Biography of Jennie

South Korean singer and rapper Jennie Kim is widely recognized by her stage name, Jennie. Jennie, who was born and raised in South Korea, spent five years in New Zealand for her education before going back to South Korea in 2010. In August 2016, she made her debut as a member of the YG Entertainment, girl group BLACKPINK.

She released her first single as a solo artist, ‘Solo,’ in November 2018. The song was a commercial hit, topping the Gaon Digital Chart and the World Digital Songs chart on Billboard. Under the stage name Jennie Ruby Jane, she will make her acting debut in the 2023 season of the HBO series ‘The Idol’. Since 2018, she has participated in the ‘Protect Our Family’ campaign of the Cheongdam Woori Animal Hospital, which supports the protection of animals and the rescue of stray dogs.

Early Life

On January 16, 1996, Jennie Kim was born as the only child in Cheongdam-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Before relocating to New Zealand, she first attended Cheongdam Elementary School in Seoul. Jennie responded ‘yes’ when her mother asked if she liked New Zealand and wanted to stay; a year later, she was sent to study at Auckland’s Waikowhai Intermediate School and live with a homestay family. In the MBC documentary English, ‘Must Change to Survive’ (2006), she discussed her experience learning a new language. She had a dream of becoming a ballet dancer when she was young. She enrolled in ACG Parnell College after completing intermediate classes.

While visiting New Zealand, she became interested in the music of YG Entertainment and was introduced to K-pop. At the age of 14, her mother intended to relocate her to Florida in the United States so that she could continue her studies to become a lawyer or teacher. She disliked the idea, though, and was worried about living alone and not being able to find work she liked. She returned to South Korea in 2010 to resume her studies at Cheongdam Middle School with the support of her family. In the same year, Jennie submitted a ‘Take a Bow’ by Rihanna audition for YG Entertainment, and she was accepted as a trainee.

She started out as a singer, but the company decided she should embrace the role of a rapper because most of the songs she covered contained raps and because she was the only trainee at the time who could speak English fluently in addition to her native Korean.She also has a basic understanding of Japanese and has studied French.

Career

Jennie was introduced via a photo with the caption ‘Who’s that girl?’ on April 10, 2012, on the YG Entertainment official blog. Netizens took an interest in her picture, and soon ‘Mystery Girl’ was the most popular search term on portal websites. On August 30, YG Entertainment published a YouTube video titled ‘YG Trainee – Jennie Kim’ through their blog, in which she performed a cover of B.o.’Strange B.’s Clouds’ with Lil Wayne. As the lead actress in G-Dragon’s music video for ‘That XX’ from his extended play ‘One of a Kind’, Jennie made her first public appearance.

On January 21, 2013, a new video titled ‘Jennie Kim – YG New Artist’ was released. It featured the singer performing a cover of rapper Wale’s song ‘Lotus Flower Bomb.’ She was a guest on the B-side song, ‘Special,’ from Lee Hi’s debut album, First Love. She appeared on the B-side song ‘GG Be’ from Seungri’s extended play Let’s Talk About Love. She also appeared in the B-side song ‘Black’ by G-Dragon. She made her debut on stage with G-Dragon on SBS’s Inkigayo.

Jennie was the first member of YG Entertainment’s most recent girl group, which debuted on June 1, 2016, seven years after the disbandment of 2NE1. Along with Kim Jisoo, Roseanne Park, and Lalisa Manobal, she made her debut as a member of BLACKPINK on August 8, 2016, when their single album Square One and the double A-side singles ‘Boombayah’ and ‘Whistle’ were released. Jisoo, another member of the band, claims that Jennie handled the group’s general responsibilities and decision-making. In her six-year account of her training with V Live, Jennie stated that every month, a group, dance, and solo song were performed for the label’s CEO, producers, and artists to watch and assess the trainees’ progress.

