BLACKPINK’s Lightsticks, Then and Now

From the first pink hammer to connected concert lights and solo designs, BLACKPINK’s lightstick history tells a story about belonging—and becoming yourself.

You can recognize it before the stage lights come on: two pink hearts, a black handle, and a shape that looks ready to squeak rather than behave like serious concert equipment.

BLACKPINK’s lightstick has always had personality. For BLINKs, it can also carry the memory of a first show, a favourite tour or the night thousands of strangers suddenly felt like one fandom.

But the collection has become more complicated. There is the original model, Ver.2, a Takashi Murakami collaboration, the Special Edition, customization accessories and a growing solo story. Which releases actually changed the lightstick, and which added something around it?

Here is the history, with a separate look at JISOO, JENNIE, ROSÉ and LISA. The status check is dated October 24, 2026, because a new announcement can change a collector’s list overnight.

The timeline: a new version is not always a new generation

The July 2025 date above is the documented Weverse online sale date; it should not be confused with the earliest possible reveal or venue sale.

Three main group models: original, Ver.2 and Special Edition. Product imagery: YG Entertainment / YG PLUS, via Ktown4u, YG SELECT and Weverse Shop. Editorial comparison; products are not shown to scale.

2018: the hammer that made BLACKPINK instantly recognizable

YG’s original sales notice fixes the first release at May 28, 2018. Its playful identity was built into the product: the notice highlighted the hammer function and its on/off control.

The design works on two levels. The black handle and pink ends express the group’s name immediately. The soft, toy-like silhouette adds warmth to the confident image fans know from the stage. That contrast is our reading of the design, rather than an official explanation of its symbolism.

Contemporary SBS coverage also reported that the members participated from the design stage. The nickname “Bl-ping-bong,” with several spellings used across the fandom, became part of its appeal.

There were regional variations, too. An official Japanese tour-goods page introduced a Japan-version hammer for the 2018 Kyocera Dome finale. Collectors should distinguish those regional editions from the later numbered Ver.2.

The important point for an original owner: an older model can remain a treasured part of the collection without having every function introduced later.

2020: Ver.2 kept the shape and expanded the experience

The second numbered model did not discard the hammer. It developed what that familiar object could do.

YG’s launch announcement gives November 20, 2020 as the release date for the Ver.2 Limited Edition, following pre-orders from November 13. The launch set included the lightstick, a cradle and a strap.

That packaging detail still matters. A standard Ver.2 listing should not automatically be expected to include the limited-edition cradle.

The official product information identifies central-control and mood-light capabilities as features supported from the second generation, rather than the first. It also describes app updates for music-response data.

For a fan, this moves the lightstick beyond its silhouette: the same recognizable hammer can take part in a coordinated lighting experience. Read the instructions for your model and the guidance for your specific event; ownership alone does not establish compatibility with every show.

2024: Takashi Murakami gave the hammer a collector’s chapter

The Murakami edition belongs on this timeline because it changes how the object is read.

The March 2024 In Your Area collaboration included a limited-edition lightstick, as reported by the Korea JoongAng Daily. Murakami’s flower imagery gave an already distinctive fan object another visual identity.

It is best understood as a collaboration edition. Its existence does not, by itself, establish a new numbered generation or a fresh set of technical specifications.

For collectors, that distinction separates two different pleasures: buying a device for a concert and collecting an artist’s interpretation of a familiar symbol.

The Murakami collaboration adds a flower motif to BLACKPINK’s hammer. Photograph: Beulagpinkeu / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0. April 2024; resized and placed in a 16:9 editorial layout, licensed under the same terms.

2025–2026: the Special Edition becomes a platform for customization

The next main chapter has a precise official name: BLACKPINK Official Light Stick Special Edition.

Weverse’s sales announcement opened online sales on July 18, 2025, alongside a separate lightstick keyring. If a shop or social post calls it “V3,” match that wording against the actual product name before comparing models.

The official listing shows the hammer continuing, with an updated body and a pink section below the head. Its listed contents include the lightstick, strap and manual; batteries are separate.

In 2026, the story expanded around that model. The Special Edition Custom Kit contains a holder, holder mount, handle cover and battery cap. A sales notice dates its availability to January 20, 2026.

It is an accessory set. Buying it does not mean buying a complete new lightstick. Likewise, a handle cover changes the appearance of the model it fits; it does not automatically upgrade its electronics.

That gives BLINKs another way to make a shared symbol feel personal, while keeping the familiar hammer recognizable.

A member’s name on an accessory does not make it a solo lightstick

There is already an official way to make the group lightstick more bias-specific. YGEX lists lightstick holders for JISOO, JENNIE, ROSÉ and LISA, designed to carry the Ver.2 handle, with a member’s name on one side of the heart.

