Mantra

By Jennie

Natalie Kiconco

In light of the decade’s ever growing “Girl-pocalypse”—the resurgence of bows everywhere, 2022’s “Barbie”, and the phrase “I’m just a girl!”—Jennie’s new single “Mantra” arrives at the perfect time. 

As one of K-pop’s certified IT girls, Jennie Kim is the perfect person to expose listeners to the mantra of a “pretty girl” on her latest solo project. In between lyrics that are playful bordering on unserious (“My clothes are pajamas!”), the song dips a toe into the criticisms women in the spotlight face. The topic of much discussion—positive and negative—since her 2016 debut in the girl group Blackpink, Jennie isn’t a stranger to scrutiny. Nevertheless, as her lyrics suggest, she’s managed to rise past it all because it’s simply “not that deep”.

During its first verse, “Mantra”’s production doesn't stray far from the punchy sounds reminiscent of a Blackpink release, as Jennie both sings and raps about themes of self-love and acceptance. However, it does end up deviating from the usual melodies Jennie’s listeners have come to expect from her. It’s specifically during the stripped down pre–chorus, which sounds like the audio equivalent of a Victoria Secret fashion show, that the song veers from a Blackpink production. Such parts of the song, which are unfortunately too few (most likely due to the song’s short run time of 2:16), expose listeners to the potential Jennie has as a solo artist. Jennie is clearly out to make music unlike anything she has released before, leaving fans of Blackpink and Kpop with much to anticipate.