JENNIE

As one of the founding members of BlackPink, South Korean vocalist Jennie Kim made a quick rise to the top of the charts with the K-pop quartet before breaking records on her own as a solo artist. Stylistically influenced by singers such as Rihanna, she scored her first hit with the aptly titled 2018 single "SOLO," which made JENNIE the first solo K-pop female artist to top the Billboard World Digital chart. She had another hit outside of BlackPink with the affectionate dance-pop song "You & Me" in 2023.

Born Kim Je-ni in Seoul in 1996, she was educated in New Zealand before returning to her home country to audition for YG Entertainment. During her training, she worked with Lee Hi, G-Dragon, and Seungri before making her 2016 debut as a member of BlackPink. The group's dance-friendly blend of hip-hop and pop helped push them to the top of the Korean and U.S. World charts. By 2018, they were the highest-charting female K-pop act on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, buoyed by the success of single "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du" from their debut EP, Square Up. Soon after, Kim released her debut single, "SOLO," which was an immediate hit across the globe, topping charts in Korea and the U.S. while performing well in Canada and across Asia.

Kim refocused on BlackPink before resurfacing as a soloist in June 2023 with the collaborative single "One of the Girls" by Canadian superstar the Weeknd with JENNIE and French-American actress/singer Lily-Rose Depp. The song was included on the soundtrack EP The Idol Episode 4 from the HBO series starring Depp. JENNIE's first solo single in five years, "You & Me," followed in October 2023. The romantic dance-pop track charted internationally, including landing in the Top Five of Korea's Circle Digital Chart and the Top Ten of Billboard's Global 200 list. ~ Neil Z. Yeung