"Writing is so unprofessional"- Fans defend BLACKPINK as The Times' review draws backlash for harsh comments on their London concert stops

On August 17, 2025, The Times published a review of BLACKPINK’s two-night Wembley Stadium concerts. However, instead of recognition, the article has drawn widespread criticism. The piece gave the show just three stars out of five. Fans believed that it focused heavily on perceived shortcomings.

It described the first half as lackluster and suggested that Jennie, Jisoo, and Rosé did not deliver enough energy.

The publication claimed that Lisa stood out as the only member showing consistent drive early on. It read,

"Yet despite the fans' enthusiasm, it took a while for the group to get going, as out of Jennie, Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa, only the Thai-born Lisa looked as if she really wanted to be there to begin with, winking at the cameras and executing each move with vim."

More controversy came when the piece incorrectly credited Lisa with a collaboration alongside rapper Doechii. Lisa didn't collaborate with Doechii, it was Jennie who did a collab with her on ExtraL.

The factual slip quickly spread online as fans accused the publication of failing to research basic details about the group. An X user, @ssickshejla, wrote,

"we should ignore really quickly who this is about and speak on the fact that this writing is so unprofessional.....who approved of this???"

For BLINKs, the choice of words crossed a line from critique into insult. It sparked anger across fan forums and social media. They stated that the review came across as careless and biased.

Many said the writer seemed unprepared to cover such a milestone performance and pointed to the error about Lisa and Doechii as proof of sloppy journalism.

More about BLACKPINK's Wembley concerts and full setlist

At Wembley, BLACKPINK delivered two back-to-back shows, each attended by more than 70,000 fans. The concerts marked their first return to London since their BST Hyde Park appearance in 2023. It solidified their position as the first K-pop girl group to headline Wembley.

The review’s harsher remarks targeted individual BLACKPINK members. Jennie was described as lacking energy in the first half but later “rev up” during her solo track Like Jennie. The publication wrote,

"The other three band members put on a desultory show for the first half, especially Jennie. It's not what you'd expect, considering K-pop's reputation for extreme rigour, but Jennie has spoken in the past about feeling the impact of the strain on her body. Anyway, she did rev up to deliver the show's highlight with the pop rap number Like Jennie."

Jisoo was brushed aside as “forgettable." Although her set with Earthquake and Your Love received loud cheers in the stadium, the publication wrote,

"If I don't elaborate much on Jisoo, it's because she's the most forgettable, though her track Earthquake was quite fun."

The Times review of BLACKPINK’s London stops (Images via The Times)

Rosé’s performance was praised for her vocals, but the article reduced her role mostly to that of a spokesperson. They even compared her to Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo. The article read,

"Rosé, who was raised in New Zealand, took on the spokesperson role, thanking the audience and sparking banter with her colleagues. Rosé's vocals are the best; she channelled Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo in Toxic Till The End before changing course for her bop APT- a Bruno Mars collaboration."

BLACKPINK members (L-R) Jisoo, Lisa, Jennie, Rosé- Source: Getty

Lisa was highlighted as the standout, though even her solo choices were criticized. The publication called Thunder “tedious.”

The concerts included a wide-ranging setlist. It had BLACKPINK’s old hits with their newest solo works. Across both nights, fans heard:

Kill This Love
Pink Venom
How You Like That
Playing With Fire
Shut Down
Earthquake / Your Love (Jisoo)
Thunder / Lifestyle / Rockstar (Lisa)
Pretty Savage
Don’t Know What To Do
Whistle
Stay
Lovesick Girls
Handlebars / With the IE / Like Jennie (Jennie)
Dance All Night / Toxic Till the End / APT (Rosé)
Jump
Boombayah
DDU-DU DDU-DU
As If It’s Your Last
Forever Young

Encore:

Jump (Reprise)
Yeah Yeah Yeah
Kick It

The BLACKPINK shows included special moments, such as Rosé’s surprise stage with FKA Twigs and a nostalgic cover of the Spice Girls’ Wannabe.

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 Bharath S