Eight minutes with Jisoo: The BLACKPINK star’s presence draws hordes of Blinks to Orchard

SINGAPORE—Elenore and Isabel Chaudhuri expected a visit to Decathlon after school but were instead surprised by their parents with a trip to see their idol, Jisoo of BLACKPINK, at Orchard Central. The sisters, aged 10 and 6, found themselves among thousands of fans eager to catch a glimpse of the K-pop star, as reported by The Straits Times.

Their parents, Mr Dip Chaudhuri and Ms Deborah Fray-Chaudhuri, both 41, secretly planned the visit, skipping the girls’ usual gym and piano lessons. “They are huge BLACKPINK fans, and their songs are always playing at home and in the car,” said Mr Chaudhuri.

Launch of Amortage

Over 2,000 fans packed the first two levels of Orchard Central to see Jisoo, a member of the global sensation BLACKPINK, alongside Jennie, Rosé, and Lisa. The 30-year-old singer appeared at Amortage, a pop-up store celebrating her solo mini-album Amortage, released on Feb 14.

Arriving at 5.19 pm, Jisoo waved, blew kisses, and walked through the crowd before signing an Amortage poster and leaving by 5:27 PM.

“Surreal and worth the wait”

For many, the short encounter was worth the wait. Ms Alycia Lee, 24, arrived as early as 8 am to secure a prime spot. A fan since 2016, she previously attended BLACKPINK’s 2023 Singapore concert. “It was surreal and worth the wait,” she said.

Some lucky fans, including 11-year-old Chen Xing Zi, won free Amortage albums. She correctly recalled five of Jisoo’s nicknames and was thrilled by the experience.

Jisoo’s presence left a lasting impact. The Amortage pop-up, designed like a cinema with themed rooms, will run from March 5 to April 6 at Orchard Central, marking its first edition in the region.

Kim Ji Soo, better known as Jisoo, is a prominent South Korean singer and actress. She is a member of the globally popular K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, which debuted in 2016 under YG Entertainment.