BLACKPINK member Jennie is back, and she’s shining like a ruby. Her album, ‘Ruby,’ marks Jennie’s first solo release following her 2023 departure from YG Entertainment, signifying the newest chapter of her career. ‘Ruby’ contains fifteen songs with a star-studded lineup featuring artists like Dua Lipa, Doechii, Childish Gambino, and more. With ‘Ruby’, Jennie aims to showcase her complete self as a person. Moreover, Jennie explores a variety of genres, highlighting her versatility as an artist. ‘Ruby’ presents themes of finding self-confidence, the intricacies of relationships, and overcoming adversity.
The first track that starts off the album is “Intro: JANE with FKJ”, a delicate song reminiscent of a music box. The song is playful with a chillingly eerie undertone, hinting at the darker sound of the album overall. Further introduced by this simple track is the diversity of sounds Jennie plans to incorporate in ‘Ruby’, as the song is already a distinct stray from Jennie’s usual hip-hop and pop sound.
As Always, Hip-Hop
Of course, Jennie, an artist known for her rapping, must include hip-hop in her discography. However, even the album’s hip-hop tracks are diverse in its sounds and subgenres. “Intro: JANE with FKJ” begins with soothing tones, but the intense second track, “Like Jennie,” immediately dispels them. “Like Jennie” is an explosive mix of Brazilian funk and hip-hop that celebrates Jennie’s originality. The next hip-hop song is “With the IE (Way Up)”, which samples Jennifer Lopez’s iconic 2002 song “Jenny from the Block”, using the beat and instruments to mix old school hip hop and R&B. The lyrics of this track speak about overcoming adversity.
“ExtraL (feat. Doechii)” features American rapper Doechii—who recently won Best Rap Album at the 2025 Grammy Awards. “ExtraL (feat. Doechii)” is a fierce, uplifting track promoting female empowerment. The song showcases chanting interludes and bold rap verses. The two artists’ chemistry, raw talent and bold visuals make this track the ultimate hot girl anthem.
Besides these anthems, one of the unique offerings of ‘Ruby’ is “Zen”. “Zen” is a hybrid trap, a mix of trap (a subgenre of hip-hop) and dubstep. The track is dark and intense with distorted electronic tones, giving the song a haunting yet soothing sound. This song’s concept, “Zen,” derives from Buddhism. Zen principles emphasize meditation, calmness, and a focus on the reality of the present moment. So, with this song “Zen”, Jennie vows to remain unshaken in the face of criticism.
After “Zen”, the next hip-hop track is “Filter“. “Filter” is perhaps one of the most intense songs on the album. An experimental EDM track, this song incorporates a syncopated heavy beat that constantly changes its flow and rhythm, giving the entire track an unpredictable, captivating sound. “Filter” is a liberating tune that embraces the real Jennie.
Exploring R&B
Another major genre of ‘Ruby’ is R&B. The R&B songs of the album shine a spotlight on Jennie’s rich vocal tone and abilities. “start a war” is no exception. This song is a vow of dedication to a loved one. Reminiscent of artists such as SZA, “start a war” touts a deep sound with dark undertones and brassy instrumentals. Directly following “start a war” is “Handlebars (feat. Dua Lipa)”, a considerably more cheerful track than the previous. The instrumentals of “Handlebars (feat. Dua Lipa”) focus on an upbeat baseline and a simple beat on a drum set. “Handlebars (feat. Dua Lipa)” likens falling in love to falling off a bike.
The second notable R&B track on the album is “Damn Right (feat. Childish Gambino and Kali Uchis)“. This song is a slow and mellow tune that exhibits the vocals of each artist on the track. Alongside a rap verse by the iconic Childish Gambino, the dreamy tune boasts of the narrator’s allure. Childish Gambino provides the male perspective of the narrative, in which he falls for that allure.
Much like “Damn Right (feat. Childish Gambino)”. Track thirteen of ‘Ruby’ is the sultry “Seoul City”. The instrumentals of this track are rich and seductive, with a funk-like baseline and sensual vocals. The lyrics of “Seoul City” draw a parallel between a lover and the city of Seoul, South Korea, the place where Jennie was born and raised before moving to New Zealand at age eight. Jennie later returned to Seoul to pursue her dream of becoming an idol. Therefore, Jennie is intimate with her home of Seoul – it is safe, familiar, and comfortable, as a lover would be.
Making It Pop
Jennie’s versatility as an artist prevents her from being limited to a single genre. As such, she experiments with a variety of pop songs in ‘Ruby. ‘ From anthems to ballads, Jennie shines in them all. The first of these hits to come out was “Mantra,” the ultimate girl power anthem. “Mantra” pays homage to the culture of Los Angeles, where Jennie recorded her album. The song is a mix of dance-pop and Miami bass that perfectly captures the laid-back spirit of sunny Southern California. It celebrates self-confidence, self-expression, and positivity.
The second single pre-release from ‘Ruby’. “Love Hangover (feat. Dominic Fike)” is a gentle retro track that recalls the cycle of a toxic relationship. Often, people get hangovers after drinking – they get headaches, nausea, dehydration, and other nasty symptoms. However, most people will still drink again even though they know they’ll suffer the consequences of their choices later on. Similarly, in “Love Hangover (feat. Dominic Fike)”, the toxic relationship continues and repeats, although both parties know it’s unhealthy.
Alongside the more fun tracks like “Mantra” and “Love Hangover (feat. Dominic Fike)” are some of the most meaningful songs from Jennie – the pop ballads of ‘Ruby.’ These ballads are “F.T.S.”, “Starlight”, and “twin”. “F.T.S.” is a piano-driven ballad. The title “F.T.S.” stands for both “Fuck That Shit” and “Flip The Script”. which are part of the lyrics. In this song, Jennie rejects the status quo. Instead, she plans to pave her path, doing things her way.
In addition to finding self-determination, Jennie shows a more vulnerable side to herself on ‘Ruby’. On the fourteenth track “Starlight“, a soft EDM track, Jennie recalls the darker moments of her life which lead her to where she is now. She embraces these dark parts of herself and remembers her roots and motivations – to make her mother proud, and to grasp onto her real self. Jennie acknowledges that she must accept the darkness to let her starlight shine through.
Finally, “twin” is the last song of Jennie’s debut album ‘Ruby’. In an interview, she revealed that this track is the most personal to her and is a touching letter to a friendship she had cherished but lost. In “twin”, Jennie reminisces on the nostalgia she feels for this relationship and the regret she has for letting it go. Fittingly, this last song of the album reveals the most vulnerable side of Jennie, allowing listeners to view the full Jennie as a person.
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