Upon release, Ruby received generally favorable reviews from critics, with praise going to Jennie's versatility, performance, and viability as a solo artist, as well as the album's cohesion and experimental nature.
In December 2023, it was announced Jennie had founded her own record label, Odd Atelier, following her departure from YG Entertainment for solo activities.[3] During her guest appearance on The Seasons: Lee Hyo-ri's Red Carpet in January 2024, Jennie revealed her goal was to release a full-length album that year.[4] South Korean news outlets reported in March of the same year she would release a new album in June.[5] Odd Atelier denied the rumors, stating Jennie was currently working on the album with no scheduled release date.[6] Following their April 2024 collaboration "Spot!", South Korean rapper Zico revealed to Billboard he had "the chance to peek at Jennie’s to-be-released solo track demos" and that there were "so many good ones".[7] In May 2024, while attending the Met Gala's Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion, she spoke with Vogue and teased her upcoming album, stating: "I also have a lot more coming with my album, wink, wink."[8] On June 20 of the same year, an advertisement video starring Jennie for the Beats Solo Buds was unveiled, featuring a solo track by her, presumed to be on her upcoming album. In the song, she raps over a trap beat about taking back her narrative and standing up for herself.[9]
In September 2024, it was announced Jennie had signed a recording contract with Columbia Records, in partnership with Odd Atelier.[10] In an October 2024 cover story feature for Harper's Bazaar, she discussed her experience working on the album, sharing she was in the studio going over lyrics and "cutting, cutting, cutting" vocals from "morning to night."[11] The following month, she announced the album would be released in 2025, through a Weverse post.[12] Jennie further teased the album's 2025 release in a holiday greeting video on Christmas Day 2024, stating she had "satisfactory results from 11 months of work" and that it will be "a little bit of everything for everyone. It’s like a buffet for you guys."[13][14] In January 2025, Jennie was featured in a cover story for Billboard, where she discussed her album preparations, stating she was "almost there" in terms of its release.[15]
Composition
Ruby consists of fifteen tracks and features appearances by Childish Gambino, Doechii, Dominic Fike, FKJ, Dua Lipa and Kali Uchis.[16] Jennie recorded the album primarily in English and described it as a way of "bringing myself to the world for the first time".[11] Her intention was to complete herself on the record as "Jennie Ruby Jane, for that to be a whole person", referring to the name of the alter ego she invented when she lived in New Zealand as a child.[15] The album was inspired by William Shakespeare's play As You Like It and carries themes of "birth, love, faith, and pinnacle." Inspired by the play aspect, the cover depicts Jennie opening a theater curtain, which symbolizes the beginning of a new chapter in her musical career.[17] Shakespeare's concept of the seven stages of life from As You Like It resonated with the singer and led her to explore those emotions on the album, ranging from "innocence and love to power, reflection and legacy".[18] She hoped to inspire other young women with the album, with one of its key messages being "to understand and stick [up] for who you are".[11]
Production and music
Following the conclusion of Blackpink's Born Pink World Tour in September 2023, Jennie established her own independent label Odd Atelier in November and began working on the album at the start of 2024. She recorded "99%" of the project in Los Angeles and had to spend time at first building a new creative network and meeting with producers and writers. The artist admitted it took several months of "throwing myself out there, walking into rooms filled with new people" until she came across a "good group of people that I linked with, sonically and as friends". She was able to find her sound and landed on the song "Mantra", which became the album's lead single.[15]
The album has been described by Jennie to span a "range of genres".[11] She utilized a mix of varying vocal styles on the record, stating: "I'm playing with a lot of different genres and elements — I'm rapping here, I'm singing here, I'm harmonizing here, I'm talking here..."[15] Jennie took a hands-on approach to production on the album to "more effectively convey her identity and infinite musical potential."[18]
Promotion and release
On January 21, 2025, Jennie officially announced her debut studio album Ruby for a March 7 release.[16] The announcement was accompanied by the official cover art for the album as well as a 33-second trailer video, which revealed the list of featured artists.[19] A version of the album known as "Jennie Only Audio" was also announced without the featured artists.[20] On January 25, a music video for "Zen" was published on YouTube.[21] Jennie revealed the album tracklist on February 18.[22] She released an album sampler video on February 27 featuring the singer in various visual concepts over snippets of songs from the album.[23] In support of the album, Jennie will perform a three-city run of intimate shows between March 6 and 15, billed as the Ruby Experience.[24] She will also perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 13 and 20.[25]
Singles
"Mantra" was released as the album's lead single on October 11, 2024.[26] The song was commercially successful, peaking at number one in Hong Kong[27] and Taiwan,[28] and numbers two and three, respectively on Billboard'sGlobal Excl. US and Global 200.[29] The song also peaked at number three on South Korea's Circle Digital Chart,[30] and within the top-ten in Indonesia,[31] Malaysia,[32] Philippines,[33] Singapore,[34] and the Middle East.[35] A second single titled "Love Hangover" featuring Fike was released on January 31, 2025,[36] which peaked at number 29 on the Billboard Global 200[37] and number 35 on the Circle Digital Chart.[38] The album's third single, "ExtraL" featuring Doechii, was released on February 21,[39] "Like Jennie" was released as the fourth single alongside the album's release on March 7.[40]
Ruby generally received positive reviews from music critics. The album received a four out of five star rating from NME's Crystal Bell, who lauded Ruby for its showcase of Jennie's charisma, "self-assured" artistic intent, and vocal range.[42]Clash's Maria Leticia Gomes labeled the album as "an exhilarating listen" that expanded Jennie's artistry.[41] Likewise, Maria Sherman of The Associated Press commended the record for its "ambitious and glossy" effort in exploring different facets of Jennie's personality, dubbing Ruby "a kaleidoscope of different sounds [..] full of incongruous, polished pleasures".[44] In a review for Rolling Stone, Maura Johnston scored Ruby three and a half out of five stars, summarizing it as a "fast-moving good time" with its "impressive ability to command" the R&B-pop genre.[43]
Commercial performance
On March 4, 2025, Columbia Records confirmed that Ruby surpassed 450,000 worldwide pre-orders.[45]
Physical versions of the album have an alternate listing order, as well as solo versions of "Handlebars", "ExtraL", "Love Hangover", and "Damn Right".[20]
↑ Lee, Yu-min (January 5, 2024). "'YG 떠난' 제니 "올해 정규앨범 발매 목표" (이효리의 레드카펫)"[Jennie, who 'left YG', "My goal is to release a full album this year" (Lee Hyori's Red Carpet)]. Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). South Korea. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved January 5, 2024.
↑ Ahn, Yoon-ji (March 31, 2024). "블랙핑크 제니, 6월 컴백할까 "확정된 바 없다"[공식]"[Blackpink Jennie, Will She Make a Comeback in June? "Nothing's Confirmed" [Official]]. Star News (in Korean). South Korea. Archived from the original on December 26, 2024. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
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