Jennie, the BLACKPINK superstar, has revealed an impressive lineup of collaborators for her debut solo album, Ruby, which drops on March 7.
The highly anticipated album features contributions from global stars Dua Lipa, Doechii, Childish Gambino, Dominic Fike, FKJ, and Kali Uchis, as teased in the official trailer for the project.
Jennie, 29, is releasing Ruby through her own label, Odd Atelier, in partnership with Columbia Records. Fans got their first taste of her solo venture with the October release of the single “Mantra,” but Jennie has hinted that the album will explore a wide range of sounds.
In a social media post, the K-pop sensation shared:
“My album is going to sound very different. My next single is going to sound very different from ‘Mantra.’ I feel like every step is going to be different …
"My hope with my album is that the world gets to see Jennie and her music as it is. Like, I wouldn’t even be mad if you hate it. There’s a little bit of everything for everyone. It’s like a buffet for you guys.”
In an interview with Billboard, Jennie opened up about the challenges of recording the album in Los Angeles, where she initially struggled to adapt to a new environment and unfamiliar collaborators.
“[Recording in Los Angeles was] very intentionally done,” she explained. “I just really wanted to throw myself out there to experience it.
"[In Seoul], I was so comforted in an easy environment that I created a long time ago, and I didn’t enjoy it. I was like, ‘No, if this is your career and if this is your life, explore and learn.’ I kept telling myself that.
“I struggled a lot in the beginning. A few months, I would say, was just me throwing myself out there, walking into rooms filled with new people. I just had to keep knocking on the door, like, ‘Is this it?’ ‘Is this it?’ and then eventually, we got to a point where I found a good group of people that I linked with, sonically and as friends.”
The complete tracklist for Ruby has yet to be announced, but the album is already shaping up to be one of the year’s most exciting musical releases.
