Transitioning from a member of a globally recognized female K-pop group to a solo artist, Jennie Kim is phenomenal with her confidence, ambition, and personality.
The month of March consumed the pop star with a tour schedule from Los Angeles to New York to Seoul and to Paris on her debut without the company of other Blackpink members.
Jennie revealed in an interview with Vogue that her before-stage ritual is “about feeling good, my body being healthy, and doing things to take care of myself before I go on stage.” Chill as always.
More than a celebrity who has reached global recognition, she is a girl who follows her natural flow and cares about herself.Â
Since Jennie became a YG Entertainment trainee at 14 and a Blackpink member at 20, her career path has been clearly defined and carefully handled — a meticulous strategy that has yielded momentous results and global fame.
Breaking out in 2016, Jennie, Lisa, Rosé, and Jisoo formed a group named Blackpink, taking significant strides in K-pop culture and the Asian music community.
According to Billboard, they were the first female K-pop group to perform on the Coachella stage in 2019 and the first South Korean female group to top the Billboard 200 with their second album, Born Pink, in 2022. The four girls leveraged their talent and energy to deliver a new definition of female power.Â
In December 2023, the members made a breakthrough decision to renew their contracts with YG Entertainment exclusively for group activities and terminate their individual ones. This led to the establishment of Jennie’s own label, OddAtelier and a partnership with Columbia Records.Â
OddAtelier was named after the French word for a collaborative workshop or studio name, signifying “we’re open to do anything,” Jennie said in an interview with Billboard. “Atelier is a place where we create art.”
In collaboration with her team members, her label is a limitless space allowing creativity to happen anytime, anywhere, and in any format.
The production of her solo album, Ruby, was the label’s first assignment after a long period of preparation and adaptation. Jennie Ruby-Jane is a self-generated name which Jennie has been using as her Instagram handle. Initiating from her adolescent years in Auckland, New Zealand, it represents her ego. “I intend to complete myself as Jennie Ruby-Jane, for that to be a whole person, in a way,” she told Billboard.
Her album, Ruby, communicates her authentic self as Jennie Ruby-Jane, showcasing her journey from an independent child to an independent artist.Â
With a dreamy tone, “JANE with FKJ” is the intro song on her album, bringing the public into Jennie Ruby-Jane’s world.Â
“Like JENNIE” mixes elements of singing, rapping, and dancing — performing the ACE (a member who excels in multiple areas in K-pop) talents and confidence, singing, “I am myself, whatever you like or dislike.”Â
“ZEN” is believed to be a spiritual song explaining Jennie’s values and beliefs. Aside from the Zen philosophy, she sings about Christianity as well. “ZEN” expresses her connection with meditation, which guided her to inner peace. Being disturbed by chaotic thoughts at first, then allowing them to cross her mind and body and letting everything go.
Jennie also presented the complicated process of transitioning from different contexts and different styles. Each time people experience a new consciousness, identity, encounter, or emotion, they undergo a new journey. So, with this song, Jennie discusses the root of confidence: internal strength.
Ruby tells listeners who Jennie is and helps them understand her character better.Â
When performing, Jennie is often the focal point on stage, excelling in every aspect. On social media pages, she is a fashion icon in high demand. People analyze and study her makeup and outfits. She is a model favoured by photographers. Her sense of uniqueness is pervasive. An ambassadorship with Chanel brings the luxury fashion house to new possibilities — casual and light but still elegant.Â
When mentioning her journey with Billboard, her mom’s influence and New Zealand are unavoidable topics for Jennie. “No.1 boss lady” is Jennie’s nod to her mom, who brought the girl into the world and influenced her in all aspects.
“I don’t even have to look anywhere else. She’s taught me how to be a woman, how to be a boss, and how to be myself. She’s my idol,” said Jennie.Â
Following a vacation at the age of 10 with her mom to Auckland, New Zealand, she spent the next five years there attending school and participating in a homestay with a Korean family. It was a period in which “independence” was cultivated in her heart. She always misses and recalls that time — the place that awakened her personality, creativity, and freedom.Â
In her ninth year as a celebrity, Jennie already knows who she is, what she wants, and what she likes. “I don’t have self-doubt. That’s how I got here,” Jennie said in an interview with Vanity Fair. “And the stronger and confident you feel about yourself, the better version of you appears.”Â
Her statement tells fans that individuality is about being confident, genuine, brave, and loving oneself.