Ruby

RUBY might've been the greatest out of all BLACKPINK solo projects. The amount of versatility it contains should be studied, and the way it still feels so consistent is admirable. JENNIE proved herself as an actual artist with this one, and I can't help but give kudos to this project of hers.

The entire release is an impressive showcase of diversity and gorgeous vocals, combined with great production. I've never thought that I would be as obsessed with it as I was back when it was released. The soft-sounding R&B tracks, put between some really fun rap ones, make me want to listen to this album more and more each time. I also highly enjoy the writing of it, especially with some really great pictures that the lyrics create.

There's really not much to say about this project as a piece, but I can definitely name some of my favorite tracks and what makes them special to me. The first one would definitely be the INTRO, which created this magical aura for the songs to come. I've never known much about FKJ, but after hearing that song, I learned that he's one of the greatest producers for me. Even with how short the track is, I can help, but give it a special place in my heart. Another one I'd like to mention is WITH AN IE, a track that recycles an old hit and creates an entire new pop masterpiece with it. Not much of a JLO fan, but the song itself is such bliss. I love every second of it, and how chill it feels.

I feel positive about most of the tracks, and I wouldn't want to rant about all of them, but my all-time favorite of this album is definitely ZEN. Back what it came out as a visualiser, I was devastated that it wouldn't be on streaming. When I saw the tracklist, I couldn't help but smile at the title. This song is a perfection of what music is all about. The change in tempo, the roughness of it, and the lyrics that paint a picture, which cannot be faked. ZEN is an experience, and whether you like it or not, you have to admit how interesting it is. Other tracks that weren't mentioned, but I feel like they deserve a shoutout, are EXTRAL with DOECHII, which is such a fun song, and a collab that made me super excited, DAMN RIGHT featuring KALI UCHIS and CHILDISH GAMBINO, which, even with all of its repetitiveness, still made a great R&B track that made me dive into KALI UCHIS more, and last but not least FILTER which feels very special to me, even tho I cannot find words to desribe why I feel that way.

If I were to call out some of the downsides of the album, I would say that F.T.S. is not on the same level as the other tracks on the record. The song overall is alright, but I feel like it gets kinda boring after more than five listens. The production feels quiet, and maybe that was actually the point, but I'm not the biggest enjoyer of such tracks, especially on an album filled with boppy songs. The other track that didn't hit me hard is TWIN, which simply feels out of place with its acoustics... The song is not awful, and I wouldn't skip it, but... at the same time, I would not go out of my way to go and stream it. It's cute when you look at the lyrics, and it would maybe feel nice in the right moment.

When I look at this album as an entire piece, I can't help but root for JENNIE as a solo artist with my whole heart. The diversity she showed, and the genuineness some of the tracks give us, even if not my favorites, feel like a story I'd want to come back to every now and then. RUBY is one of the best records released this year for me, and it feels timeless in a way that makes me wanna believe I will be coming back to this album with fond emotions every now and then.