Blackpink's Jisoo On How She Handles Fame: 'I Don't Feel Like A World Star'

Despite the complexities of being a celebrity, Blackpink's lead vocalist Jisoo is unmoved by fame and tries to enjoy the ordinary things in life.

"You know, I don't feel too differently. My mom and dad are proud of me, but I don't feel like a world star," the 27-year-old K-pop singer told Rolling Stone in a new interview.

Jisoo, aka Kim Ji-Soo, was born in Gunpo city in South Korea. She underwent several years of training under YG Entertainment before debuting with Blackpink in 2016. But with all their accomplishments, Jisoo says she still is the same small-town girl who yearns to experience life with her closest friends.

"I'd go to see a play with friends, and 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," she revealed. "I'm the same person that started training in high school. My social standing may have changed, but to me, I'm just …too me."

Blackpink remains South Korea's most famous girl group of all time despite their two-year extended hiatus. Their last musical project, "The Album," was released in 2020. It saw massive success both locally and overseas and continues as a mainstay on Billboard 200. "The Album" was at No. 14 on the Billboard 200 in January and stayed in that position for a total of 69 weeks.

Blackpink earned the Guinness World Record for most-viewed YouTube video in 24 hours for "How You Like That," which garnered more than 86 million views on the first day of its release in 2020.

Though she yearns to "move around freely," Jisoo understands that fame comes with restrictions.

"My high school friends, who know me well, are still baffled that I'm doing this job, and doing it well. They thought I'd live simply, freely, doing whatever I want. I always had a strong desire to move around freely…no matter how I move around there are people who recognize me. And then I have to be careful," she said.

Fellow Blackpink member Jennie Kim also yearns to be treated like an ordinary person despite their superstar status.

"Sure, there are times when we talk about what kind of influence, we could have…but more than anyone, we want to be ordinary girls," Jennie told the outlet.