While the group BLACKPINK performed as a headliner at Coachella, the largest music festival in the United States, controversy over their skills has risen to the surface.

Music Critic 'Unsatisfied' With BLACKPINK's Stage as Headliner at 2023 Coachella– Here's Why

Following BLACKPINK's much-awaited performance as the headliner at the 2023 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, a controversy arose over their skills after a music critic left a review about their stage.

On April 16, former editor and pop music critic Kim Do Heon left his review on BLACKPINK's Coachella stage on Facebook.

In the lengthy comment, Kim criticized that the stage of BLACKPINK didn't really leave any impact on Korean pop culture unlike Bad Bunny (Latin American musician), and continued by claiming that the stage was only carried on to complete one of their activities amid a busy schedule.

ALSO READ: BLACKPINK Proves 'Queen' Status by Garnering THIS Amount of Viewers During Coachella 2023

Kim also stated that BLACKPINK's skills during their performance weren't worthy to be called headliner. Aside from criticizing their vocals, the critic pointed out that the backup dancers were even more passionate than the quartet.

In addition to these, Kim rated BLACKPINK's stage as a performance suitable only for Korean concerts, and not at the largest U.S. music festival. Lastly, the critic conveyed his regrets about BLACKPINK's "failure" to take the chance to make the global market take K-pop seriously.

Kim Do Heon's review has raised a hot topic in the related community. This is because most BLACKPINK articles only focused on the team being the first K-pop girl group to enter the Coachella headliner stage, and there was no mention of the quality of the actual stage.

There has been an argument about the review and it continues to this day.

Meanwhile, BLACKPINK finished their performance as the last performer - headliner of the Coachella Valley and Arts Festival in California on April 15 (local time). On this day, the members performed their second pre-released song, "Pink Venom," and some of their hits including, "Kill This Love," "How You Like That," and "Pretty Savage."

Here's Kim Do Heon's Full Critic Of BLACKPINK's Coachella Stage:

If you took the meaning of Coachella headliner seriously, this kind of superficial and light approach wouldn't be the outcome.

It should not have been a stage that showed BLACKPINK being pretty and famous. How many narratives can be drawn from the fact that it was the first K-pop and also the first Asian female group to obtain the U.S. (music) festival headliner status.

Bad Bunny who became the first Latin American artist to appear as a headliner yesterday has a 25-song setlist contains lectures on the history of Latin music, reporting functions that reflect the poor situation in his home country of Puerto Rico, and the story of his growth as a musician. The world realized the depth of Latin music, the qualifications of alternative music, and the existence of superstars.

What did BLACKPINK leave behind?

The symbol of the Asian boom in the U.S? The solidarity of women that Voynius showed just before? Kpop's system that made them possible today? The potential of K-pop as a new alternative music? There's nothing left. 'I just managed one of my schedules while I was super busy.'

The objective is simple, so we end up discussing the skills. Compared to the numerous singers who threw themselves on the Coachella stage, BLACKPINK was never at the level of taking on the festival headliner. It got better in the second half, but the initial members' singing with accents in AR was terrible. They didn't even look as passionate about dancing as the backup dancers.

I could only realize that the stage was the highlight due to the audience's size, the bright devices, the drone show that lit up the sky and the arrangement suited to the big stage. (But) the composition of group songs leading to a member solo was enough for a domestic idol concert. It was a performance for social media uploads and DVD releases. Compared to 2019, it has retreated in all aspects.

BLACKPINK's Coachella stage ended with a splendid fireworks display. It made my eyes wide open for a moment, but it disappeared into a dark space with only acrid smoke left.

We wasted the stage of honor that any musician dreams of. K-pop missed an opportunity to be treated seriously in the global market."

READ MORE: BLACKPINK Headlines Coachella 2023

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Written by Eunice Dawson.