A day in the life of Jennie on tour

It’s soundcheck and we’re in the green room at New York City’s famed Radio City Music Hall with Jennie Kim. She’s listening to the first track on her debut album Ruby, “Intro: Jane with FKJ,” to calm her nerves. You may be wondering why the pop star who’s already reached global recognition might be nervous about performing, but it’s her first tour without her Blackpink members. To make sure she puts on the best performance, she’s trying to remain as chill as possible. “This is my third show [for the album],” says Jennie. “The rituals are coming together, but for me, it’s about feeling good, my body being healthy, and doing things to take care of myself before I go on stage.” She’s a bit groggy when we speak, having only gotten a few hours of sleep on the flight from LA, where she performed for two nights in a row at Peacock Theatre. Nonetheless, the singer shows up in a stylish fit, dressed in an oversized jacket and a Chanel beanie—fitting given that the K-pop sensation is a longtime Chanel ambassador and the newest face of the Chanel 25 handbag.

The 29-year-old singer first rose to fame in 2016 as a member of the K-pop sensation, Blackpink. An instant fan favourite, she struck out on her own two years later and, in 2019, was named an official Chanel ambassador by the late Karl Lagerfeld. Jennie’s superstardom was so evident that she soon became known as Korea’s “sell-out queen”—in a good way. Anything Jennie touches, wears, or holds will likely sell out instantly, no matter the price tag.

Usually, in early March, you’ll find Jennie in Paris at fittings ahead of Chanel’s fall ready-to-wear show. But this season was different. For the first time during her ambassadorship, rather than sitting in the front row at the Grand Palais, she’s in New York City. “It feels weird for sure,” she says, settling into the green room. “It’s the first show in a very long time I’ll be missing.” The trade-off, though, marks a major moment in her career. “There [are] so many emotions, but getting to hold my first show for the first time in LA meant so much to me,” she says. “I spent a lot of time out there working on this album, so it was really special. And it was my first theatre show.” Though Jennie is used to performing in sold-out stadiums and headlining music festivals, she admits that she gets just as nervous in front of smaller audiences. That’s where her pre-show rituals come in.

After signing a few autographs and posing for selfies with the fans that greeted her outside (she prefers the left side of her face), the singer prefers to be alone with an intimate group that includes her best friend and head of business at her label Odd Atelier, Allison Chang. Having worked with Jennie since her early days in Blackpink, the small team goes wherever she goes—from Paris to LA to New York—and is often on the road with her for months on end at a time.

Though Jennie has been the subject of countless photoshoots, the singer is quite camera shy. She has an on-the-road photographer, Choey, documenting every moment throughout the tour—but she still asks our team for tips on how to pose. After a few shots, her years of modelling experience becomes evident, and the star begins posing without direction, later directing a camcorder video for Vogue.

After a few make-up touchups, Jennie is ready to go to rehearsal. The VIPS who got early access to watch came holding signs and lightsticks, eager to watch the singer live for the first time since 2023. The energy starts off calm and slow, with most sitting to enjoy the moment, just as Jennie was earlier in the day. But by the time she gets to the fourth song ‘Handlebars’, the tension begins to peak.

The Ruby Experience may be a one-woman show in the sense that it’s just Jennie and her dancers performing live—without special appearances from any of her buzzy collaborators like Dua Lipa, Childish Gambino, or Doechii—but Jennie doesn’t need any of that extra glitz. Her mere presence alone is enough to electrify the theatre and eventually get fans jumping and on their feet.