As I attempted to study at Philz Coffee, my mind could only focus on the experience of listening to Jennie’s album Ruby, her solo debut. I’ve been eagerly awaiting Ruby‘s release along with many other BLACKPINK fans. With 15 tracks, it marks a period in Jennie’s life where she is celebrating her individuality and progress as an artist.
“Intro: Jane” with KFJ starts the album off with a soft melodic track. Jennie’s voice is barely heard in this intro as she whispers, “Run like this,” creating a gentle ambiance. It wasn’t a sound I expected the album to start with, but it was soothing and filled me with a sense of childlike nostalgia.
“like JENNIE” interrupts the soft feeling from the intro, with Jennie shouting, “Special edition and your AI couldn’t copy.” The chorus chants, “But have you ever met Jennie, Jennie, Jennie, Jennie?” introducing herself in a compelling and bold fashion. The song’s raw beat displays her sharp personality and her refusal to compromise her identity on this album. Ruby is a celebration of Jennie’s individuality, and “like JENNIE” shows that in the second track.
“start a war” returns to the softness of the intro and shows a more personal side of the album. The song has a vulnerable tone as she sings about fiercely protecting someone no matter the circumstances. The guitar’s gentle bass amplifies this vulnerability. Immediately following “start a war” is “Handlebars” featuring Dua Lipa, which puts the messiness of love on full display. This track shows how love is a compelling force in Jennie’s life, controlling how she navigates new crushes. These two tracks back-to-back display how love is all-consuming to Jennie.
Doechii joins Jennie on “ExtraL”, which features Jennie’s rapping, leaning into elements and themes of hip-hop. Through the entire track, Jennie’s flow is immaculate as she uplifts her girls throughout the song. Doechii marks her entrance with a loud, powerful “DOECHII” before jumping into her verse. Jennie’s and Doechii’s voices blend together seamlessly and carry the beat throughout the song.
“Love Hangover” featuring Dominic Fike has a suave beat to it. The track’s lyrics reflect the feeling of being infatuated with a man who isn’t good for you, and over the course of the track, intense romantic feelings are constantly being expressed as the singer spends time with this man. She sings, “I started lying with you (Yeah) And every time I do, I wake up with this love hangover, ah-oh.” The second post-chorus marks one of my favorite moments, where the song quiets down to only Jennie’s voice and a smooth bass while she sings, “Ah, shit, I did it again (Call me back, call me back, call me back).” Jennie contemplates her decisions in her love life.
“Damn Right,” featuring Kali Uchis and Childish Gambino explores an alluring R&B beat that suits this album nicely. The track is extremely tantalizing, as Jennie uses a sultry voice to mesmerize and capture a man’s attention, a voice that contrasts her usual vocals. Jennie’s voice combined with Uchis’ hypnotic vocals makes the song melodic. Childish Gambino sings the male lover point-of-view, adding another dimension of charisma to this song, making the listener understand why Jennie’s so alluring to begin with.
“F.T.S” and “Filter” flow nicely together as Jennie explores taking risks. “F.T.S” is charged with the determination of pursuing one’s goals despite long odds, with verses such as “Fuck that shit, ah, yeah, Flip the script, ah, yeah”. “Filter” expands on that idea of autonomy and features lyrics about taking control over the narrative people have about oneself. Jennie focuses on her autonomy and self-exploration throughout Ruby, diving deep into what it means to be her authentic self. This album explores emotions that are intimate and important to her through songs like “Seoul City,” which explores her complex feelings for the city and the people she loves.
“Twin” ends the album with a deeply personal track about reminiscing about a friendship that’s been split apart. The track only requires a guitar to accompany Jennie’s voice, creating a sense of interiority and sensibility. She sings, “We were ten years in, And young and dumb and innocent, my friend” which demonstrates the sense of innocence and youthfulness that this song carries. Even the title “Twin” emulates the closeness of this relationship, a friendship that feels like another part of her. Even when time forced them to grow apart, Jennie recalls these memories fondly.
Ruby is a personal journey through Jennie’s complex emotions, and it demonstrates her progress as an artist. It’s intimate, sincere and raw. Jennie’s strengths shine in this album, showing that she has become someone confident and vulnerable. Ruby is an album that I didn’t know I needed from Jennie.
