for a few years and her and Jennie would become friends. Jennie and Lisa were the only ones that could speak English, so Jennie and her became close friends. 

Next, we learn about Jisoo. She reveals that when she was younger she was often mocked and an outcast in her family because they didn’t think she was pretty. While she doesn’t seem to think much about this, the viewers will definitely feel saddened. 

She never thought of herself as someone that could become a famous singer but when she was in eleventh grade she joined a drama club and thought she could become an actor. She auditioned for YG in 2011 because she needed more experience, but she ended up passing and would then go on to train under YG. 

And lastly, we hear from Rosé. She was born in New Zealand and moved to Australia when she was eight. She played the piano from a young age and would sing at her church. Her dad heard about the YG audition and told her she should try it out. And she did and she passed. She dropped out of school to become a trainee and moved to Korea.

She shared that while she doesn’t regret auditioning and becoming a trainee, she does wish that she could’ve had the normal teen experience for a little bit. She started crying when she was thinking about when she moved away from her family and the viewers are almost sure to see her tears and feel their heart break. Some may even feel their eyes water as well. 

Each member elaborates on their time as a trainee and this is where the whole mood of the documentary kind of shifts. They start talking about the long hours they would train and having to say goodbye to a friend every month because they would get eliminated. 

Rosé shares that it seemed like everything she did was wrong, between the rules that were set and the standard that had to be met, she didn’t feel like she was good enough. Jennie also talks about having to keep a straight face when she was told she wasn’t good. They open up about the difficulties of being a trainee. 

As K-Pop has become more popular internationally, more people are wanting to learn more about it. This documentary really goes into depth about K-Pop Idols personal experiences. Not only do you learn more while watching, you realize the stigmas behind the K-Pop industry aren’t necessary, that these stars aren’t “manufactured,” they are just hardworking. 

Blackpink: Light Up the Sky is an amazing opportunity to learn more about K-Pop stars and also about Blackpink. The girl group has been in the spotlight for years and now fans are able to understand them on a more personal level.