Blackpink singer’s last album outside her blockbuster group was 2018’s aptly named Solo
Jennie is back with “Mantra,” the first single of her new era as a solo artist and second album. She made her solo debut in 2018 with the aptly named LP Solo.
The pulsating song has Jennie sharing a “pretty girl mantra” on the uplifting new track. The upbeat anthem sees the Blackpink singer celebrating a drama-free existence over a hypnotic beat.
“It’s the perfect song to begin my new era,” Jennie said in a statement. “I think ‘Mantra’ will make my fans happy but also show a new side of me as a solo artist. The song was inspired by my time recording in Los Angeles and hopefully fans feel that energy — which is about being positive, being expressive, and being true to who you are. It’s energetic and empowering with a message for all of my ladies, women, and pretty girls out there to love yourself for who you are. This is your anthem.”
Directed by Tanu Muino (Harry Styles, Dua Lipa), the video is centered in Los Angeles. It kicks off with a little girl singing along in the backseat of her parents’ car. From there, Jennie performs the track all over L.A. in a variety of unique looks, including showing off some blonde hair.
“It reflects the main theme of female empowerment and confidence,” she continued in her statement on the video. “It was important for the overall vision to be consistent, and I love how it turned out. I’m so excited to finally put it out there.”
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This is Jennie’s first solo release since last year, when she dropped the one-off single “You & Me.” In between her albums, she launched her acting career with an appearance in HBO’s The Idol, a show created by the Weeknd and Euphoria‘s Sam Levinson. She sang on the soundtrack single “One of the Girls” alongside the Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp. Earlier this year, she appeared on Matt Champion’s “Slow Motion.”
“Mantra” is also the first song of Jennie’s new partnership between her own label and entertainment agency Odd Atelier and Columbia Records.
