Jennie Kim’s debut album, Ruby, far exceeds expectations and cements itself as the best Western debut from a K-Pop artist ever.
After some rather mediocre releases by her fellow Blackpink members, Jennie comes out on top in terms of musicality. Her album is the most versatile among these efforts, and it provides a better expression of who she is as a musician and a person.
The songs on Ruby range from soft R&B to confident pop jams. There are six well-placed collaborations with notable artists such as Childish Gambino, Kali Uchis, and Dua Lipa.
The first single, “Love Hangover,” featuring Dominic Fike, served as a perfect trailer for the album. The song is about continuously returning to a toxic relationship, despite knowing it will cause pain.
The first two songs showcase the versatility of the album, with “Intro: Jane with FKJ” starting off with a whimsical tone and then “Like Jennie” drastically shifting it to an edgier sound. The latter song is a self-love anthem in response to all the hate she’s received over the years. Despite its simple lyrics, Jennie’s confidence and the hype production make the song memorable. The dance has become a TikTok trend.
The rest of the album follows this pattern, alternating between themes of love and empowerment.
Her worst song is “Twin” because, despite her vulnerable lyricism, the acoustic guitar vibe feels out of place amongst the production-heavy songs.
The collaborations in Ruby are hit-or-miss, but most succeed. Kali Uchis and Jennie’s voices specifically blend perfectly with each other in their song with Childish Gambino. The song is reminiscent of her first Western collaboration with The Weeknd and Lily Rose Depp, “One of the Girls.”
On the contrary, “ExtraL” with Doechii does not do Jennie any favors, as the established rapper far outperformed her in terms of rap and stage presence. Otherwise, her chameleon-like voice effortlessly harmonizes with almost all her collaborators.
With such a near-perfect debut album, Jennie is sure to further her influence on the Western music scene with her versatile style.
