Jennie (singer) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jennie
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Jennie in 2023
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| Born |
Jennie Kim
January 16, 1996 Seongnam, Gyeonggi, South Korea
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| Other names | Jennie Ruby Jane |
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| Organization | Odd Atelier |
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Works
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Discography |
| Musical career | |
| Genres | |
| Instruments | Vocals |
| Years active |
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| Korean name | |
| Hangul |
김제니
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| RR | Gim Jeni |
| MR | Kim Cheni |
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Jennie Kim (Hangul: 김제니; born January 16, 1996), known as Jennie, is a South Korean singer, rapper, songwriter, and actress. She grew up in South Korea and New Zealand. In 2010, she joined YG Entertainment after an audition.
Jennie became a member of the popular K-pop group Blackpink in August 2016. She also started acting, using the name Jennie Ruby Jane. Her first acting role was in the 2023 HBO TV series The Idol.
In November 2018, Jennie released her first solo song, "Solo". It became a huge hit in South Korea and topped the US Billboard World Digital Songs chart. The music video for "Solo" was the first by a Korean female solo artist to reach one billion views on YouTube. Her songs "You & Me" and "One of the Girls" were also very successful worldwide in 2023. "You & Me" even reached number one on the Billboard Global Excl. US chart.
In 2023, Jennie started her own music company called Odd Atelier. Her song "Spot!" became her second number-one hit in South Korea. In 2024, she signed with Columbia Records. Her first solo album, Ruby, released in 2025, sold one million copies globally. It featured popular songs like "Mantra" and "Like Jennie". "Mantra" became the highest-charting song by a Korean female solo artist on the UK Singles Chart. "Like Jennie" was her third number-one song in South Korea.
Jennie has won many awards, including four MAMA Awards and a Golden Disc Award. She was the first Korean solo artist to receive a Billboard Women in Music Award. She is the most-followed Korean person on Instagram. Jennie is known for her amazing singing and rapping, and her great fashion sense. People often call her the "Human Chanel" because she is a global ambassador for the brand.
Contents
Early Life and School
Jennie Kim was born on January 16, 1996. She is an only child. She was born in Bundang, Seongnam, South Korea. She went to Cheongdam Elementary School in Seoul.
When Jennie was eight, she visited Australia and New Zealand with her family. She loved New Zealand so much that she decided to stay there. She studied at Waikowhai Intermediate School in Auckland and lived with a host family. Jennie talked about learning English in a 2006 TV documentary. As a teenager, she dreamed of becoming a ballet dancer. She later attended ACG Parnell College.
While in New Zealand, Jennie discovered K-pop and became interested in YG Entertainment's music. Her mother wanted her to move to Florida, USA, at age 14 to study law or teaching. But Jennie did not like this idea. She worried about living alone and not finding work she enjoyed. Her family supported her decision to return to South Korea in 2010. She then studied at Cheongdam Middle School.
In 2010, Jennie auditioned for YG Entertainment. She sang Rihanna's "Take a Bow". She was nervous and found it hard to introduce herself. The company encouraged her to become a rapper. Most songs she covered had rap parts, and she was the only trainee who spoke fluent English. Besides Korean, she also knows basic Japanese and some French.
Music Career
Starting Out and Blackpink Debut
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On April 10, 2012, YG Entertainment introduced Jennie with a photo called "Who's that girl?". People searched for her online, calling her "Mystery Girl". On August 30, YG released a YouTube video of Jennie singing B.o.B.'s "Strange Clouds". On September 1, Jennie appeared as the main actress in G-Dragon's music video "That XX".
In January 2013, another video showed Jennie singing "Lotus Flower Bomb" by rapper Wale. In March, she was featured on Lee Hi's song "Special". In August, she was on Seungri's song "GG Be". In September, she sang the hook for G-Dragon's song "Black". She performed on SBS' Inkigayo with G-Dragon on September 8.
