Blackpink's Jennie releases 'Mantra', her US debut with Columbia Records

Blackpink's Jennie has just made her American debut since signing with Columbia Records. According to Stereogum, the singer has just released her latest song, 'Mantra', on October 11!

According to Billboard, Jennie's 'Mantra' is a party hit, singing about a girl's night out. The song has become a huge hit in just days after it's release, winning the poll in Billboard's favourite new music release poll in that week.

Blackpink's Jennie makes her American debut as she has signed with Columbia Records, reports Variety.

This will mark a significant move away from the Blackpink label for Jennie. She released new music as a solo artist with Columbia Records this October: the single 'Mantra' came out on October 11.

Finally, Jennie is back in the news for her music. She has been in the tabloids more for her love life in recent times. Click further to see what was going on with the star.

No member of Blackpink had an officially accepted relationship until Jisoo's with Ahn Bo-hyun was announced. This, however, shifts the focus to Jennie, who has been linked to numerous A-listers but has received zero official confirmations of any of these relationships, along with the breakups.

Born on 16 January 1996 in Seoul, Jennie Kim is an only child to her parents.

Image: YG Entertainment

When she was only 9 years old, she moved from South Korea to reside in Auckland, New Zealand herself. She lived with a homestay family and studied there for five years before moving back to South Korea in 2010.

Image: YG Entertainment

Jennie was exposed to K-pop in New Zealand and decided to audition for YG Entertainment upon her return to South Korea, where she successfully became a trainee when she was 14 years old, later debuting in Blackpink in 2016.

Image: YG Entertainment

Formed in August 2016 by YG Entertainment, Blackpink consists of members Jisoo, Jennie, Rose and Lisa.

Some of their biggest hits include 'Ddu-du Ddu-du' (2018), 'Kill This Love' (2019), 'How You Like That' (2020), and 'Ice Cream' (2020).

Image: YG Entertainment

Now, the spotlight has been placed on Blackpink members for their love lives since Jisoo's relatinship with Ahn Bo-hyun as been confirmed. And the focus is on Jennie, who has been linked with several men over the years.

In 2017, in an interview with Arirang Radio, Jennie revealed that she preferred men who have a ‘sexy’ image.

Later in the same year on JTBC’s ‘Knowing Bros’, she emphasized that she is more concerned with one’s personality more than one’s looks when choosing a partner and prefers someone with a warm personality.

In 2017, Soompi reported that Jennie was allegedly dating 1TYM’s Teddy after working with her group on several of their hits. Other popular stars Jennie has linked with include One Direction’s Harry Styles and Big Bang’s Taeyang.

Image: Sony Music Entertainment, YG Entertainment

It was reported by Dispatch in 2019 that EXO’s Kai and Blackpink’s Jennie were dating. SM Entertainment who manages EXO released a statement confirming that “Kai and Jennie have mutual feelings for each other”. Interestingly, YG Entertainment claimed that they knew nothing of the matter.

Image: jennierubyjane / Instagram, SM Entertainment

Sadly, The Straits Times reported that their courtship was short-lived, as the couple broke up a month after confirmation of their relationship.

Image: SM Entertainment, jennierubyjane / Instagram

The biggest news in Jennie's love life came in 2021, when it was revealed that K-pop royalty G Dragon and Jennie had been reportedly dating in secret for more than a year, according to Dispatch.

Image: YG Entertainment

Dispatch reported that Jennie had been frequently spotted at G Dragon’s home on numerous occasions and would visit him daily at his house after the end of her work.

Image: koreadispatch / Instagram

Hailing from the same entertainment company, Big Bang’s G Dragon and Blackpink’s Jennie have known each other for more than a decade.

Image: YG Entertainment

In September 2012, Jennie was cast as the lead actress in G Dragon’s music video for ‘That XX’ where they played a couple. A year later, Jennie once again collaborated with G Dragon and even featured on his solo track 'Black' for his album 'Coup d’Etat.'

Image: YG Entertainment

A year later, however, rumors of their relationship ending arose in media like Allkpop. Netizens observed that the two stopped following each other on Instagram on May 21.

Image: YG Entertainment

Continuing from the same report, G-Dragon was found to be still following other members of Blackpink on his private and public Instagram accounts, but Jennie was the big exception.

Image: YG Entertainment

Shortly after G-Dragon unfollowed Jennie, the Blackpink star was spotted by paparazzi on Jeju Island with BTS' V!

Image: jennierubyjane / Instagram, Big Hit

BTS, the world's most famous K-pop boy band at the moment, requires little introduction. V is a member of BTS and one of the band's singers.

Image: Big Hit

According to the South China Morning Post, V and Jennie were photographed together in a car on the island of Jeju. However, some internet users have speculated that the photo was doctored because it showed Jennie with brown hair rather than the orange hair she was supposed to have at the time.

Image: jennierubyjane / Instagram, Big Hit

Despite netizens' claims that the initial paparazzi photo was doctored, Allkpop reports that in September 2022, photos of the date were leaked online, showing both stars on the island and proving the rumor.

Image: jennierubyjane / Instagram, Big Hit

Romance rumors abound again in 2023 when both Jennie and V were allegedly spotted together in Paris by French photographer Amar Taoualit.

Image: jennierubyjane / Instagram, Big Hit

According to L'Officiel, there was no confirmation on whether it was them in Paris. However, there has been a plethora of circumstantial evidence on both Jennie's and V's schedules and outfit posts on their socials to suggest that the couple photographed was, indeed, them.

(Image: jennierubyjane / Instagram, Big Hit)

Despite the alleged evidence of the pair dating, Elle reports that both Jennie's and V's management have yet to confirm the two's official status as a couple.

2023 has been a tough year for celebrity dating, as not only did Jisoo and Ahn Bo-hyun's relationship end, so did Jennie's with V.

Image: jennierubyjane, thv / Instagram

JTBC reported in early December that Jennie and V's alleged relationship had come to an end, just in time for the BTS member to enlist in the military.

Image: thv / Instagram

Despite their agencies never confirming the relationship, it appears that the reported breakup from JTBC confirms that V and Jennie were indeed a couple, despite it being widely rumoured.

Image: jennierubyjane, thv / Instagram