Unreleased track suspected to be leaked on BLACKPINK's official channel distributed
Unreleased audio, suspected to be a new track from BLACKPINK, was briefly uploaded and then removed from BLACKPINK's official YouTube and Apple Music channels. Amid growing suspicions of a potential structural flaw in distribution systems, we also bring you news regarding the Lotte Department Store pop-up store.
A commotion erupted on the official online channels of BLACKPINK, which boasts 100 million subscribers, after videos presumed to be unreleased tracks were uploaded and then quickly removed. On the afternoon of the 27th, two videos titled 'Boss Up' and 'I Don't Understand' were posted on BLACKPINK's official YouTube channel and Apple Music profile. While the videos contained vocals similar to the members' voices, the tracks differed from their previously released songs. As of the 28th, all the videos have been deleted.
Potential Structural Flaw in Platform Auto-Sync Systems
Industry experts suggest that rather than a direct channel hack, this incident was likely caused by a loophole in the external music distribution process. When a third party registers music through an external distributor and sets the artist name as 'BLACKPINK,' a structural issue can occur where the platform's automatic Mapping system automatically links the music to the official artist's channel and platform profile.
In fact, there have been instances on global music platforms where the auto-sync system is exploited to post music or photos unrelated to a famous artist on their profile. BLACKPINK suffered similar issues last year on their global music platform Spotify account. At that time, the profile image for the song 'Shut Down' registered on Spotify was changed to a photo of the girl group KISS OF LIFE.
Various opinions are circulating online regarding the source of the music. Suspicions are being raised simultaneously that the tracks could be songs synthesized with advanced AI technology to mimic the members' voices, or that unreleased demo tracks may have been leaked. Regarding the method of posting, some are also mentioning the possibility of hacking.
'BLACKPINK X Tamagotchi' Pop-up Store to Open at Lotte World Mall Jamsil
Lotte Department Store will operate a 'BLACKPINK X Tamagotchi' pop-up store at the B1 level of Lotte World Mall Jamsil from the 30th to August 5th. The flagship products of this pop-up are limited-edition Tamagotchis and plush keyrings featuring the characters of the four members: Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa.
The plush keyrings are exclusive to the Jamsil pop-up store. In addition to the designs previously revealed online, four types of 'Special Plush Keyrings' are hidden. A total of 28 types of merchandise, including original BLACKPINK Tamagotchis, hats, T-shirts, and bags, will be unveiled at this pop-up. On-site, limited-edition 'BLACKPINK X Tamagotchi' photo cards will be given to customers who purchase items on the day of their visit on a first-come, first-served basis, and a photo booth will also be available.
