Do you know the stories behind BLACKPINK’s nicknames? Since their debut in 2016, BLACKPINK’s members—Jennie, Lisa, Rosé and Jisoo—have become household names in K-pop—and around the world. The four-member girl group—whose first full-length album, The Album, debuts on October 2, 2020—have collaborated with Dua Lipa and Lady Gaga and are on the way to becoming one of the most successful girl groups in music history. But to each other (and their fans, known as BLINKs), BLACKPINK’s members are just four girls chasing their dreams.
“We just clicked,” Rosé told Billboard in 2019 about her friendship with Jisoo, Jennie and Lisa. Jisoo also told the magazine that BLACKPINK’s music transcends K-pop and can be appreciated by anyone, regardless if they understand Korean or not. “You don’t have to understand Korean to understand the music, the visuals, the vibe,” she said. Though many girl groups have come and gone over the years, BLACKPINK is here to stay. We’re stuck together,” Rosé told Billboard.
This brings us to what we want to talk about: BLACKPINK’s nicknames. Though we know BLACKPINK’s members as Jennie, Lisa, Rosé and Jisoo, the band mate (and their fans) also have other names for them. Ahead, we break down the history of some of BLACKPINK’s most popular nicknames, from Human Gucci to Dance Machine.
Jennie
Nicknames: Jen, Jendeukie, Chanel Girl, Human Gucci, Nini, Jen-Jen, YG Secret Weapon, YG Princess, Human Chanel, Female G-Dragon
Most of Jennie’s nicknames are self-explanatory. (Jen, Jen-Jen and Nini are simply shortened versions of her name.) However, there are some that require an explanation. Human Gucci, for example, is from Jennie’s love of the luxury brand. “I think people gave me the nickname because they kindly perceived the outfits I wore to award shows and on stage,” Jennie told MBC FM4U in 2018 about the nickname. “I don’t have much time so I shop online. I personally like physically going shopping though.” When Jennie became an ambassador for Chanel in June 2018, her nickname changed to “Human Chanel.” “Chanel is a brand that I always dreamed about and I had always thought it would have been amazing to work with them just one. Now that dream has come true! I’m so happy and I’m having a lot of fun,” she told Dazed magazine in 2019. As for her her nicknames, YG Secret Weapon and YG Princess, fans call Jennie these monikers because of her long time with YG Entertainment, BLACKPINK’s management company. Jennie started as a trainee at YG in August 2010 and trained at the company until BLACKPINK’s debut in 2016. Out of all of BLACKPINK’s members, Jennie was a trainee for the longest amount of time. And then there’s the nickname Female-G Dragon, which comes from the Big Bang member’s former bandmate Seungri who once said that he saw similarities between G-Dragon and Jennie’s fashion senses. “Whenever I see Jennie, I’m always reminded of G-Dragon hyung. Both of them are always in Paris and have a really good sense of fashion,” Seungri said.
Rosé
Nicknames: Rosie, Rose, Chaeyoung, Pasta, Guitar Girl, Mermaid, Princess, Vocal Goddess, Chipmunk Rosie
Rosé’s birth name is Roseanne and her Korean name is Chaeyoung, which makes her one of BLACKPINK’s only members to use a stage name. This, of course, explains some of her nicknames: Rosie and Rose, which are riffs of Roseanne and Rosé. (BLACKPINK’s members also often refer to Rosé as “Rosie” in interviews and videos.) Guitar Girl, another nickname of Rosé’s, is because she’s played the guitar for years, long before she even became a member of BLACKPINK. Vocal Goddess is also because Rosé often sings the chorus of many of BLACKPINK’s songs. (She also has gone viral for her vocals for performances such as her appearance on King of Masked singer in 2017, in which she sang a cover of “If It Is You.” The nickname pasta comes from a nickname that Jisoo gave Rosé. “After my name was decided to be Rosé, [Jisoo] kept on coming to my front door, saying, ‘Pasta…Pasta…” Rosé said in a previous episode of Weekly Idol. As for Chipmunk Rosie, that nickname comes from Rosé’s cheeks, which, according to fans, resemble the cuteness of a chipmunk, especially as she’s chewing.
Lisa
Nicknames: Pokpak, Lalice, Lala, Lili, Lovely, Dance Machine, Thai Goddess, Lizzy, Long Leg Lisa
Lisa, whose birth name was Pranpriya before she was renamed as Lalisa, has several nicknames. Many of them (Lala, Lili, Lalice, Lizzy) are simply variations of either Lisa or Lalisa. Her nickname, Thai Goddess, comes from her being the only Thai member of BLACKPINK. Dance Machine, which is often used by BLACKPINK’s members to describe Lisa’s expert-level dancing, comes from her role as the band’s main dancer. Long Leg Lisa, which refers to the member’s long limbs, was especially popular in April 2020 when a dance video of hers went viral and fans memed a shot of her legs connected to other things.
Jisoo
Nicknames: Sooya, Jichu, Chu, Unni, Soo, JisooUnni, Korea Beauty Queen, JiJi
Many of Jisoo’s nicknames are variations of her name (Jichu, Chu, JiJi). Soo and Sooya come from Jisoo’s Instagram handle, which includes her nickname: @sooyaaa. Unni or JisooUnni is also often used by BLACKPINK’s members to refer to Jisoo, who is the oldest member of the band. Unni is a Korean term that refers to an older sister or female relative or an older girl that someone respects or admires. Korea Beauty Queen (or Miss Korea) is another nickname fans have called Jisoo because of her beauty and how some fans consider her the visual of the group.