On July 5 and 6, 2025, BLACKPINK kicked off their 'DEADLINE' world tour. The members performed two back-to-back concerts at Goyang Stadium, South Korea. The crowd was thrilled to see Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa, and Rosé reunite after a long break. However, some viral clips from the concert quickly became a topic of controversy online.
Clips from their performance on various songs, including Forever Young, gained attention online. Netizens criticized an alleged lack of synchronization between the members. Many claimed that the energy on stage felt low and that it seemed more like four soloists performing separately rather than as a unified group.
Some also alleged that parts of the show involved lip-syncing. This sparked debate across social media platforms. Others noted repeated complaints about sluggish moves, mismatched timing, and a general sense of disinterest. An X user, @qonytail, wrote,
"i’ve always loved blackpink but everytime they perform as a group lately they are just so boring, lazy, and never in sync. no wonder they treat their fans like cash grabs because they can do less than the bare minimum and their fans will eat it up."
Netizens reacted strongly to the performance. They stated what they felt was a noticeable drop in energy. Some sarcastically remarked that even after three years, BLACKPINK hadn’t managed to improve their stage coordination despite the same songs. Many felt disappointed that after years of waiting, the concert lacked freshness and cohesion.
"You would think they wouldn't mess up the exact same dance break like they at their last tour after 3 years of free time to practice it but oh well," a netizen commented.
"theyre not in sync, theyre barely even dancing, and when they ARE it looks like they dont remember the moves and couldnt even care less...and people pay for this sh*t????" a user mentioned.
"The way they prepared a an unsynchronized show so that it wouldn't be noticeable and still a mess," another one said.
"after 3 years they're still not in sync and mic is just for decoration," another one said.
"not once have i seen these girls perform synchronized in the past few years... wrap it up," an X user wrote .
However, many fans of BLACKPINK also came to defend the members. They mentioned that the group looked in sync and that they had worked hard despite being busy with their solo activities.
"They had to redeem themselves they was not playing in that practice room I never doubted them," a fan commented.
"first day of deadline tour and it already outdoes born pink by farrrr. all of the blackpink members were dancing in sync, they were singing live, had amazing energy like they did not come to play at all. i literally have no complaints," an X user wrote.
"i dont wanna hear anything. Jump is amazing they have been practicing hard between all the individual schedules and yes they are in sync," another fan added.
More on BLACKPINK's DEADLINE tour, setlist, and fan refund
On their first two days of the DEADLINE tour, BLACKPINK performed a 27-song setlist, combining older hits like Kill This Love and DDU-DU DDU-DU with solo performances and an unreleased track titled Jump. Fans got to see Jisoo’s Earthquake and Your Love, Lisa’s Rockstar and New Woman, Jennie’s Mantra and Way Up, and Rosé’s Toxic Till The End, among others.
The performances were divided into multiple acts and featured elaborate visuals and solo interludes. However, fans expressed frustration over the heavy reliance on older songs.
BLACKPINK’s tour will cover 16 cities. Here is the complete list of upcoming dates:
- July 12–13, 2025: Los Angeles, USA
- July 18, 2025: Chicago, USA
- July 22–23, 2025: Toronto, Canada
- July 26–27, 2025: New York, USA
- August 2–3, 2025: Paris, France
- August 6, 2025: Milan, Italy
- August 9, 2025: Barcelona, Spain
- August 15–16, 2025: London, UK
- October 18–19, 2025: Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- October 24–26, 2025: Bangkok, Thailand
- November 1–2, 2025: Jakarta, Indonesia
- November 22–23, 2025: Bulacan, Philippines
- November 29–30, 2025: Singapore
- January 16–18, 2026: Tokyo, Japan
- January 24–25, 2026: Hong Kong
In other news, BLACKPINK and their agency, YG Entertainment, also faced backlash for poor seat planning at the Goyang shows. Fans seated in the N3 section claimed their view was entirely blocked by a large console and LED setup. After issuing an apology, YG confirmed on July 8 that full refunds would be provided for affected ticket holders.
Despite the criticism, BLACKPINK continues their global tour, with upcoming performances in North America, Europe, and Asia.