In 2011, a teenager from Gunpo, a city 30 km from Seoul, crossed the South Korean capital to audition at YG Entertainment. The 16-year-old faced a line of hundreds of candidates, performed for the judges, and left the building without knowing the result of the audition that would change her life forever. Shortly after, Jisoo joined the agency’s exclusive trainee program. She went through countless hours of rehearsals and music, singing and dance classes over five years before debuting in BLACKPINK alongside three other girls — and the rest is history with a capital H. The group was one of the driving forces behind K-pop’s surge in global popularity over the following decade.

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Thirteen years later, in February 2024, the singer revisited that gesture: walking into a room hoping to start something new. She left YG and founded BLISSOO, beginning a new chapter as the manager of her own career. Since then, Jisoo, 31, has experienced her greatest professional freedom. The change did not intimidate her. Quite the opposite.

Much like her character Seo Mi-rae in Boyfriend on Demand, released on Netflix on March 6, she embraces this new phase with lightness and humor. In the series, she plays a webtoon producer — digital comics are extremely popular in South Korea, created in a vertical format for continuous scrolling — under pressure at work while testing a dating app set in virtual reality.

“I think this applies especially to women my age, but it doesn’t matter what profession you’re in. You have to be braver and less afraid of change. Whatever happens, you can learn and grow as a person. I hope people to embrace the process of change and try something new,” Jisoo tells Billboard Brasil in an interview for her first cover in the country.

When YG chose Jisoo from among so many young dreamers, the agency was riding the wave of BIGBANG and 2NE1’s meteoric success — two groups that boosted K-pop’s global visibility at the time. In 2016, BLACKPINK debuted as the label’s (spot on) bet and went on to become the biggest girl group in the world over the following decade. And that’s easy to prove. Did they break records on Billboard charts? Yes.

On the Hot 100, “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du” debuted at No. 55 in June 2018, the highest entry by a K-pop girl group on the chart at the time. In 2022, BLACKPINK topped the Billboard 200 with BORN PINK — the first K-pop girl group to reach No. 1. First K-pop artists to perform at Coachella in 2019, and the first Asian artists to headline one of the world’s biggest music festivals in 2023? Done.

New world records? Also, in June 2020, the quartet set three of them, thanks to the music video for “How You Like That.” With over 86 million views in the first 24 hours after release, the video entered the Guinness World Records as the most-viewed video and music video on YouTube in 24 hours, as well as the biggest debut for a K-pop group at the time. In 2026, BLACKPINK became the first artist to reach 100 million subscribers on YouTube. Even more remarkable is that many of these achievements happened before the release of BLACKPINK’s first full-length album, The Album, in October 2020.

Jisoo, the oldest member of the group — which also includes Jennie (30), Rosé (29) and Lisa (28) — was the last to release solo music. The single “ME” arrived in March 2023 with two tracks. Under her own management, Jisoo released the EP AMORTAGE and the collaboration “Eyes Closed” with former One Direction member Zayn last year. She also held her first tour, Lights, Love, Action, bringing thousands of fans together across seven cities in Asia. She further expanded her acting résumé, following her 2021 debut, with the zombie drama Newtopia (2025) and now Boyfriend on Demand.

And she shows no signs of slowing down. The name of Jisoo’s agency, BLISSOO, combines “bliss” with the artist’s name — a summary of the image she has built over the past decade. Since debuting with BLACKPINK, the singer-actress-dancer has been known for her humor and off-the-cuff jokes both backstage and onstage — a quality admired by fans and co-workers alike. “Jisoo is hilarious, she’s really very funny. She has the ability to make everyone on set laugh,” says Seo In-guk, her romantic lead in the new Netflix series.

In her first leading role in a romance on the streaming platform, the actress plays Seo Mi-rae. Beyond dealing with workplace pressure and rivalry, the character has also put love on the back burner to focus on her career. Her routine begins to shift when she agrees to test a dating app set in a virtual universe, where users can fall for idealized versions of K-pop idols (much like herself in real life), fictional characters and custom-built strangers.

Asked whether she has ever given up important moments and people for the sake of her career, Jisoo answers without hesitation: “Yes, of course.” Today, however, she says she seeks balance. “I try my best to balance everything. Work is important, but so is love. So I try to reorganize my hours so I can enjoy both.”

When reading the script for the first time, Jisoo says she didn’t find the series’ virtual universe too far-fetched. The premise, created by screenwriter Namkoong Do-Young, felt close to today’s reality. The cast also includes South Korean star Lee Soo-hyuk (Tomorrow, 2022) and a special appearance by rapper Jay Park, known for his suggestive lyrics and shirtless performances.

The rising actress also says she identified with Mi-rae from the start, sharing similar thoughts to her character. “She and I both like spending time with ourselves,” says Jisoo. For the role, she filmed scenes in 250 outfits and appears in 95% of screen time across different storylines and settings. “Jisoo worked very hard, always smiling. I wanted to hire her as an assistant director, because she’s someone great to have around,” said the series’ director, Kim Jung-sik, at a press conference.

Still in 2026, Jisoo plans to release a full album and new audiovisual content. As a solo artist, there is a greater chance she will visit Brazil for the first time. None of BLACKPINK’s global tours, between 2018 and 2026, included the country — and the quartet is the favorite girl group among Billboard Brasil readers, according to a survey conducted by the magazine last year.

“I really want to go to Brazil. I know Brazilian fans are very passionate. They are always sending me so much love and support, and I’m very grateful for that,” says Jisoo. As with every K-pop idol, the interview followed a formal format, with pre-approved topics and carefully calculated answers. But the multi-hyphenate artist allows herself to step off script for a few seconds, smiling when she notices the BLACKPINK lightstick positioned behind the reporter on the video call.

“I saw you have our lightstick… Thank you . As soon as I have the opportunity, I definitely want to go and meet everyone in person. I love you all.” In a potential solo tour, Jisoo’s setlist will feature songs about the highs and lows of love. Across the four tracks on AMORTAGE, she sings about relationships, empowerment and overcoming hardship — themes that also run through her new K-drama. “After this series, I think I’m less afraid of trying new things or dealing with change. This work allows me to look at things with a more open mind.”

Before the EP’s release last February, Jisoo announced she had signed a global deal with Warner Records for her solo career, helping her reach an even wider audience worldwide. On YouTube, the singer has over 900 million views — 100 million from the “earthquake” music video alone, the lead single from the EP. “There are fans eager for solo performances and those who want me to show more diverse sides of myself as an actress. I’m trying to enjoy it all and show as many facets as possible,” she concludes.

This is a translation of an article that originally appeared on Billboard Brasil.