“Who wanna rock with Jennie? Keep your hair done, nails done like Jennie. Who else got ‘em obsessed like Jennie?” K-pop superstar and Blackpink member Jennie sang to a full house at L.A.’s Peacock Theater Thursday night.
The crowd was instantly on their feet for the first live performance of the hype-filled new single from the 29-year-old singer and rapper, aptly titled “Like JENNIE.” The performance was part of her intimate show in support of her debut solo album, The Ruby Experience, which kicked off its first of two nights on Thursday. Jennie played the entirety of her 15-track album for the crowd, marking the live debut for nearly every song on the setlist. (She’s previously performed her fall hit, “Mantra,” live).
Ruby, which was released through a partnership with the label she founded, Oddatelier, and Columbia Records, is by far the singer’s most extensive body of work to date. The album features collaborations with Childish Gambino, Doechii, Dominic Fike, Dua Lipa and Kali Uchis. Earlier this week, Columbia Records announced that the global superstar had crossed 450,000 worldwide pre-orders ahead of its release, which coincided with the start of Thursday’s show.
The “Like Jennie” singer is set to perform at the 2025 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, having played the festival twice as a member of Blackpink. Jennie and her fellow group members (Lisa, Jisoo and Rosé) headlined the festival in 2023 and made their Coachella debut in 2019. The four-piece girl group, formed under Korean entertainment company YG Entertainment, was the first K-pop act to headline the festival.
All four members of the group have established increasingly fruitful solo careers in the last year, separate from their work in the group. In December 2023, it was announced that Blackpink had renewed their exclusive contracts for group activities with YG Entertainment; however, it was later announced that all four members decided to part ways with the label for solo activities.
Jennie is slated to play another show at the Peacock Theater Friday night (March 7) before taking The Ruby Experience to New York’s Radio City Music Hall and Seoul’s Inspire Arena. Here are the highlights from night one of The Ruby Experience in L.A.
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Jennie Showed Her Range By Playing All of ‘Ruby’
Image Credit: Courtesy of ODDATELIER The singer and rapper, in a way she never has before, gave fans the chance to hear and see a new side of her through Ruby and The Ruby Experience. The album, much like the live show, featured an array of songs ranging from the pop hit “Mantra” to the club music meets hip hop-inspired “Like JENNIE” to the show’s finale “twin,” an acoustic and emotional friendship breakup anthem. Jennie’s pair of solo songs she released prior to 2024 mostly stuck to the pop sound associated with Blackpink. Given the shifting of tempos and genres throughout the album, Thursday night’s show could almost be broken up into sections of experimental songs, classic pop, hype tracks and sentimental moments.
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The Ruby Experience Offered Fans a Cinematic Experience
Ruby, as an album, seems to have been clearly conceived with a vision in mind. The Ruby Experience gave Jennie a chance to immerse fans into that world through the show’s well-produced video segments and stage design and setup. The singer even broadcasted a stream of full-on ending credits to the show that named nearly every member of the team responsible for the show, down to the lawyers.
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The K-Pop Star Was Stylish As Ever
Image Credit: Courtesy of ODDATELIER With the addition or removal of a coat or a quick change here or there, Jennie managed to make each song feel like it had its own unique look with small changes to her style. Unsurprisingly, as the 29-year-old is a frequenter of fashion weeks around the world, all of her looks were spot on.
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The Transition of “Like JENNIE” to “With the IE (Way up)” Perfectly Showcased the Star’s Sweet Spot
“Like JENNIE” certainly brought the crowd to their feet; the reaction alone was enough to understand why Jennie and her label settled on the song as the album’s lead single. The pop star and her crew of dancers then expertly transitioned into the next song, “With an IE (way up),” which in a stroke of incredible wit, features a sample from Jennifer Lopez’s iconic hit, “Jenny from the Block.” The pair of songs worked extremely well back-to-back and showcase Jennie at her most confident.
