[theqoo] MUCH ANTICIPATED FEAST WITH NOTHING TO SEE… JENNIE’S “STAGE MASTER” TITLE IS NOW MEANINGLESS

BLACKPINK’s Jennie has completed her first solo concert. However, the stage production was disappointing, leaving the title of “stage master” unearned, as the stage presentation lacked the expected grandeur.

Jennie’s first full-length album Ruby was celebrated with the concert The Ruby Experience held on March 15th at the Inspire Arena in Incheon. This concert tour began in Los Angeles on March 6th and will conclude in Incheon, after having passed through New York’s Radio City Music Hall.

The concert was delayed by about 10 minutes right before the opening as NewJeans and WINNER unexpectedly appeared in the audience, causing chaos as fans stood up and screamed while taking photos and videos. The delay was caused by the time taken to calm the audience.

The performance began with Intro: JANE with FKJ, and a dancer, resembling a marionette, appeared on stage and interacted with the audience before pulling a mirror from the back of the stage, catching attention. Jennie then appeared, wearing a fur coat, and immediately got the crowd excited.

She performed a series of songs live, including Start a War, Handlebars (feat. Dua Lipa), Mantra, Love Hangover (feat. Dominic Fike), ZEN, and Damn Right (feat. Childish Gambino, Kali Uchis), without a break in between. Her performances featured new arrangements and choreography not seen in the recorded versions, which pleased the audience.

However, the stage production was underwhelming. The stage was mostly filled with basic setups and graphic projections on a screen, which seemed inadequate for the ticket prices, especially considering the relatively small size of the screen compared to other concerts. This left fans who paid over 100,000 won feeling unsatisfied.

Although one could interpret the minimalism as an attempt to focus on Jennie’s “essence,” there was still a lingering disappointment that the concert could have included more dramatic elements like wire tricks, stage devices, and sets that are typically used for concerts. The performance was largely dominated by Jennie, her dancers, and the graphics on the screen, without any extravagant set pieces.

Additionally, the performance was delayed, and there was no time for fan interaction or a chat with the audience.

Jennie’s first message to the crowd came 40 minutes after the concert started. Out of breath, she said, “I’m out of breath, right? The last three dance songs made me so excited. This is my first solo concert, so please understand if I’m a little awkward.” She thanked the audience for coming and mentioned how it felt surreal to be doing a concert for the first time. She shared that the album and concert were a learning experience, and that they represented her true, imperfect self, rather than a polished, perfect version of her.

As the concert was nearing its end, Jennie told the audience, “Can you scream for me?” to which the crowd responded enthusiastically. Jennie became emotional, saying, “I promised myself I wouldn’t cry, but after releasing the album, receiving so much love, it’s hard to believe. I’m so grateful and happy to see it with my own eyes.”

Although it seemed the concert was about to continue, Jennie was already preparing for her closing remarks. The closing song, Filter, began playing, and after finishing, she disappeared behind the screen. When the audience shouted “encore,” she appeared at the piano to say her final words.

Jennie said, “I truly want to thank you all. I’ll continue to make good music and be a good person, Jennie. Please keep watching me.” She ended the concert with performances of Starlight and Twin, bringing her first solo concert to a close. The total runtime was just 1 hour and 10 minutes, and many audience members were still shouting for an encore long after the concert had ended.