On June 1, 2016, Jennie was the first member announced for YG Entertainment's new girl group, Blackpink. This was their first girl group in seven years. On August 8, 2016, Jennie officially debuted with Jisoo, Rosé, and Lisa. They released their first album, Square One, with hit songs "Boombayah" and "Whistle".
According to Jisoo, Jennie helped with the group's general duties and decisions. Jennie shared that during her six years as a trainee, they performed songs and dances for the CEO and producers every month. She also remembered preparing outfits, making music, and practicing choreography. In 2018, Blackpink partnered with Interscope Records for global activities.
Growing Fame and Solo Music
Jennie appeared on the TV show Running Man with Jisoo in July 2018. A video of Jennie crying in a horror room went viral, getting millions of views. She became known as one of the best new variety stars of 2018. She was invited back to Running Man and received many offers from other variety shows. On October 1, Jennie joined the cast of SBS' new show Village Survival, the Eight.
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In mid-October 2018, it was announced that Jennie would release her first solo song. She released a single album called Solo with the main song "Solo". The song was first performed during Blackpink's In Your Area tour in Seoul on November 10, before its official release two days later. "Solo" is a hip hop song with pop elements. It showed Jennie's "delicate girl" and "independent woman" sides. YG Entertainment released a YouTube series called Jennie – 'Solo' Diary to promote the song.
"Solo" quickly reached number one on the Gaon Music Chart in South Korea. It topped the digital, download, and streaming charts. The song stayed at number one for several weeks. "Solo" was certified platinum for streaming by the KMCA. It won the Song of the Year award at the eighth Gaon Chart Music Awards and a Digital Bonsang award at the 34th Golden Disc Awards. Internationally, "Solo" topped Billboard's World Digital Songs chart.
The music video for "Solo" became the most-viewed video by a female Korean solo artist in 24 hours on YouTube. Jennie was also the first Korean female solo artist to reach 300 million views on the platform within six months. On November 25, Jennie won her first music show award as a solo artist on Inkigayo. She achieved a "Triple Crown" by winning three times.
On April 12 and 19, 2019, Jennie became the first Korean solo artist to perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. She sang "Solo" during Blackpink's performance. Billboard called her performance "mind-blowing" and "stunning".
Jennie helped write the song "Lovesick Girls" for Blackpink. It was released on October 2, 2020, from their album The Album. On January 31, 2021, Jennie performed a new version of "Solo" at Blackpink's online concert, The Show. This version included a new rap verse she wrote.
Acting Debut and New Company
During Blackpink's Born Pink World Tour, which started in October 2022, Jennie performed a new solo song called "You & Me". She sang a remixed version with a new rap verse at Coachella in April 2023. On July 2, she performed this song and "Solo" at Blackpink's concert in London.
In 2023, Jennie started acting as Jennie Ruby Jane in the HBO TV series The Idol. The show was created by and starred the Weeknd. While the show itself received mixed reviews, Jennie's role as Dyanne, a backup dancer, was praised. A clip of her in the show became very popular online. Jennie hinted at a song with the Weeknd for The Idol's soundtrack. The song, "One of the Girls" by the Weeknd, Jennie, and Lily-Rose Depp, was released on June 23.
After the Born Pink World Tour ended, "You & Me" was officially released as a special single on October 6, 2023. The song reached number seven on the Billboard Global 200 and topped the Billboard Global Excl. US chart. This was Jennie's first solo number-one song on that chart. It also reached number four on South Korea's Circle Digital Chart. In the United Kingdom, it reached number 39 on the UK Singles Chart and number one on the UK Singles Downloads Chart and UK Singles Sales Chart. Jennie was the first Korean female solo artist to top those UK charts.
On November 22, 2023, King Charles III made Jennie an Honorary Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). Her bandmates also received this honor at Buckingham Palace.
