It starts with a promise. A wind of the music box and there you have her: Jane, or in this case, Jennie Ruby Jane, twirling her way in to present us with something new. The familiar moniker—which belongs to It girl Jennie Kim—steps into the limelight today, as the South Korean starlet drops her first solo studio album, aptly titled Ruby. And with 15 tracks on the coin? The pretty girls are sure to have a load of fun.
Right from the get go, we knew this album was coming stacked. Featuring some of the industry’s hottest names—and we’re talking the likes of Swamp Princess Doechii, pop icon Dua Lipa, and the hypnotising Kali Uchis—it’s a hard record to overlook as a whole. Ruby starts with ‘Intro: Jane with FKJ’, a twinkling introduction to the rest of her album written by French multi-instrumentalist FKJ. His mesmerising electronics undeniably creates a lulling melody that invites you in, and it’s a witty way to introduce ‘Jane’, who is both Jennie and yet a possible reference to a different side of her—and the first hint as to how Ruby is Jennie’s exploration into very different soundscapes from her usual playing field.
Her knack for experimenting in the studio is on full display. Especially if we’re uncovering songs like her lover anthem ‘Love Hangover’ featuring Dominic Fike, a gliding ‘70s-inspired production which pairs fantastically with Jennie’s floaty voice. Or the other shocker of a pre-release, ‘Zen’, that despite its animalistic confidence, is a masterclass in tight and tenacious production; its controlled use of distorted sound wilfully creating some seriously addictive verve. Some have even deemed it a hazy nod to one of Jennie’s biggest musical influences and a queen in her own league: Rihanna.
True enough, that very R&B-meets-pop sentiment is something that floats all throughout Ruby. As mentioned before, the album benefits from some stellar features, and Jennie’s track with Childish Gambino and Kali Uchis, ‘Damn Right’ is most telling of this. Ruby’s tenth track balances out the triptych with a sensual touch of R&B magic. It’s stylish, smooth on the vocals, and is an ethereal package that showcases all three of their strengths. More importantly, compared to the fearsome ‘ExtraL’ with Doechii or even the clear radio hit that is ‘Handlebars’ with Dua Lipa, Jennie glows from her own corner, without being overshadowed by her collaborators.
Yet she makes up for it plenty in the rest of the album. Whilst the bodacious ‘like Jennie’ carries over its K-pop influences—with its big, bombastic moves and full bragging rights—it’s also the only track to have Jennie rap a whole verse in Korean, which is a welcome nod to her Blackpink roots. There’s also ‘F.T.S’ where she pairs lyrics of “fxxx that shit, flip the switch” with a thumping, rousing beat; an auditory picture of some deep-seated resentment for her life in the public eye. Meanwhile, ‘Seoul City’ feels very much like the underdog of the album, with its cinematic synths and layered tonality that sends one into a moody trance. There’s also plenty to be said about ‘twin’, which scores points for its acutely emotional lyrics, stripped-down production—and the curious way in which she chooses to end Ruby off with it.
The fact of the matter is that Jennie’s debut album—which was largely self-written—is an audacious first step in a very right direction for the starlet. On this newfound solo path, she’s creating a sound she can truly call her own, and her musical artistry can only grow from here. So whilst some tracks might feel a little more singular and barring the album from a full flourish, Ruby certainly knows how to keep us curious. You can consider us intrigued.
Listen to Ruby here.
