Jennie’s Solo Concert Fails To Live Up To “Stage Master” Title: Due To “Lackluster Stage Direction”
Jennie’s first full-length album release commemorative concert “The Ruby Experience” was held on March 15 at Inspire Arena in Incheon.
This concert tour, celebrating Jennie’s album “Ruby”, began in Los Angeles at the Peacock Theater on March 6~7, continued in New York’s Radio City Music Hall on March 10 and concluded with this final show in Incheon.
Just before the concert began, NewJeans and WINNER made a surprise appearance in the audience, causing a stir among attendees. Fans stood up, screamed and took photos, creating a chaotic atmosphere that delayed the performance by about 10 minutes as staff worked to restore order.
Once the show started, “Intro : JANE with FKJ” played, and a dancer resembling a marionette appeared on stage. After greeting the audience, the dancer brought out a mirror, drawing attention to the center of the stage. Moments later, Jennie made her dramatic entrance in a fur coat, sending fans into a frenzy.
Jennie kicked off the show with “Start A War”, followed by “Handlebars (feat. Dua Lipa)”, “Mantra”, “Love Hangover (feat. Dominic Fike)”, “ZEN” and “Damn Right (feat. Childish Gambino, Kali Uchis)”. She performed these tracks live without pause, treating fans to unique arrangements and fresh choreography that weren’t present in the original recordings.
However, the lackluster stage direction left much to be desired. The show relied only on a basic stage setup and screen graphics, with no large-scale effects, props or wire performances that are typically expected at a concert of this scale. Even the screen size was relatively small, making it difficult for fans who had paid over 100,000 KRW for tickets to feel fully satisfied.
While some might argue that this stripped-down approach was meant to emphasize Jennie’s artistry, it still felt lacking. The concert could have benefitted from more dynamic stage effects, set transitions and unique visual elements to make the experience truly immersive.
For the remainder of the show, only Jennie, her dancers and screen visuals occupied the stage. Due to the delayed start, some planned segments were skipped, including fan interactions, leaving little time for engagement.
Jennie didn’t address the audience until 40 minutes into the concert, catching her breath before finally greeting fans, “I must look really out of breath, right? Those last three dance songs got me way too excited. This is my first solo concert, so please understand if I seem a little clumsy.”
She continued, “I want to sincerely thank everyone who came to my first solo concert. Being up here makes me a little shy. Seeing your faces and talking to you makes this feel real. I had so much to say. Preparing for this album and concert was a huge learning experience. Rather than focusing on looking perfect, I wanted to show a more honest, even clumsy side of myself. Everything feels new, like a fresh start.“
When Jennie asked the crowd to “scream for her”, the overwhelming response brought her to tears. “I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but after releasing my album and receiving so much love, it was hard to believe. Seeing it with my own eyes now makes me so grateful and happy.”
Just when it seemed like the concert was finally gaining momentum, Jennie was already preparing for her final song. The melody of “Filter” began playing, signaling the end of the main set. Jennie disappeared behind the screen, but after fans chanted for an encore, she returned to perform “Starlight” and “Twin”, officially closing out the concert.
The total running time was only 1 hour and 10 minutes, leaving many fans disappointed. Even after the lights came on, many remained in their seats, chanting for another encore, unwilling to accept that the concert had ended so soon.