The song "One of the Girls" became very popular on TikTok. Fans loved Jennie's parts, praising her "enchanting vocals". It was released as an official single on December 8, 2023. The song became her first solo entry on the Billboard Hot 100 and reached number 51 in March 2024. This broke the record for the highest-charting song by a K-pop female solo artist. It stayed on the chart for 20 weeks, making Jennie the first K-pop female solo artist and second K-pop solo artist (after Psy) to do so. It reached over 1 billion streams on Spotify. Jennie also became the first Korean female solo artist to get a platinum certification from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). In the UK, the song reached number 21 on the UK Singles Chart. It also reached number ten on the Billboard Global 200.
On December 6, 2023, YG Entertainment announced that Blackpink members renewed their contracts for group activities. On December 24, Jennie shared that she started her own music company, Odd Atelier, in November 2023. YG Entertainment confirmed on December 29 that Jennie and the other Blackpink members would not continue individual contracts with YG.
Ruby Album
Jennie worked with American rapper Matt Champion on the song "Slow Motion". It was released on March 8, 2024. On April 26, South Korean rapper Zico released the song "Spot!" featuring Jennie. Jennie also appeared in its music video. "Spot!" was a big hit in South Korea, reaching number one on the Circle Digital Chart. This was Jennie's second chart-topping song after "Solo". Worldwide, it reached number 24 on the Billboard Global 200. In the US, it debuted at number one on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart.
On September 8, 2024, it was announced that Jennie signed with Columbia Records as a solo artist, working with her company Odd Atelier. Jennie released "Mantra" on October 11, 2024. This was the first song from her debut album Ruby. "Mantra" reached number three on the Billboard Global 200 and number two on the Billboard Global Excl. US. It also reached number three on South Korea's Circle Digital Chart and number 98 on the US Billboard Hot 100. It debuted at number 37 on the UK Singles Chart, setting a new record for a Korean female solo artist. Jennie won four awards at the 2024 MAMA Awards, including Best Dance Performance Female Solo for "You & Me".
After announcing Ruby, Jennie released the music video for the album song "Zen" on January 25, 2025. "Love Hangover" featuring Dominic Fike was released as the second song from the album on January 31, 2025. It reached number 29 on the Billboard Global 200. The album's third song, "ExtraL" featuring Doechii, was released on February 21, 2025. It reached number 18 on the Billboard Global 200.
Jennie's first solo album Ruby was released on March 7, 2025. The fourth song, "Like Jennie", was released at the same time. The album sold one million copies worldwide in its first week. It reached the top 10 in 19 countries. In the UK, Ruby debuted at number three on the UK Albums Chart. This made it the highest-charting album by a female K-pop solo artist. "Like Jennie" was very successful and became Jennie's third number-one song in South Korea. It debuted at number five on the Billboard Global 200. A music video for the album song "Handlebars" featuring Dua Lipa was released on March 11, 2025. "Handlebars" reached number 21 on the Billboard Global 200.
To promote Ruby, Jennie started a series of concerts called the Ruby Experience on March 6, 2025. The mini-tour had shows in Los Angeles, New York, Paris, and Seoul. Critics praised the concerts for their unique and artistic production. Jennie received the Global Force Award at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music Awards. She was the first Korean solo artist to get this honor. She performed songs from Ruby at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 13 and 20, 2025.
Other Projects
Working with Brands
On April 15, 2020, Jennie announced her collaboration with Gentle Monster, a South Korean luxury eyewear brand. They created a collection called "Jentle Home", inspired by Jennie's childhood. Jennie designed the items herself, including glasses and chains. In May 2020, Gentle Monster and Jennie opened a dollhouse-themed pop-up store in Seoul. On February 18, 2022, Gentle Monster announced a mobile game called Jentle Garden, their second project with Jennie. The game was released on February 22.
On March 10, 2022, Jennie and Gentle Monster released their third collaboration, an eyewear collection called "Jentle Garden". The campaign photos were taken by French photographer Hugo Comte. Jennie also designed a fantasy world-themed pop-up store in Seoul. In April 2022, they released a limited eyewear collection called Lesyeuxdenini. Jennie designed the leather package and flower keyring for this collection. On October 12, 2022, Jennie partnered with the German car company Porsche. She helped design a custom car for herself, named Jennie Ruby Jane, based on a Taycan 4S Cross Turismo.
