BLACKPINK's Jennie has ignited excitement about her solo comeback by dropping the music video for "Zen," one of the b-sides for her upcoming first album, Ruby, set for release on March 7.
In striking contrast to her previous hit, "Mantra," which focuses on dance and fashion, "Zen" boasts an overwhelming sense of immersion with its extraordinary scale and sensual, arthouse-inspired visuals.
Upon its launch, "Zen," unveiled on January 24, swiftly landed at the top of YouTube's Worldwide Trending list and ranked as one of the Most Popular Videos in the music category.
As of writing, it has impressively garnered 10 million views, about three days since its debut.
READ ALSO: Jennie Talks Alter Egos, Perfectionism, and Finding Her New Sound: 'I Want To Say I'm Almost There'
Amid the rave reviews celebrating Jennie's impact as a soloist, some critics began to hurl accusations at the BLACKPINK member of copying another global artist's release, XG's "Howling."
BREAKING 🚨
— . (@KPOP_FLOP_) January 25, 2025
Netizens claims that #JENNIE is copying #XG's 'Howling' MV pic.twitter.com/AgCj2Qv1dS
A closer analysis of the two MVs reveals that Jennie and XG's releases give off a similar vibe, and even their outfits and overall aesthetic mirror one another.
However, when Jennie became the target of hate, BLINKs immediately jumped to her defense by explaining that the reason the music videos seem similar is because the two artists share the same director, the acclaimed photographer Cho Gi Seok.
In addition to his work with XG and Jennie, Cho has collaborated with numerous K-pop artists, such as Rain, LE SSERAFIM, and Red Velvet, among others.
Because of his signature style, it's possible to have overlapping frames, but the similarities in the videos are not an indication of plagiarism.
JENNIE DID NOT COPY XG ‼️
— ʟᴜɪ́ᴢᴀ ʟᴏᴠᴇs xɢ 🐺 (@luizatheworld) January 25, 2025
ALPHAZ & OTHER FANDOMS DO NOT ENGAGE IN RAGEBAIT
choi gi seok (MV director) artistry and trademark are presented through his music videos, it's his intellectual property
csg is self referencing and he has the right to do so cause it's>HIS< work https://t.co/Tu1UCHLwf3
People saying Jennie is copying XG Howling IM ACTUALLY CRYING….It’s the same director so you shouldn’t really be surprised if there are a few similarities like😭But saying Jennie copies XG while she can buy the whole group is just crazy work pic.twitter.com/BwoiSwBEby
— real minho seeing ateez (@mstfull) January 25, 2025
XG - Princess Mononoke
— furit e u m e (@furi_teuctzen) January 27, 2025
JENNIE - Legend of the Guardians
Same visuals because they have the same director, but not the same parallels. People should look into the details more. I see different symbolisms, girl.
Meanwhile, Jennie will release her first studio album, Ruby, on March 7 under Odd Atelier and Columbia Records. The album will consist of 15 songs, including "Mantra," "Zen," and "Love Hangover," which will be pre-released on January 31.
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