Jennie Kim Biography: From BLACKPINK Star to Solo Sensation

Q: What was Jennie's first solo song?

Solo, released in November 2018. It topped South Korea's Circle Digital Chart and Billboard's World Digital Songs chart.

Q: What is Jennie's Dracula song?

Dracula is a Tame Impala song, originally released in October 2025, with a version featuring Jennie released in February 2026. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent more than 20 weeks in the top 10.

Daniel Reed

Jennie Kim biography: Jennie Kim, known mononymously as Jennie, is a South Korean singer, rapper and songwriter who rose to global fame with BLACKPINK before building a successful solo career with the single “Solo” and her debut album Ruby. As of October 2026, she is enjoying one of the longest Billboard Hot 100 top-10 runs ever by a K-pop artist, thanks to her Tame Impala collaboration “Dracula”.

Quick facts

Full name: Jennie Kim (Kim Je-ni)
Born: January 16, 1996, in South Korea
Nationality: South Korean
Occupation: Singer, rapper, songwriter, actress
Known for: BLACKPINK; solo hits “Solo”, “Mantra” and “Like Jennie”; the album Ruby
Labels: Odd Atelier (her own label) and Columbia Records for solo work; YG Entertainment for BLACKPINK
Languages: Korean, English and Japanese

Early life and background

Jennie Kim was born on January 16, 1996, in South Korea. When she was eight, she moved to New Zealand, where she attended Waikowhai Intermediate School in Auckland and later ACG Parnell College. She has spoken about learning English there and first encountering K-pop while living abroad. Her family had planned for her to continue her studies in Florida in the United States at 14, but she persuaded them to let her return to South Korea instead, where she auditioned for YG Entertainment in 2010. She trained for almost six years, appearing on tracks by senior YG artists such as G-Dragon, Lee Hi and Seungri before her debut. [Wikipedia, AllMusic]

BLACKPINK: the breakthrough

Jennie debuted in August 2016 as a member of BLACKPINK, alongside Jisoo, Rosé and Lisa, with the single album Square One and its songs “Whistle” and “Boombayah”. The group went on to become one of the best-selling girl groups of all time, with hits including “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du”, “Kill This Love”, “How You Like That” and “Pink Venom”. Their Born Pink World Tour of 2022–2023 sold more than 1.8 million tickets across 66 shows, a scale that underlined just how far the group had travelled from its Seoul debut. [Wikipedia, WION]

After a period in which the members focused on solo projects, BLACKPINK reunited for the Deadline World Tour, which opened at Goyang Stadium in South Korea on July 5, 2025, and closed in Hong Kong on January 26, 2026. The tour’s new song “Jump” was unveiled at the opening shows, and Jennie’s solo stage featured “Mantra”. [WION]

Solo career: “Solo”, “Ruby” and beyond

Jennie was the first BLACKPINK member to release solo music. Her debut single “Solo”, released in November 2018, topped South Korea’s Circle Digital Chart and Billboard’s World Digital Songs chart, and its music video became the first by a Korean female soloist to pass one billion views on YouTube. [Wikipedia]

In 2023 she released “You & Me”, which reached number one on Billboard’s Global Excl. US chart, and appeared in HBO’s The Idol as Jennie Ruby Jane, contributing to “One of the Girls” with the Weeknd and Lily-Rose Depp. Late that year she founded her own label, Odd Atelier, and in 2024 signed with Columbia Records. [Wikipedia, AllMusic]

Her debut studio album, Ruby, arrived in March 2025 and reached the top 10 in several countries. It produced the Billboard Global 200 top-five hits “Mantra” and “Like Jennie”; “Mantra” also broke the record for the highest-charting song by a Korean female soloist on the UK Singles Chart. The album’s other collaborations included “Love Hangover” with Dominic Fike, “ExtraL” with Doechii and “Handlebars” with Dua Lipa. [Wikipedia]

“Dracula” and the 2026 chart run

Jennie’s most durable chart success has come from an unlikely collaboration. Tame Impala released “Dracula” in October 2025, and a version featuring Jennie followed in February 2026. The song entered the Billboard Hot 100 top 10 in mid-May 2026 and peaked at number five in July, becoming the first Hot 100 top-10 hit for both acts. On the chart dated October 17, 2026, it climbed from number 10 to number six, its 20th week in the top 10, extending Jennie’s record for the longest Hot 100 top-10 run by a K-pop artist. It then returned to its number-five peak on the chart dated October 24, and on the chart dated October 31 it stood at number eight, its 22nd week in the top 10, with a sixth straight week at number one on Billboard’s Radio Songs chart. [Korea Herald, Yonhap, Hallyu60]

The same month, Jennie surprised fans by joining the Weeknd on stage in South Korea for “One of the Girls”, a reminder that her solo career and her group career now run in parallel rather than in sequence. [Korea Herald]

Fashion and public image

Alongside music, Jennie is one of K-pop’s most prominent fashion figures. She has been a Chanel ambassador since 2017, a tenure long enough to earn her the nickname “Human Chanel”, and has also worked with brands including Calvin Klein.

Personal life

Jennie keeps her private life largely out of public view, and this article does the same, recording only what she has shared publicly, such as her New Zealand schooling and her fluency in Korean, English and Japanese. Dating speculation is not repeated here.

Net worth snapshot

Jennie Kim’s net worth is estimated at $30 million as of 2026, based on Celebrity Net Worth via Parade, with other aggregators putting the figure in a $25–35 million range. No Forbes or Bloomberg estimate exists. Read the full breakdown in Jennie Kim’s net worth.

Frequently asked questions

What is Jennie Kim’s real name?

Her full name is Jennie Kim (Kim Je-ni in Korean). She performs mononymously as Jennie, and used the stage name Jennie Ruby Jane for her acting debut in The Idol.

When did Jennie debut with BLACKPINK?

Jennie debuted with BLACKPINK in August 2016, with the single album Square One and its songs “Whistle” and “Boombayah”.

Is Jennie still in BLACKPINK?

Yes. She runs her solo career through her own label, Odd Atelier, while remaining a BLACKPINK member; the group reunited for the Deadline World Tour in 2025–2026.

What was Jennie’s first solo song?

“Solo”, released in November 2018. It topped South Korea’s Circle Digital Chart and Billboard’s World Digital Songs chart.

What is Jennie’s “Dracula” song?

“Dracula” is a Tame Impala song, originally released in October 2025, with a version featuring Jennie released in February 2026. It peaked at number five on the Billboard Hot 100 and spent more than 20 weeks in the top 10.