Helping Others
Since 2018, Jennie has supported the Cheongdam Woori Animal Hospital's "Protect Our Family" campaign. This campaign helps protect pets and rescue abandoned dogs. In November 2023, she attended a charity event to raise money for breast cancer screening and treatment for people with low incomes. In May 2024, she donated ₩100 million (US$74,400) to the Korean branch of Habitat for Humanity. This donation, made in the name of Blackpink's fan club, Blink, helped build an alternative school for young people.
Money from her US concerts for the Ruby Experience in March 2025 supported fire recovery efforts and local firefighters in Los Angeles. This area was affected by wildfires in January 2025. In March 2025, she also donated ₩100 million to the Hope Bridge National Disaster Relief Association. This helped with wildfire relief in Ulsan and other provinces. Her donation was used for emergency support, relief supplies, and temporary shelters for affected residents. In May 2025, Jennie donated ₩100 million to the Seoul National University College of Medicine Development Fund. She was interested in helping future doctors. The college planned to use the donation to improve education and research.
Her Style and Influence
Jennie studied artists like Lauryn Hill and TLC when she first started rapping. She said Rihanna was her main musical inspiration and role model. While working on Blackpink's The Album, Jennie listened to artists such as Lana Del Rey and Billie Eilish. Her Vocal coach Shin Yoo-mi, who worked with Blackpink for six years, trained Jennie for her solo debut. Shin described Jennie as very talented in singing, rapping, and songwriting.
Jennie is very important to Blackpink's fashion image. She has been called "Human Gucci" and "Human Chanel". Her style includes famous brands like Gucci and Saint Laurent. Jennie's fashion sense led to invitations to many fashion events. Chanel chose her as a House Ambassador because of her big impact on sales. The hairpins Jennie wore during her "Solo" performances became a trend in South Korea.
Jennie's first magazine cover and solo photoshoot were for Dazed Korea with Saint Laurent in April 2017. She was the first Korean celebrity to model for Boucheron Paris, a 160-year-old luxury jewelry brand. Her elegant style made Boucheron focus more on their image. Jennie has appeared on many fashion magazine covers, including Dazed, Harper's Bazaar, Elle, and Vogue.
Jennie is known for her strong brand power. She has often ranked first in the "Individual Girl Group Members Brand Power Ranking" in Korea. In 2021, she was the first Korean to reach 50 million followers on Instagram. As of December 2023, she is still the most-followed Korean person and the second most-followed K-pop idol (after Lisa), with over 82.5 million followers. Photos from her social media accounts often become news, and items she features become trends. In 2018, Instagram named Jennie's account the "Most Loved Account of 2018" in South Korea.
Forbes noted that Jennie was "gaining a new foothold in Korea's beauty trends". This was one reason Blackpink topped Forbes Korea Power Celebrity in April 2019. Jennie was the most-searched female K-pop idol of 2019 on Google. In 2019, she was also ranked the seventh most popular female K-pop idol in a survey of soldiers in South Korea. In Gallup Korea's music poll in 2019, Jennie was voted the eighth most popular idol in South Korea.
Jennie's "Jentle Home" collection, launched in April 2020, sold out quickly many times. On December 2, 2020, Chinese singer Ye Ziming released a song called "Jennie", showing his admiration for her.
On January 16, 2021, her 25th birthday, Jennie started her official YouTube channel. It gained one million subscribers in less than seven hours, becoming the fastest channel to do so. Within 24 hours, she had over 1.75 million subscribers. Sales for Chum Churum, a soju brand, reportedly increased by 14-15% after Jennie promoted their product. Ace Bed's stock price also went up after she became their new brand model.