Rising Popularity, Solo Debut and Acting Debut of Jennie

In July 2018, Jisoo, a member of BLACKPINK, and Jennie appeared together in Running Man. In South Korea, a video of her sobbing after experiencing a horror room with Lee Kwang-soo gained over one million views on one website and over three million views overall across various platforms, VODs, and social media. After being spotted on Running Man, she was subsequently chosen as one of the best variety stars of 2018. She came first among candidates for casting and received several offers from various variety shows. Jennie was officially confirmed to join the cast of SBS’s new variety show Village Survival, the Eight.

The official announcement of Jennie’s solo debut was made in the middle of October 2018. It was revealed she would release a single album titled Solo with a lead single of the same name after a series of promotional teasers. In the midst of planning for her debut, it was decided that her single ‘Solo’ would be previewed in Seoul as part of BLACKPINK’s In Your Area tour before going on sale two days later. This ‘hip hop track with pop elements’ was written for Jennie to showcase both her ‘delicate girl’ and ‘independent woman’ sides.

When it was first released, ‘Solo’ debuted at the top of the Gaon Music Chart and won the triple crown by simultaneously dominating the domestic download, streaming, and digital charts. As soon as ‘Solo’ received the KMCA’s platinum certification for streaming, it went on to win the Song of the Year prize at the eighth Gaon Chart Music Awards and the Digital Bonsang prize at the 34th Golden Disc Awards.

‘Solo’ was the number-one song on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart abroad and the New York Times playlist included it. When it was first released, the music video for ‘Solo’ broke the record for most YouTube views in a day by a female Korean solo artist. In the first six months after her release, Jennie became the first and only female Korean solo artist to surpass 300 million views on the platform. As the broadcasters postponed her first solo performance on SBS’s Inkigayo and MBC Show! Music Core due to the cancellation of all scheduled performances that week, YG Entertainment uploaded choreography videos of the song for fans on YouTube.

On Inkigayo, Jennie won her first music contest as a solo performer. She performed at Coachella for the first time as a solo Korean artist in April 2019. Her performance was hailed as ‘mind-blowing’ and ‘stunning’ by Billboard, who included it in their list of ‘The 10 Best Things We Saw at Coachella 2019.’ BLACKPINK’s third single from its debut studio album, The Album, ‘Lovesick Girls,’ which was released on October 2, 2020, was co-written by Jennie.

She debuted a new solo song titled ‘You & Me’ during BLACKPINK’s Born Pink World Tour, which kicked off in October 2022. It was revealed in 2022 that Jennie would make her acting debut in the HBO television series The Idol, by the stage name Jennie Ruby Jane. It was created by The Weeknd, Reza Fahim, and Sam Levinson.

Artistry

Influences on Jennie

Jennie studied the work of rappers she admired and respected, like Lauryn Hill and TLC, before she started rapping. Rihanna was named Jennie’s main musical inspiration and role model. She listened to musicians like Lana Del Rey, Billie Eilish, Harry Hudson, H.E.R., and Kacey Musgraves while she was working on BLACKPINK’s The Album. She was prepared for her solo debut by vocal trainer Shin Yoo-mi, who worked with BLACKPINK for six years prior to their debut. Jennie was described as a multi-player with lyrical writing, singing, and rapping skills by Shin in an interview.

Fashion

When Jennie was a young girl, she started perusing fashion magazines and observing various clothing trends. Her mother inspired her in fashion.  She planned and styled her own wardrobe for her solo debut and created more than 20 outfits for the ‘Solo’ music video. Jennie has a strong and stylish stage presence, but her off-stage personality is defined by a cute reversal charm. In particular, when she is around strangers, she describes herself as ‘quiet’ and ‘shy.’

Influence

Jennie, who helped shape BLACKPINK’s fashion image, has earned the nicknames ‘Human Chanel’ and ‘Human Gucci.’ Her fashion collection includes niche brands like Marine Serre and Richard Quinn in addition to Gucci and Saint Laurent. She was invited to fashion events like Prada’s Comics Collection Launch Party, Chanel’s Mademoiselle Privé exhibition, and Anthony Vaccarello’s Summer 17 Collection Launch Party. Chanel selected her as the House Ambassador due to her widespread commercial influence.