These belong to BLACKPINK’s group-merchandise world. They explain why a search result can contain a member’s name and “lightstick” without documenting a separate solo device.

The solo lightsticks: where each member stands

Solo careers create space for a different emblem. They also create plenty of fan concepts, speculative shop titles and lookalike merchandise. Here is what our source check supports.

THEBLACKLABEL is a label ROSÉ works with; it should not be described as a company she founded. The table also describes the limits of this source check, rather than claiming that an unverified product can never exist.

LISA: a star with its own identity

LISA’s solo lightstick takes a different visual direction: a white handle and an open star-shaped head with a reflective-looking centre.

Ktown4u lists it as LISA — Official Light Stick, with a March 17, 2025 release date. Other retailers use Official Star Light and list different March dates. Those catalogue differences are a reason to avoid presenting one retailer’s date as an uncontested worldwide launch.

The design is visibly separate from BLACKPINK’s hammer. Our editorial reading is that it gives a solo audience its own recognizable shape while leaving the group symbol intact.

For a buyer, the full-size product, miniature accessories and keychains should be checked separately. A similar shape does not establish identical functions.

LISA’s official solo lightstick. Product imagery: LLOUD, via Ktown4u. Resized into a 16:9 layout; original product appearance retained.

JISOO: an ice-cream-shaped addition to the story

The newest development in this check is JISOO’s ice-cream-themed lightstick. An October 24 announcement reproduced in the BLACKPINK community shows a cone-shaped design; InMusic’s report describes purple and white illuminated scoops and purchases opening through the JISOO app on October 26 KST.

The playful form gives this solo chapter a very different mood from the hammer or LISA’s star. Its appearance is worth discussing without inventing an official explanation for every colour or shape.

For this guide, the announcement and timing are attributed to those public reports. The complete primary app notice was not independently accessed. Check the app for membership conditions, ordering windows, contents, pricing and shipping details before purchasing.

A lightstick announcement also does not, on its own, confirm a tour.

JENNIE: do not mistake a beautiful concept for an OA release

A ruby, a rose or a sword could make an appealing fan design. That does not establish a product announced by JENNIE or OA.

We did not verify an official solo lightstick announcement through the official store, OA’s website and the searches used for this article. Her status here therefore remains not verified, rather than assigning an unofficial design to her solo brand.

If a new announcement appears, the useful evidence is the artist or company’s product notice, not simply a retailer putting “JENNIE” in a title.

ROSÉ: check the artist as carefully as the product

The same approach applies to ROSÉ. We did not verify an official solo lightstick through the ROSÉ store, THEBLACKLABEL’s merchandise pages and the searches used for this guide.

There is an additional search trap: The Rose is a different artist, and its lightsticks are not ROSÉ merchandise.

Nor does a BLACKPINK accessory featuring ROSÉ’s name automatically become her own solo lightstick. Read the product category and official source before deciding what belongs in the collection.

Before you buy—or leave for a concert

Start with the exact model name. Then check the contents, the instructions for that version and the event’s current guidance.

• Separate the main device from accessories. A custom kit, cover, keyring or photocard listing may not include a full-size lightstick.
• Check the package rather than assuming. Limited-edition extras and standard contents can differ.
• Use the correct power instructions. Read the manual for your model instead of applying another version’s battery requirements.
• Follow current app and event guidance. Do not assume group and solo products share pairing or concert-control support.
• Keep the buying decision personal. A complete shelf is optional; the lightstick attached to your favourite memory may already be the right one.

Quick answers for BLINKs

When did BLACKPINK’s first lightstick come out?

May 28, 2018, according to YG Entertainment’s original sales announcement.

Is the Special Edition officially called Version 3?

The official listings checked for this guide call it Special Edition. “V3” is shorthand you may encounter elsewhere; compare the actual model before buying.

Is the 2026 Custom Kit another lightstick?

No. The listed contents are accessories for the Special Edition, rather than a complete lightstick.

Do all four members have an official solo lightstick?

This research documents LISA’s solo product and reports of JISOO’s new announcement. It does not verify official solo lightstick announcements for JENNIE or ROSÉ as of October 24, 2026.

The collection’s story is still unfolding. What makes it interesting is how much identity can fit into something you hold above your head: the original hammer’s humour, a flower-covered collector’s edition, a solo star, or a new design waiting for its first crowd.

Which one holds your favourite BLACKPINK memory?

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Source check: October 24, 2026. Historical dates are drawn from the linked announcements; retail catalogue dates are labelled as such. JISOO’s new design and ordering timing are based on public reporting, not a completed inspection of her app notice. No purchase or hands-on technical test was conducted. Product photos illustrate the identified models and do not imply endorsement of this article.