Former K-pop group After School member Jung Ah nicknamed her "baby Jennie", calling it a "cute and pretty" name. In August 2021, Jennie was voted the sixth most well-rounded idol with talents in songwriting, dancing, and singing. She was the highest-ranking female idol on the list. In November 2021, Osen reported that Jennie ranked sixth in celebrity endorsement earnings in 2021, earning about ₩5 billion. On February 23, 2022, her Jentle Garden app ranked number one in the Korean App Store. A video featuring Jennie on YG Family's YouTube channel reached over 10 million views. The clothes she wore in the video also became popular.
Many artists have said Jennie is an influence and role model. These include Dana from Hot Issue, Nana from Woo!ah!, Lily from Nmixx, and Ahyeon from Babymonster. Olympic athletes Hwang Sun-woo and Kang So-hwi are also fans of Jennie.
Music Albums
- Ruby (2025)
TV Shows and Movies
Television
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Village Survival, the Eight | Cast member | ||
| 2023 | The Idol | Dyanne | Credited as Jennie Ruby Jane | |
| 2024 | Apartment 404 | Cast member | ||
| My Name is Gabriel |
Web Shows
| Year | Title | Role | Notes | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Jennie: Solo Diary | Herself | 6 episodes |
Music Video Appearances
| Year | Title | Artist | Director | Length | Ref. |
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| 2012 | "That XX" | G-Dragon | Han Sa-min | 3:34 | |
| 2022 | "Shinigami Eyes" | Grimes | BRTHR | 3:20 |
Live Performances
Concert Tours
| Title | Dates | Associated album(s) | Location(s) | Shows | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ruby Experience | March 6, 2025 – March 21, 2025 | Ruby | North America Asia Europe |
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Music Festivals
| Event | Date | City | Country | Venue | Performed song(s) | Ref. |
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| Superpop Japan | November 10, 2024 | Suita | Japan | Panasonic Stadium Suita |
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| Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival | April 13, 2025 – April 20, 2025 | Indio | United States | Empire Polo Club |
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Award Shows
| Event | Date | City | Country | Performed song(s) | Ref. |
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| 33rd Golden Disc Awards | January 5, 2019 | Seoul | South Korea | "Solo" | |
| 8th Gaon Chart Music Awards | January 23, 2019 |
Television Shows and Specials
| Event | Date | City | Country | Performed song(s) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Inkigayo | November 25, 2018 | Seoul | South Korea | "Solo" | |
| Show! Music Core | December 1, 2018 | ||||
| Inkigayo | December 2, 2018 | ||||
| Show! Music Core | December 8, 2018 | ||||
| Inkigayo | December 9, 2018 | ||||
| Show! Music Core | December 15, 2018 | ||||
| Inkigayo | December 16, 2018 | ||||
| The Seasons: Lee Hyo-ri's Red Carpet | January 5, 2024 | "You & Me" | |||
| Jimmy Kimmel Live! | October 15, 2024 | Los Angeles | United States | "Mantra" | |
| M Countdown | October 17, 2024 | Seoul | South Korea | ||
| Show! Music Core | October 19, 2024 |
Awards and Honors
| Award Ceremony | Year | Category | Nominee(s) / Work(s) | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asia Artist Awards | 2023 | Popularity Award – Singer (Female) | Jennie | Nominated | |
| 2024 | Nominated | ||||
| Asia Star Entertainer Awards | 2025 | The Best Solo (Female) | Nominated | ||
| Asian Pop Music Awards | 2024 | Best Music Video (Overseas) | "Mantra" | Won | |
| Top 20 Songs of the Year (Overseas) | Won | ||||
| People's Choice Award (Overseas) | 1st place | ||||
