BLACKPINK's Jennie Receives Acclaim for Her Debut Solo Album 'Ruby'

Jennie, a member of the iconic K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, is garnering significant recognition for her first solo studio album, 'Ruby', which has been acknowledged as one of the best albums of the year. On June 5, 2025, the esteemed music magazine Rolling Stone included 'Ruby' in its list of 'The Best Albums of 2025 So Far', making Jennie the only K-pop artist featured among the 66 albums listed.

Rolling Stone praised 'Ruby' for its innovative reinterpretation of the R&B-centric pop music that dominated the 2000s and 2010s. The magazine noted that the album draws inspiration from Barbadian pop star Rihanna, highlighting Jennie's impressive ability to command the candy-coated pop R&B genre while evoking moments reminiscent of the self-reflection showcased in Rihanna's acclaimed 2016 album 'Anti'.

Previously, 'Ruby' received a score of 7.1 from Pitchfork, a respected American music criticism publication, which is considered a relatively high rating on a scale of 10. For comparison, Ariana Grande's seventh studio album 'Eternal Sunshine' (2024) scored 7.2, while Billie Eilish's third album 'HIT ME HARD AND SOFT' (2024) received a 6.8. Notably, 'Ruby' ranks as the eighth highest-rated K-pop album in history, with the highest score in K-pop being 8.3 for Seo Taiji and Boys' debut album (1992).

The title 'Ruby' reflects Jennie's full English name, Jennie Ruby Jane, making it a deeply personal project. The album features a total of fifteen tracks, showcasing her narrative as a self-producer.

Additionally, the list from Rolling Stone also included 'For Melancholy Brunettes (& sad women)', the fourth studio album by the one-woman band Japanese Breakfast, led by Korean-American singer-songwriter Michelle Zauner. The magazine described this album as combining mythical and everyday imagery with exquisite instrumentation, exploring the capricious nature of muses.