BLACKPINK becomes world's No. 1 artist for number of YouTube subscribers

SEOUL: K-pop girl group BLACKPINK has become the world's No. 1 artist in terms of number of subscribers on YouTube, the band's label said Friday.

The quartet's YouTube channel counted more than 65.2 million subscribers as of 2:42 p.m. (Korean time), dethroning Canadian singer Justin Bieber, Yonhap news agency reported YG Entertainment said.

"It's unbelievable. This is a miraculous moment made possible by Blink," BLACKPINK was quoted as saying by the label, referring to the group's fan club. "We will continue to be artists who give positive energy through good music and video."

YG Entertainment said BLACKPINK has added millions of subscribers after the release of each new song, with Friday's release of member Lisa's debut solo album contributing to the latest increase.

The No. 1 record comes about five years and three months after the channel was opened on June 28, 2016, it added.

BLACKPINK has 29 videos on YouTube that have more than 100 million views each, with total views for all videos nearing the 20 billion mark.

-- BERNAMA