Ruby

About

Jennie Kim debuted as a K-pop performer in BLACKPINK in 2016 and released her first solo song, the finger-snapping “Solo,” two years later. But it wasn’t until her debut solo album, 2025’s <i>Ruby</i>, that she got a more profound chance to self-reflect through her music. “The greatest part of this solo project for me was that I had time with myself,” JENNIE tells Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. “I really got to dig deep inside of who I am and what I am.” The 15-track, primarily English-language album was JENNIE’s first music release since leaving YG Entertainment as a soloist to launch her own label, Odd Atelier, and it’s a declaration of her musical identity as a solo singer and rapper. The album’s name, <i>Ruby</i>, is a reference to the alter ego (Jennie Ruby Jane) that the musician created for herself when she moved to New Zealand by herself as a child to learn English. “When I was like 11,” she says, “I knew that I wanted to create this identity for myself, like ‘Jennie’ wasn't doing justice for me, and I was like, ‘I want a longer name.’” The persona has carried over into adulthood and her creative expression on <i>Ruby</i>. From the hip-hop-driven swagger of tracks like “like JENNIE,” “ExtraL,” and “Damn Right” to confessional-style songs like “F.T.S.,” “twin,” and “start a war,” JENNIE opens up about fame, protecting the ones she loves, and staying true to herself. She taps an eclectic cadre of established and rising Western musicians for help, including Childish Gambino and Kali Uchis (“Damn Right”), Doechii (“ExtraL”), Dominic Fike (“Love Hangover”), FKJ (“JANE”), and Dua Lipa (“Handlebars”). “Now, I'm not afraid to challenge myself,” JENNIE says of what she learned in the album-creation process. “Understanding my value was the biggest lesson.”

via Apple Music

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