[Review] Mantra – JENNIE (BLACKPINK)

Through my review of ROSÉ and Bruno Mars’ APT. collaboration last week, I mentioned the BLACKPINK members have been making solo comebacks this year and that I would return to cover them on the blog. It is time to pick up JENNIE’s solo comeback with Mantra, which I have been revisiting a lot in the past week.

Mantra was released almost three weeks ago, and I didn’t care much when it was first released. This may be because I didn’t catch wind of JENNIE’s solo comeback until after Mantra dropped, and I was busy figuring out how I missed that piece of news. But almost three weeks later, Mantra had grown on me thanks to its repetitiveness. The way Mantra‘s chorus was set up and its spoken delivery was quite earwormy and catchy, making it memorable and addictive. It also helped that the chorus was a big chunk of the song, re-emphasising and laying the chorus thickly on the listener. There was no escaping the chorus. As for the rest of Mantra, things were not as memorable. While we get two verses and a pre-chorus in Mantra, you simply don’t remember much from these parts. They felt very brief, and Mantra‘s short length doesn’t allow JENNIE to revisit or explore these segments further. Some of it had intriguing delivery, which I find myself torn about. It was interesting in one sense but not great in another. Overall, Mantra‘s chorus was definitely the focal and standout point of the song, and I have been revisiting it more recently to enjoy it.

I hope the video’s opening pays homage to that classic scene from Rush Hour, where Soo Young is singing in the backseat of the chauffeur’s car before she is kidnapped. I love it! Personally, that is the most memorable part of the video for me. But aside from that opening, the music video also showcases JENNIE in a sexy summer way. Of all the looks in the video, I like all but the blonde bob (the one she dons while in the kiddy pool). The video is also has a lot of choreography scenes.

I really liked the energy she brought to the performance. It was sexy and fun. The former speaks to JENNIE’s appeal, while the latter indicates the track’s upbeatness and dynamism. There was a certain point in her career when she was accused of being a lazy performer, but everything in this routine points to the contrary.

Song – 7/10
Music Video – 8/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 7.7/10