Your BLACKPINK bias depends on your taste, but Jennie is arguably the most well-rounded girl from the group. The reason why they slay so hard on the charts is precisely the fact that they're all incredibly talented. Still, Jennie is the one who goes hard when performing live. If you doubt Jennie's vocals or think her rap is weak, check out this list of top ten performances that will prove you she's a terrific all-rounder!
10. Her Fierce Rap Duets with Lisa
JenLisa is the dream combo for rap!
They leave no crumbs when they are together, and that's the main power of BLACKPINK – their rap duo! Jennie is the main rapper for a good reason, but Lisa complements her style so well, and they have a lot of songs where they rap one after another. Those moments are spectacular live, as they hype each other up!
On top of everything, Jennie and Lisa are also good friends, or even like sisters, so the haters' stories about one of them being better than the other are useless. Both of them slay their rap parts – BLACKPINK is the best among the 3rd generation kpop girl groups in rap, and both contribute to this!
9. Her Actual Singing Abilities Are Incredibly Stable
Jennie slayed "As If It's Your Last" in this singing session
Yes, Jennie is one of the best rappers of her generation, if not the greatest. However, her singing abilities are also something to appreciate – that's what makes her an all-rounder! It's fantastic that her vocalist colleagues from the group slay with the technique. Still, Jennie sometimes sounds so well that she outshines them!
Actually, Jennie occasionally receives fewer rap parts because she can handle singing so well already. Lisa got a rap part in "As If It's You Last," and Jennie didn't, but Jennie handles her vocals like a pro in this song, mainly when they perform live! "Kill This Love" is also an example of the most pleasing Jennie power vocals!
8. "Sure Thing" Cover Proves That, Too
An outstanding performance!
When it comes to BLACKPINK members and covers, Rosé is someone who does it frequently and enjoys it! However, Jennie is the one who carries their covers when the girls perform as a group, and the best BLACKPINK cover is definitely "Sure Thing." That video went viral shortly after its release, and Jennie's vocals were highly appreciated!
Jennie is the one who opens BLACKPINK songs in general, but her opening of "Sure Thing" went emotional and professional since she delivered it with perfect control yet with a lot of feelings. Rosé is mainly criticized for shaky live vocals despite the emotion, but Jennie handles both!
7. Her "SOLO" Remix Live Performance
"SOLO" was awesome already, but this version snaps
Jennie was the first BLACKPINK girl to go solo with her iconic tune "SOLO," which is now considered a K-pop classic. The song was released in 2018, but in 2021, she released a brand new, self-written rap for this timeless tune, making it even fresher and more authentic! She performed the rap live at BLACKPINK's "The Show."
Interestingly, "The Show" gave all the girls the opportunity to perform alone, with Rosé debuting her first original solo song. Who did the best? It depends on your taste, but Jennie managed to stay more than relevant, even though she hasn't got a comeback since 2018 – she knows how to make herself authentic again!
6. Coachella Jennie Owned the World
"Kill This Love" is an energetic track, and all of them brought out such a strong performance!
The crowd could never get over BLACKPINK's charisma and stage presence at Coachella – not many groups in the world could compete with that stage! Jennie is the one who had to deal with "lazy" scandals in the past, but once she hit the Coachella stage, she made sure that people saw she was literally on fire!
In fact, Rosé and Jennie had this role at Coachella – to hype up the crowd whenever they could, and they did their job well! After the fiery raps and flawless vocals here, the rumors about "lazy" Jennie were long gone and no longer found. Coachella brought her back to life, and we're glad to see that improvement!
5. Her Self-Written "Stay" English Rap
The viral moment that everyone is talking about is definitely this stage
Not many people know that BLACKPINK ladies are also talented co-writers since Jisoo and Jennie often participate in songwriting. Jennie co-wrote the English version of her and Lisa's "Stay" rap, and her live performance of "Stay" went viral! It's insane how good her vocals in this version are, both when she sings the verse and hits her rap part!
Moreover, people usually admire Jennie's incredible vocal and breathing control here – she sounds so smooth, natural, and relaxed. Meanwhile, some of her colleagues sound shaky when their mic is on and have voice cracks, but Jennie is perfect when she sings and raps that she could easily be the main vocalist.
4. Her Encores Are Superior
This encore is on a different level!
To correct this title, we'll say, "BLACKPINK encores are superior," because they obviously have zero problems with singing live with confidence! Jennie is the one that usually does it freely, letting you know that she isn't led by the backing track since she can rock her songs better! Encores are the best proof of how good a group is at live singing, and Jennie nails that.
A good example is her "DDU-DU DDU-DU" rap in every encore – whenever the song won somewhere, she proved it was well-deserved by delivering the rap part like a pro. Jennie raps and sings live whenever she has the opportunity, and it's definitely well-appreciated in encores since many singers in K-pop face issues with this part.
3. Basically, Anytime She Performs "DDU-DU DDU-DU" Rap
This is where Jennie owns the stage the best way!
Here we are, mentioning the best BLACKPINK lines ever, once again. If every BLACKPINK girl has her iconic line or part of a particular song, it's the famous rap from BLACKPINK's biggest hit for Jennie! "DDU-DU DDU-DU" is arguably the best BLACKPINK song in general, and when Jennie raps it live, there's nothing better!
Luckily, Jennie had a lot of chances to perform the "DDU-DU DDU-DU" rap on tour, and she spiced up her performance with a different flow and energy! Both English and Korean versions have their authentic vibe, and Jennie knows how to hype up the crowd. And the fans already love this part of BLACKPINK discography the most!
2. …And Anytime Haters Try to Pull Her Down
Jennie was feeling herself in this powerful song and dance!
Unfortunately, Jennie is someone who attracts drama and hate without asking for it. She isn't problematic when we sum it up, but she always finds a way to haters. The biggest drama of BLACKPINK's "The Album" era was precisely Jennie's deleted scene from "Lovesick Girls" in her nurse outfit.
The backlash for this outfit went hard, and the scene got banned. After that, Jennie wore "censored" pants in her "Pretty Savage" live performance, and her charisma stole the show on stage. Jennie is fierce when people think she's losing and facing trouble – she's constantly rising like a Phoenix, and this "censored" drama isn't the only example!
1. …And Anytime She Can Outdo the Studio Version
Her "Whistle" rap is way, way stronger live than in the recorded version
The best Jennie is free Jennie. When we say "free," we mean when she can perform without having to care about every single move and note when singing! Jennie is a prominent rapper with incredible singing skills, so this girl can indeed do both. Still, as someone who is naturally a rapper first, she likes to have her own flow without boundaries.
Hence, Jennie's performances are usually the best when the girls don't perform at award shows and other "formal" places. The live concerts and shows are the zone where she's comfortable slaying so hard that she outdoes the "blank" studio versions. Her fierce energy and charisma give so much more to the song when her microphone is on!
They say that K-pop live singing is almost dead in the 20s, and no one is doing that anymore. Luckily, BLACKPINK usually have the opportunity to sing live! The girls aren't performing that often since they have fewer comebacks than usual for K-pop, but when they sing, they really make sure their microphone is on!
Is Jennie your favorite singer and rapper in BLACKPINK? Do you prefer their songs when Jennie adds the hype in live versions? Let us know in the comments section!
Photo: Instagram/Jennie