"I listen khổng lồ music when I’m going through a hard time, or don’t want to think about anything — I hope our music can have the same effect on many others"

Within Blackpink, Jisoo Kim is known as the funny one. She’s quick with a joke and loves a good prank, like the time she hid Lisa’s cellphone in the fridge during their trainee days. But Jisoo also has an introverted side, và on this April afternoon, sitting in a conference room at the headquarters of YG Entertainment, Blackpink’s label & management company, she’s in a serious mood, pondering big questions while sipping an iced coffee, wearing a cap that says “As time goes by it will be better.”

In Blackpink, Jisoo is the lead vocalist và an expert harmonizer. She loves making music, loves building a tuy nhiên from scratch with an expert team. But international fame isn’t always easy. Speaking in Korean, she talks of how she sometimes envies her past self: the sleepy, carefree high school girl from Gunpo, South Korea, who dreamed of traveling the world. At the same time, she also knows the life-changing force of the music she và Blackpink make.

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(In celebration of Blackpink’s appearance on the cover of Rolling Stone, we’re publishing individual digital covers with each member of the group; check back throughout this week for more.)

How are you today?Not too good. I didn’t sleep well. I fell asleep around eight this morning. After this interview, I have khổng lồ go to lớn the hospital because my leg hurts. I bumped into a door really hard; it’s not broken or fractured, but it’s been hurting for the past month, so I need to get another X-ray. Luckily, we’re not done with recording , so I don’t need to lớn use my legs yet. The choreography comes after the songs are done. I hope lớn heal quickly before then.

What are you up to these days?My life these days is not too busy, because we’re not actively performing yet. I want khổng lồ come back with music quickly. I live alone, but my parents are in the same apartment building, so we nói qua meals together.

You grew up in Gunpo, a relatively small city. Then, with Blackpink, you experienced an immense world. How has that changed your perspective on life?You know, not too differently. My mom and dad are proud of me, but I don’t feel like a world star. I’d go to see a play with friends, và they’d say, “Can you move around like this? You’re Blackpink!” Others say all the time, “Hey, this is a huge deal!” It doesn’t resonate with me much. I’m the same person that started training in high school. My social standing may have changed, but to lớn me, I’m just . . . too me.

You’re the only Blackpink member who hasn’t released a solo single. There’s buzz that you will this year. How would you approach your solo music?I’m not sure how much I want khổng lồ go solo yet. The music I listen to, the music I can do, and the music I want to bởi vì — what should I choose? I love songs with lots of instruments. I love different bands & rock music. What do people want from me? There’s a chaos of conflicting questions. So I’m still tilting my head in confusion. I’m not sure what will happen with my solo plans this year.

The questioning seems completely understandable.Right. It’s not easy. Honestly, I didn’t know I’d be doing something lượt thích this. My high school friends, who know me well, are still baffled that I’m doing this job, và doing it well. They thought I’d live simply, freely, doing whatever I want.

Back then — I don’t know what I was thinking — but on some days, if I didn’t want khổng lồ go khổng lồ school, I just didn’t. Và my parents let me! I’d wake up one morning grimacing because I didn’t want lớn go to lớn school. My dad would say, “What’s up? Why the long face?” I’d say, “Dad, I’m so tired, I just want khổng lồ sleep.” “OK, don’t go then!” Then the next day, my teacher would ask, “What are you going to bởi vì with your life?”

I can’t believe your parents let you skip school.It’s not that they gave up on me; I think they adored me, especially because I was the youngest kid. They were more liberal with letting me vày what I wanted. So it was hard for me to lớn transition khổng lồ , where there were many rules. I had lớn grow a sense of patience và endurance.

Lisa said you would be the most likely one khổng lồ move to Hawaii if you weren’t in Blackpink.

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Oh, even if it’s not Hawaii, I talk about moving abroad all the time. I have always been a really miễn phí soul, ever since back in my school days. If people asked back then, “What are you going to do with your life?” I would think to lớn myself, “Well, if I can’t get a proper job, I’ll get part-time gigs, leech from my parents, stay at their place! I’ll save some money, go off to lớn play somewhere using that money, & eventually, I’ll find something I want to lớn do! If this doesn’t work out, something else will come along!” I always had a strong desire khổng lồ move around freely.

Is it difficult to vì chưng that now?More than you’d think. No matter how I move around there are people who recognize me. & then I have khổng lồ be careful.

MBTI personality-type tests are all the rage in Korea now. What is your type?I think I’m ESTP (extrovert-sensing-thinking-perceiving). But I actually prefer being alone. I tend to set up too many dates, and later think, “What have I done?”

What did you dream of as a child?I didn’t really dream of becoming a celebrity. I didn’t particularly have anything I wanted lớn do: “What will I vì chưng in the future? Will I find something I want khổng lồ do?” Since I was a child, I admired people who had a clear dream, who delved into that one path. Will the day ever come when I also fall deeply for something?

For me, the periods of falling for something tended to lớn be quite short. I get bored easily. For example, when you exercise, there’s a period of stagnation when your body’s just not changing — and then if you endure that, your body toàn thân changes for the better. I’m not very good at enduring these periods of stagnation. So I’ve always admired people who can overcome that, và go higher.

Did you kết thúc up finding that path through Blackpink?I think I’ve been able lớn endure this journey, half due lớn this refusal khổng lồ yield. I didn’t want khổng lồ stop halfway. I’d see other kids falling out in the competition and going home. & I refused to lớn yield; I wanted to lớn endure until the end.

Do you have more certainty about your path now? Most people would see you from the outside và think, “Well, she’s part of Blackpink! That’s her path!” But I imagine the actual experience is different.That’s right. It is a little different. I still don’t know. I think about this every day. What bởi vì I exactly like? Sometimes I think it’s a mystery. I love to lớn perform, but I don’t always enjoy being part of the spotlight.

I think it’s different for the other members: They love to receive the spotlight, feeling energized by the people who come to lớn see us, and then getting a bit depressed when the stage is over and silence arrives. Feeling empty. All these feelings are a necessary part of the job. I’m a little different. When I’m onstage, I think about not making mistakes. Performing still feels more lượt thích a thử nghiệm than something genuinely fun.

When we were performing at Coachella , my back hurt so badly. Every night I was getting painkillers. I wanted to lớn perform sitting down. But my pride wouldn’t allow myself khổng lồ sit. And it wasn’t because “I love this stage so much”; stronger was my sense of responsibility và duty.

You’re still figuring out who you are.I think I’ll keep searching my entire life. I still haven’t found anything where I feel “This is it for me!” Maybe I will never feel it. I can compromise with my reality because I’m part of Blackpink, & I’m not alone. I have the girls in the same boat, và the fans. & that gives me the power & a sense of responsibility.

What makes you happy these days?I love lớn sleep. I sleep when I’m stressed — in a way, I’m escaping, but I love to sleep and dream. I used khổng lồ write dream diaries, although not these days. I have a lot of different dreams. I’m not sure if I dream in language. I’ve dreamed a lot about Blackpink, but in surrealistic settings. Rather than a dream about going on tour, it’d be like, we’re piloting a plane & someone would chase us, & we’d be engaged in this chase.