In April 2017, she appeared on the cover of Dazed Korea and appeared in a solo photo editorial. It was said that Jennie’s ‘elegant’ and ‘luxurious’ atmosphere inspired Boucheron to increase their emphasis on image marketing. She was the first Korean celebrity to serve as a model for the 160-year-old luxury jewellery company Boucheron Paris. The pictorial was published in the upscale membership publication Heren in 2017, and it was called ‘art that embodies light.’ Since then, Jennie has made numerous fashion magazine covers, including those for Dazed, Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, Marie Claire, High Cut, Cosmopolitan, W, Vogue, Wonderland, and Billboard.

Being consistently ranked first on the Korean Business Research Institute’s monthly ‘Individual Girl Group Members Brand Power Ranking she is renowned for her brand recognition and marketing prowess. Her social media posts frequently make news headlines, and the things she shares become popular. In Gallup Korea’s annual survey of 1,501 Korean male and female respondents between the ages of 13 and 29, Jennie received 12.2% of the votes and came in second place. Based on the quantity of views and likes for her Instagram stories and posts in 2018, Instagram named Jennie’s account the ‘Most Loved Account of 2018’ in South Korea.

Forbes acknowledged that Jennie has been ‘gaining a new foothold in Korea’s beauty trends’ and cited it as one of the reasons why BLACKPINK topped Forbes Korea Power Celebrity in April 2019. According to Google’s mid-year chart, she was the most-searched female K-pop idol of the year. In a poll of South Korean soldiers completing their mandatory military service, Jennie was ranked as the seventh most well-liked female K-pop idol. She outperformed her bandmates in the 2019 Gallup Korea music poll, which ranked her as South Korea’s eighth most popular idol.

She was chosen as the sixth most all-around idol in August 2021 due to her abilities in songwriting, dancing, and singing. Jennie became the first person from Korea to reach 50 million Instagram followers. Despite only appearing in five advertisements in 2021, she was sixth in the list of celebrities with the highest earnings from endorsements, according to a report by Osen.

It was announced on February 23, 2022, the day after the launch of her Jentle Garden app,  it had surpassed the social media platform TikTok to take the top spot in the ‘popularity’ category of the Korean App Store. The number of views on the YG Family’s ‘Fifteen Nights on a Business Trip 2’ video, which features Jennie as a special guest, has surpassed 10 million as of March 2022. Her attire gained attention online, leading to search terms on portal websites.

Endorsements

Due to her ‘elegant and luxurious’ appearance, Jennie was chosen as the face of Hera in 2019, a South Korean luxury beauty brand owned by Amore Pacific. Sales of Hera’s Red Vibe lip series, which was featured in her first lip campaign with Jennie, increased five times over those of her previous lip product. They acquired the name ‘Jennie’s lipsticks’ as a result of their rising fame. With Jennie serving as their international ambassador, Hera debuted their Rouge Holic line on Amazon in April 2021. Hera’s Silky Stay Foundation was promoted by her in April 2022.

In February 2020, she was chosen by KT Corporation, the biggest phone company in South Korea, to be the model for the Samsung Galaxy S20 Aura Red and Blue, respectively. The ‘Jennie Red’ product was introduced exclusively to KT customers in South Korea. Jennie was revealed by Lotte Confectionery as the brand ambassador for their newest snack, Air Baked, on June 11, 2020. She was named the face of Chum Churum, a soju brand owned by Lotte Corporation, on February 2, 2021.

She started serving as the face of the vitamin drink company Kwangdong Vita500’s advertisements on March 8. On April 8, the international nail brand Dashing Diva unveiled Jennie as their new brand face. She started working as a model on August 17 for the Ace Bed mattress and bed company in South Korea. She was named the brand ambassador for Lotte Soonhari’s soju in August 2022. She started working as a model in September 2022 for the Tamburins perfume company in South Korea.

Fashion

As the brand’s new muse, Jennie shot her first editorial for the company with Harper’s Bazaar Korea in January 2018. In June, she was appointed Chanel Korea’s ambassador. According to a Chanel Korea spokesperson, Jennie’s devotion to the company and her fashionable sense fit with Chanel’s image as the company targets young millennials in addition to its current clientele. She was present at the Les Eaux De Chanel fragrance launch in Deauville, France.

