This is not a drill. But BLACKPINK is returning! Just not as a quartet this time around. Instead, it has been confirmed by YG Entertainment that each member will be making their solo debut. Jennie’s solo release kicks off the series of solo debuts for each member with the title track titled appropriately, SOLO. We last heard from BLACKPINK via their smashing hit, DDU-DU DDU-DU.

This is one unique song. And I am really liking it. But before we jump into a shocking in-depth description, I must apologise for my lack of music terminology. This is going to be really hard. I thought the song had a nice minimisalitc vibe, especially in the opening verse. I also like those spaced out tapping (cannot think of the right word here) sounds which give off a classy yet epic vibe. Very ear-catching. I thought the pre-choruses was nailed perfectly. Her vocals just sound so good during this section. The chorus takes a turn and drops that minimalistic vibe. Instead, the aesthetics here are turned up, giving Jennie an opportunity to showcase some dance. I actually enjoyed the ‘SOLO LOLOLO‘ hook. I thought her rapping was on point and very sleek. I was hoping for the final chorus to have more a kick but they maintained the same chorus (with slight changes), which I didn’t mind. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It was different yet so appealing.

So, the message behind the song is confidence. More specifically (and I quote this from SOOMPI): “Many women are in a relationship where they give up a lot of things just to be loved by someone else. But even though they put in a lot of effort, in many cases, it will return to them as pain. The song talks about being free rather than making up a fake version of yourself.” So the video shows two sides of Jennie. The first is showing her as hurt and in pain. The second is confident and strong. And this was rather cool. I liked the way the video was shot, with the cinematography being a major highlight for me. I actually enjoyed her final dance scene with the 20+ backup dancers. Jennie stood out in that crowd but yet the aesthetic of it was just through the roof.

The choreography for this looks amazing. I personally want to see how this would look on stage because the choreography for the first chorus looked more freestyle. But for the second and final choruses, I thought everything looked bold and very charismatic, obviously the exact vibes that Jennie was going for.

Song – 10/10
Music Video – 10/10
Performance – 9/10
Overall Rating – 9.8/10