Jennie’s concert showcases all tracks of first solo album

The concert The Ruby Experience, held on Saturday at Inspire Arena in Incheon, sparkled just like Jennie's first full-length solo album, Ruby, which was released on March 7. It showcased Jennie's multifaceted charm as she moved beyond being a K-pop idol group member to establish herself as a pop icon and solo artist.

During the performance, Jennie presented all 15 tracks from the Ruby album. Following her shows at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on March 6-7 (local time) and at Radio City Music Hall in New York on March 10, this concert continued the journey. While some aspects, such as the relatively short runtime, left room for improvement, the event kept the audience of approximately 9,000 on their feet with excitement throughout.

The dynamic flow of the concert ensured that tension never wavered. In ZEN, a dance track carrying the message of “loving your true self,” Jennie appeared like a warrior in a black power-shoulder jacket. But she quickly transitioned into a smooth R&B groove with Damn Right.

One of the night's highlights was a seamless performance of three consecutive tracks—Like Jennie, with the IE, and ExtraL. The hip-hop-based dance track parade perfectly embodied the artistic direction Jennie pursued in this album. Despite the lack of elaborate stage props, her performance alone was more than enough to captivate the audience. In particular, a sharp Korean rap line from Like Jennie made a strong impression. Meanwhile, her powerful vocals in with the IE resonated throughout the venue.

It wasn’t until she had performed 11 songs that Jennie finally spoke to the audience—overcome with emotion, she expressed her heartfelt gratitude to her fans, even tearing up. However, she quickly regained composure in her signature soft-spoken manner, saying, “I’ll switch back to performance mode now.” She then professionally carried on with the rest of the setlist. The final song, Twin, left a lasting impression. Accompanied solely by a guitar, Jennie delicately conveyed the wistful emotions of missing a dear friend. As the show concluded, she left her fans with a promise: “I will always be Jennie, a good person making good music, so please keep watching over me.”


인천=사지원 4g1@donga.com