She had a briefing with Olivier Polge, the in-house perfume maker at Chanel, conducted an interview with him, and worked with Cosmopolitan Korea to photograph his latest fragrance collection. She was appointed as Chanel’s global ambassador. During Paris Fashion Week, she attended her first Chanel fashion show as a Korean representative, sitting in the front row next to Pharrell Williams and Pamela Anderson.

On September 23, 2021, she was chosen by Dutch photographers Inez and Vinoodh to represent Chanel’s Coco Neige 2021–22 campaign. For the March 2021 issue of Vogue Korea, Jennie worked as one of the fashion editors. She participated in photo shoots as a planner, according to the magazine, and assisted in selecting the concept, hair and makeup ideas, and styling.

Collaborations

It was revealed on April 15, 2020, that Jennie had worked with Gentle Monster, a South Korean luxury eyewear company, to create the ‘Jentle Home’ collection, which was inspired by her childhood memories. In Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Gentle Monster and Jennie launched a pop-up shop with a dollhouse theme in May 2020. The mobile game Jentle Garden, the second product of Gentle Monster’s partnership with Jennie, was unveiled on February 18, 2022, and went on sale on February 22 in the Google Play Store and the App Store.

The third project between her and Gentle Monster, a line of glasses dubbed ‘Jentle Garden,’ was made public on March 10, 2022. In Seoul’s Gangnam-gu neighbourhood, Jennie and Gentle Monster debuted a pop-up shop with a fantasy world theme. Lesyeuxdenini, a limited edition line of eyewear designed by her and Gentle Monster, was released in April 2022 and was only sold at the company’s flagship location in Los Angeles. The leather packaging and flower keychain for the collection were also created by Jennie.

On October 12, 2022, news was released that she had partnered with the German automaker Porsche and had participated in the design of a personal vehicle for herself, Jennie Ruby Jane, based on the Taycan 4S Cross Turismo.

Networth and Lifestyle

Jennie’s net worth is estimated to be around $20 million by Celebrity Net Worth. According to a number of sources, BLACKPINK’s members receive equal pay for both the music they release and the live performances they give as a group. However, because of their various brand deals, the members’ net worths do vary.

In addition to representing BLACKPINK’s music and live performances, she has worked with sunglasses manufacturer Gentle Monster and served as a brand ambassador for Chanel, Hera, and other companies. In 2018, the rapper and singer released ‘Solo,’ her debut single.

Interesting Facts about Jennie

1. In the group, Jennie is referred to as ‘the YG princess’.
2. Her cheeks resembled dumplings, and in Korea, a dumpling is called a ‘Mandu,’ so she was known as ‘mandukie’.
3. Ice cream with a milk flavour is Jennie’s favourite.
4. On ‘The 100 Most Beautiful Faces Of 2017,’ Jennie ranked 18.
5. Jennie can play the piano and the flute.
6. In addition to endorsing KTcorp, Calvin Klein Jeans, Gentle Monster, and Chanel House, she also serves as the global ambassador for Hera Muse.

7. Fans consider her to be a member of BLACKPINK who always looks stylishly on-trend.

   

Awards

• Brand of the Year Awards 2022
  Advertising Model of the Year – Female (2022)
• Weibo Starlight Awards 2021
  Starlight Hall of Fame (Korea) (2021)
  
• Gaon Chart Music Awards 2019
  Song of the Year – November – “Solo” (2019)
• Golden Disc Awards 2019
  Best Digital Song (Bonsang) – “Solo” (2019)
• Philippine K-pop Awards 2018
  Best Female Solo Artist (2018)

FAQs

1. Is Jennie dating someone?
   BLACKPINK’s Jennie is currently not dating anyone and is single.
2. When is Jennie’s birthday?
   Jennie celebrates her birthday on January 16th.
3. What is Jennie’s Instagram ID?
   ‘jennierubyjane‘ is Jennie’s Instagram ID with 73.2 million followers.
4. What are Jennie’s favourite colours?
   Her favorite colors are black and pink.
5. Does Jennie have any pets?
   Yes, she has 2 puppies, Kai and Kuma.