| Best Collaboration (Overseas) | "Spot!" (with Zico) | Nominated | |||
| Best Dance Performance (Overseas) | "Mantra" | Nominated | |||
| Best Female Artist (Overseas) | Jennie | Nominated | |||
| Record of the Year (Overseas) | "Mantra" | Nominated | |||
| Song of the Year (Overseas) | Nominated | ||||
| Billboard Women in Music | 2025 | Global Force Award | Jennie | Won | |
| Brand of the Year Awards | 2022 | Advertising Model of the Year (Female) | Won | ||
| 2025 | Female Solo Singer of the Year | Pending | |||
| Circle Chart Music Awards | 2019 | Artist of the Year – Digital Music (November) | "Solo" | Won | |
| 2024 | Mubeat Global Choice Award – Female | Jennie | Nominated | ||
| D Awards | 2025 | Best Girl Solo Popularity Award | Nominated | ||
| The Fact Music Awards | 2021 | Fan N Star Choice Artist | Longlisted | ||
| Fan N Star Choice Individual | Longlisted | ||||
| 2024 | Best Music: Winter | "You & Me" | Nominated | ||
| Genie Music Awards | 2019 | The Female Solo | Jennie | Nominated | |
| Golden Disc Awards | 2020 | Best Digital Song (Bonsang) | "Solo" | Won | |
| Song of the Year (Daesang) | Nominated | ||||
| 2025 | Best Digital Song (Bonsang) | "Spot!" (with Zico) | Nominated | ||
| Hanteo Music Awards | 2025 | Artist of the Year Main Prize | Jennie | Nominated | |
| Global Artist Award | Nominated | ||||
| K-World Dream Awards | 2024 | Best Song Award | "Spot!" (with Zico) | Won | |
| Korea First Brand Awards | 2025 | Best Female Solo Singer | Jennie | Nominated | |
| Korea Grand Music Awards | 2024 | Best 10 Songs | "You & Me" | Nominated | |
| Best Hip Hop Song | "Spot!" (with Zico) | Nominated | |||
| Trend of the Year – K-pop Solo | Jennie | Nominated | |||
| MAMA Awards | 2019 | Artist of the Year | Nominated | ||
| Best Dance Performance Solo | "Solo" | Nominated | |||
| Best Female Artist | Jennie | Nominated | |||
| Song of the Year | "Solo" | Nominated | |||
| 2024 | Best Collaboration | "Spot!" (with Zico) | Won | ||
| Best Dance Performance Female Solo | "You & Me" | Won | |||
| Best Rap & Hip Hop Performance | "Spot!" (with Zico) | Won | |||
| Fans' Choice Female Top 10 | Jennie | Won | |||
| Artist of the Year | Nominated | ||||
| Best Female Artist | Nominated | ||||
| Fans' Choice of the Year | Jennie | Nominated | |||
| Song of the Year | "Spot!" (with Zico) | Nominated | |||
| "You & Me" | Nominated | ||||
| Melon Music Awards | 2024 | Millions Top 10 | "Spot!" (with Zico) | Nominated | |
| Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards | 2025 | Favorite Female Breakout Artist | Jennie | Nominated | |
| Philippine K-pop Awards | 2018 | Best Female Solo Artist | Won | ||
| SBS Entertainment Awards | 2018 | Rookie Award (Female) | Running Man, Village Survival, the Eight |
Nominated | |
| Scene Stealer Award | Nominated | ||||
| Seoul Music Awards | 2025 | Main Prize (Bonsang) | Jennie | Nominated | |
| Ballad Award | "Handlebars" (featuring Dua Lipa) | Nominated | |||
| K-pop World Choice – Solo | Jennie | Nominated | |||
| K-Wave Special Award | Nominated | ||||
| Popularity Award | Nominated | ||||
| Weibo Starlight Awards | 2021 | Starlight Hall of Fame (Korea) | Won |
State Honors
| Country | Year | Honor | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 2023 | Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) |
Lists and Rankings
| Publisher | Year | List | Placement | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billboard | 2024 | K-Pop Artist 100 | 64th | |
| Forbes | 2025 | Korea Power Celebrity 40 | 20th | |
| Rolling Stone Korea | 2024 | Star of the Year: Domestic | Placed |
See also
In Spanish: Jennie para niños
- List of artists who reached number one on the UK Singles Downloads Chart
