Jisoo received a 'temple ticket' at the VMAs because of the BLACKPINK label, LE SSERAFIM fans 'blushed'?

The 2025 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) are approaching, but instead of creating an atmosphere of excitement, the nomination list for the " Best Kpop " category has just been announced, and the date has been met with a wave of fierce controversy, in which criticism is directed at Jisoo.

This year, the nominations include solo artists from BLACKPINK : Jisoo, Jennie , Rosé and Lisa along with Jimin (BTS), aespa, and Stray Kids . Despite gathering many big names, this list still does not satisfy the audience for many reasons, the most prominent of which is the confusion in the criteria and understanding of Kpop.

Among the nominations, Jisoo is the one who has been criticized the most. A part of netizens thinks that although her solo product has a certain spread, it does not achieve outstanding performance like the products of her teammates Lisa or Rosé, not to mention the limitations of choreography and musical depth.

"Jisoo was nominated just because she was a member of BLACKPINK?" , a comment that was agreed by many people. Many viewers think that this nomination is more symbolic and personal biased than reflects specific musical strength or achievements. This inadvertently puts Jisoo in the position of "victim" in the midst of endless controversy about standards and fairness.

Not only those who were criticized, the nomination list was also frustrating because of the confusing absence of many K-pop names who were highly appreciated in the past year. Groups such as (G)I-DLE, SEVENTEEN , NewJeans or LE SSERAFIM all have quality products, impressive streaming achievements and sales but have no names at all.

This raises doubts about the true representation of the "Best Kpop" category at the VMAs, which was once considered a bridge to bring Korean music closer to the European and American markets. "It feels like they only choose according to their global popularity, not interested in music," one fan commented.

If we talk about Jisoo's musical achievements compared to BLACKPINK members and other groups in 2025, it is quite vague, so the online community's frustration about the nomination list is not unfounded.

After leaving YG, Jisoo released the mini album "Amortage" under her own company, quickly rose to No. 1 on the Circle Album Chart and was certified Platinum after just two days. The title track " Earthquake " achieved global achievements: topping Billboard World Digital Song Sales, reaching the top 50 of the Billboard Global 200.

However, "Earthquake" only peaked at #73 on the Bugs Chart and #242 on Genie, not in the top of the Melon 100. The achievement is far behind "Flower" or even Rosé's English product in Korea.

The Bias List site rated the song as "smooth, trendy but looks monotonous and cold". The drops don't make a breakthrough and are somewhat like getting stuck in a music loop.

On Reddit, many viewers complained that Jisoo's expressions were indifferent, and her voice and choreography lacked energy. There were comments criticizing her for being like a robot, not creating emotions in the MV.

Although "Earthquake" has many strengths such as well-thought-out production, beautiful MV and Jisoo's unique voice, this song also encountered many mixed opinions. The biggest challenge is the weak debut performance in Korea, the melody is said to be lacking breakthrough and the emotional resonance performance is poor. Many responses show that the melody is not catchy enough to occupy the spotlight and she has not shown a strong personal attraction visually – something that other members of BLACKPINK do very well.

However, there are still people who are more positive about Jisoo's live singing ability and melody style than Flower. International successes such as reaching the Billboard Global 200 and reaching #1 World Digital Songs should not be ignored – but they do not overwhelm the barrage of criticism for music and performance.

In general, the controversy surrounding the "Best Kpop" category is no longer just a matter of personal choice, but reflects the reality that Kpop is gradually going beyond geographical and linguistic boundaries to become a global brand. That entails ambiguity in defining what is "true Kpop", and who deserves to represent this genre.

From a regional music genre, Kpop is now facing the problem of identity when the artists themselves are increasingly internationalized in music and image. And in a global playground like the VMAs, that line is even easier to blur.

Currently, the organizers of the MTV VMAs have not yet responded to the mixed opinions. But clearly, the pressure from the international fan community has shown the growing influence of K-pop, as well as the demand for fairness and transparency in how international awards approach Korean culture.

VMAs nominations: BLACKPINK civil war, 1 member "out", participating in 8 categories Phượng Vũ17:05:35 06/08/2025Late on August 5 (Vietnam time), the MTV Video Music Awards 2025 officially announced the list of nominees. This year's season continues to witness the explosion of female pop artists, especially the civil war of the 4 BLACKPINK members.