BLACKPINK’s Jennie Directly Mentions the Passive Smoking Scandal and Her Ex-Boyfriends in Her New Song
At midnight on March 7, Jennie’s highly anticipated first full album, “RUBY,” was officially released. Just 14 hours after its release, the music video for the title track “like JENNIE” surpassed 1 million views on YouTube within only an hour, generating massive attention.
In “like JENNIE,” Jennie confidently expresses self-love despite being aware of public criticism and scrutiny. In the chorus, she declares, “I think I really like JENNIE/ Haters, they don’t really like JENNIE/ ‘Cause they could never ever be JENNIE/ But have you ever met JENNIE, JENNIE, JENNIE, JENNIE?” In the second verse, she sings, “They criticize me and try to break my bubble (my world),” followed by the line, “Try to break it, then you’ll meet me in a bigger space,” in Korean.
What particularly grabbed attention was the opening lines, which many felt hinted at Jennie’s past controversy. In these lyrics, she raps, “I’m leaving clues in the fittin’ room and it’s hot tea.” Some insiders suggest that these lines may have been written with her indoor smoking scandal in mind.
Jennie was involved in a smoking controversy last July after a scene from a YouTube video showed her allegedly using an electronic cigarette backstage at an Italian fashion show while getting her makeup done in a dressing room. Her agency publicly apologized at the time to those who were uncomfortable with her actions, stating, “Jennie regrets smoking indoors, causing inconvenience to the staff, and personally reached out to apologize to the staff who were present at the scene.”
Along with addressing her past controversy, Jennie also added some bold lyrics in the song that have sparked further speculation. In one line, she sings, “No, I’m not thinking about no exes, know they miss me.” This has led fans to wonder if she is subtly referring to her former rumored boyfriends — G-Dragon, Kai, and V. Jennie, who wrote the song herself, seems to be asserting her independence and adopting a no-nonsense attitude toward her past relationships.
While Jennie’s controversies had mostly faded from public attention, her mention of them now comes as an unexpected move. An industry insider remarked, “Thanks to Jennie’s positive image lately, the controversy was forgotten, but bringing it up now might be a mistake.”
However, some view Jennie’s candidness in addressing her past controversies head-on as a bold and positive move. It remains to be seen whether her lyrics in the title track will have a positive or negative impact on her career.
