"So damn unprofessional"- BLISSOO criticized for messy rollout of BLACKPINK'S Jisoo x Zayn's 'Eyes Closed', fans point to time zone mishaps

On October 10, 2025, BLACKPINK’s Jisoo and British singer Zayn Malik released their duet Eyes Closed. However, what should have been a global celebration turned chaotic. Fans across different regions voiced frustration online after the rollout was marred by poor coordination and confusing time zone scheduling. Many labeled the release as "unprofessional."

The duet was distributed through BLISSOO and Warner Records. It marked Jisoo’s first collaboration since her solo EP Amortage and Zayn’s debut Korean partnership. Nevertheless, excitement around the song’s launch was dampened due to conflicting release information.

While BLISSOO’s social media accounts declared the track “OUT NOW” early in the day, many international fans found that it wasn’t actually available in their region yet. The digital single was released at midnight local time in each country, resulting in staggered rollouts across different time zones. This meant that countries like New Zealand, Australia, and South Korea received the song hours before fans in the Americas and Europe.

Meanwhile, the official music video was scheduled for a global premiere at 12 a.m. EST (1 p.m. KST), which caused further confusion over whether the song and music video would be released simultaneously.

Many fans said the overlapping schedules made it unclear exactly when the release was official. Several posts circulated widely on social media. Even fanbases struggled to figure out which regions had access at specific times.

The mismatch between BLISSOO’s marketing and the actual streaming availability caused significant backlash against the agency. Some noted that a global artist like Jisoo deserved a properly coordinated release, as her fanbase covers multiple continents. An X user, @softqzz, wrote,

"the whole staff is so damn unprofessional, that’s all i can say."

The rollout’s disorganization became a major talking point online. On platforms like X, netizens criticized the release, which trended globally. Fans called the timing confusion unprofessional.

Several posts also demanded that BLISSOO hire a better international communications team, arguing that the mishandling of Jisoo’s first post-Amortage project overshadowed what could have been a flawless comeback moment.

More about Eyes Closed, Jisoo and Zayn’s collaboration, & upcoming activities

Despite the frustration, many still celebrated the collaboration’s concept and visuals. The Eyes Closed music video features a cinematic, futuristic theme, showing Jisoo and Zayn floating inside a sleek metallic spacecraft. The two eventually meet in orbit, with Jisoo dressed in a dark outfit and Zayn in all black.

The partnership between the K-pop idol and the British pop singer was first teased in early October, following weeks of speculation fueled by mysterious teaser images and a cryptic caption that read, “Two voices, one orbit.”

It marks Jisoo’s first international collaboration outside BLACKPINK, and Zayn’s first venture with a K-pop artist. The pair reportedly worked on the project earlier this year, following Zayn’s appearance at BLACKPINK’s Deadline World Tour concert in New York.

The BLACKPINK singer is currently on the group’s Deadline World Tour. The upcoming stops are scheduled in Taiwan, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Japan, and Hong Kong through early 2026.

Meanwhile, Zayn is preparing for his first-ever Las Vegas residency at Dolby Live at Park MGM in January 2026, following his 2024 album Room Under the Stairs.

About the author

Mantasha is a pop culture writer at Sportskeeda who covers K-pop and K-drama. She has recently completed her Masters in English and has a rich 3-year writing experience where she crafted engaging content for top companies such as Unacademy, Apollo Hospitals, Adani Airports, and the Economic Times. Her experience has helped her create a strong foundation that complements her passion for creating the best content related to K-pop, K-dramas and Korean movies.

Mantasha's interest in pop culture took root when her cousin introduced her to classic Hollywood and Bollywood tunes and the rest, as they say, is history. Mantasha’s connection with K-pop supergroup BTS is a special one as their song lyrics, hard work, and dedication resonate with her like no other group does.

Maintaining accuracy, relevance, and ethics in her reporting is extremely essential for Mantasha. She prioritizes thorough research, delving deep beyond just superficial sources, to ensure comprehensive and trustworthy information.

When not writing, Mantasha enjoys journaling and doodling, watching K-dramas and listening to songs.

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Edited by Shreya Das