BLACKPINK Jennie's newfound freedom is both a curse and a blessing in disguise. After breaking her solo contract with YG Entertainment and forming her agency, ODD ATELIER (OA), the singer found herself with hardly any spare time on her hands as she pursues a second solo album and of course, being Head Boss at her new company.
In an interview with Billboard, the superstar dished on the makings of her upcoming solo album (title yet undisclosed), which she revealed she'd been brainstorming for quite a minute.
Jennie explained that she'd set her sights on bigger dreams ahead with the conclusion of BLACKPINK's last tour in 2023.
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"I couldn't stop myself from starting to plan ahead, I'm just like that," she said to Billboard.
"I listed out the things that I want in my life and started pinpointing, or prioritizing, what's my very next step. And instantly, I was like, 'I still haven't accomplished the dream of releasing a solo album.' I wanted to satisfy myself by achieving that goal."
The singer, a self-claimed perfectionist, revealed that the creation of her upcoming album has been a painstaking process, as she agonizes over the details of "Mantra," the lead single off the album.
"It's been a long process because American artists, they usually take a few years to make one album, but we have time limitations because [this year] she's got to go back into Blackpink activities again," explained Alison Chang, OA's head of global business.
"She really wanted to show her artistry through this album, and in the beginning, we were meeting producers and writers who she didn't really match with. I think finding her sound throughout this process was kind of hard, and landing with 'Mantra,' that took a very long time. Just finding that first perfect single to let the world know this is the start of her solo career."
As for the rest of the album, slated to release in 2025, Jennie explains that while she can't reveal any explicit details, the project taps into her new sense of independence and perfectionist tendencies as she evolves into her alter-ego, Ruby Jane.
"It's not nice to be someone who's always like, 'I'm sorry, I can't say anything,'" she says, almost apologetically.
"I want to say I'm almost there. I'm just going to say, 'I don't do well with time.'"
As a peace offering to anticipatory fans, Jennie reveals that they'll see her grow into a "whole person."
"I intend to complete myself as Jennie Ruby-Jane, for that to be a whole person, in a way," she said. "You'll definitely know what I mean once the album drops, but because 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 ... The overall sound was me making sure I like every single [song].
"I didn't want to be forced into putting a song onto my album — that's what I really fought for, she continued. "And I was lucky to have all these people believe in me and support me so I could get to a level where we were like, 'Wow. I think we're ready.'"
