Without a hugely popular HBO vacation-murder show to lean on, Jennie of Blackpink arguably had the harder job of her band’s two solo shows this weekend.
So it’s huge credit to her that she absolutely packed the Outdoor Theater for a set that went way beyond clubby pop, and showcased the genre twists and regal ballads that her solo career finally makes room for.
There’s no competition between her and bandmate Lisa at this festival, and K-Pop fans will surely have some pointed words if one is ever implied. So note: The two have comparable chart histories as solo artists and were given equally prominent slots this weekend—a strong vouch from Coachella that their solo stardoms stand distinct.
Jennie’s LP “Ruby” was touted as an uncommonly candid record leaning out of the strict K-Pop clampdown. Even if it didn’t quite shock or reveal too much in the end, it did make a powerful case for Jennie as a hugely rangy vocalist who swings through throwback R&B, clattering modern club music, vintage belters and misty atmospheres with grace.
But rather than lean into the limber, exultant club music native to the Sahara tent, Jennie and her very-present live band spent a lot of her set in a Lauryn Hill-adjacent lane, like on “With the IE (way up),” which sampled Jennifer Lopez’s millennial classic about essential Jenny-dom. She brought out Kali Uchis for “Damn Right,” swapping verses across cultures with an equal reverence for the song’s incandescent soul mood.
She sounded great belting “Handlebars” and sassing on “Mantra,” and while it’s not news that she’s an incredibly precise live performer, she covered a ton of ground as a dancer while singing this demanding live material with panache.
By the time she got to closers “Like Jennie” (an exercise in self-branding so comprehensive it becomes almost avant grade) and the ravey “Starlight,” which could have held its own with Charli XCX last night, she’d proved she could do pretty much anything as a solo act. Blackpink has a US stadium tour coming up, but for now, let’s relish these bracing, deeper dives into what else they’re capable of as individuals.
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