Jennie (BLACKPINK) makes a comeback with MV Mantra, full of "mistakes" but still leads the chart

Jennie released the single "Mantra" on October 11, in which she expressed her confidence with the message: "Love yourself as you are." She wanted listeners to feel positive energy through this song.

While the song is catchy and relatable, Jennie added a unique flow by combining vocals and rap. However, the song received mixed reviews. Critics pointed out that Jennie's visuals in the "Mantra" MV were too sexy and the music itself divided opinions among listeners.

Review site The Bias List gave Mantra a low score of 4.75 out of 10. They noted that Jennie has a limited solo singles list, both in quantity and quality. They asked, "Is there any K-pop artist as successful as Blackpink while singing about such superficial topics throughout their career?"

Jennie describes Mantra as "a joyful and optimistic anthem that celebrates female empowerment and inspires them to shine with confidence".

However, like Lisa's Rockstar, Mantra seems hollow as it focuses heavily on beauty, lavish parties, and how the artist "destroys." Lines like "This is a mantra for pretty girls, showing off like this when they land in LA" or "Pretty girls in fancy cars, we know how to protect each other, so no one gets lost" are repeated throughout the song.

The music video for Mantra begins with a scene inspired by the 1998 comedy Rush Hour, featuring a child singing along. It then cuts to Jennie stepping out of a vintage car to perform a dance. With her blonde hair and daring outfit, she shows off her sexiness through her sexy dance moves.

Although she has shown her sexy side before, this song highlights an even more provocative look. However, Jennie's appearance has sparked constant debate. A post about Jennie's revealing outfit on a forum has led to many comments, with some viewers expressing their dissatisfaction with her style.

"This isn't new; she's always liked to dress like this," some commented. While others commented: "This may be popular overseas, but it looks cheap and tacky."

Another viewer noted: "Jennie promotes the idea that beautiful women take care of themselves, not just their appearance, but her current image seems to contradict that." The Mantra MV has also gained traction on YouTube, ranking among the top trending videos in both South Korea and the US.

Music critic magazine NME gave "Mantra" 4/5 points and commented that this is a song that "makes you dance and remember that Jennie is really back".

NME added that while the single isn't quite as consistent in quality as its best parts, it could be Jennie's trick up her sleeve, signaling exciting things to come, a new era for Jennie as a solo artist.

The "Mantra" MV recorded 14.4 million views on YouTube in the first 24 hours, becoming the third-biggest debut by a female K-pop solo artist on the platform in 2024, behind only Lisa's "Rockstar" and "New Woman" MVs.

On Melon, the largest music streaming platform in Korea, the song ranked 15th as of 7 p.m. on October 12 (local time). Mantra's highest ranking on local music platforms as of the afternoon of October 12 was No. 2 on Bugs, while it ranked 10th on Genie. Mantra is expected to climb higher in the coming days as Jennie promotes the song on music shows.

BLACKPINK faded, Rosé directly "trampled" Jennie's efforts mercilessly Châu Anh16:16:25 05/11/2024Just 1 week ago, Jennie was still struggling with music achievements on the Spotify platform. However, recently, Rosé has officially surpassed the Blackpink sisters to set a new record.