Song Review: Jennie (BLACKPINK) – like JENNIE

It’s a big day for new pop releases, with BLACKPINK’s Jennie dropping her first full album at the same time as Lady Gaga unleashes her long-awaited Mayhem. Ruby has been preceded by four tracks, starting with last year’s Mantra. So far, Jennie has harnessed a diverse sound. That grab bag approach continues with the just-released video for new single like JENNIE. Though this is not the official intro to the album, it might as well serve as a mission statement.

At just over two minutes, it’s hard to call like JENNIE a fully-developed song, but its statement of intent is certainly intact. Jennie lets loose over an electronic maelstrom with touches of Brazilian funk. The instrumental is far more engaging than the song, unyielding in its desire to smash you in the face at every turn. The rap verses compliment this arrangement, free-spirited and malleable enough to match the ever-evolving track. This blend of rhythms and confrontational vocals reminds me of M.I.A.’s brief moment in the pop spotlight. That’s a left-field comparison I’m delighted to make in the increasingly risk-averse context of K-pop.

On the other hand, like JENNIE‘s central hook is too cringey to work. I get that it’s supposed to be silly and repetitive, but the phrasing is already a bit predictable so without clever lyrics to offset this structure the whole chorus falls off the rails. As a hurricane-force opener for an eclectic album, the song works well enough. I just think it needs more development to match its potential.

Grade: C