New K-pop releases are usually telegraphed well in advance. Surprise drops are still relatively rare. BLACKPINK’s Jennie recently announced a solo album scheduled for March, but pre-release track ZEN arrives with no warning on a day and time artists don’t often release new music. It’s fun to be caught off balance for once — especially by a performer of Jennie’s caliber.
I was not a fan of Jennie’s last solo effort Mantra and was probably too harsh in my song rating. However, a track like ZEN just showcases why Mantra was so beneath Jennie’s potential. At their core, these songs aren’t entirely different in concept. The difference is that ZEN ties its confident energy to a much more interesting production. The track is a hulking beast, moving from stomping, sparse verses to an overwhelming, claustrophobic chorus. Industrial beats collide with sliding, distorted electro rumbles to create a soundscape that’s equal parts unnerving and arresting. If only BLACKPINK’s many “we’re the coolest girls in K-pop” singles had utilized a similar effect! With an instrumental this tense and bristling, I actually believe what the lyrics are stating.
Removing the megawatt production, ZEN is quite simple. We’ve got two verses and two choruses, each delivered with a halting flow that creates a great deal of empty space. This contrast between sonic desolation and sonic overload forges the song’s tension. This approach is compelling enough to compensate for any structural shortcomings. Of course, Jennie’s natural charisma goes a long way toward selling this performance style, and it helps that the chorus is weirdly catchy even when its melodies aren’t totally obeying our expectations. If the rest of her album sounds anything like this, Jennie is on her way toward delivering the most interesting BLACKPINK-related music I’ve heard in years.
| Hooks | 8 |
| Production | 9 |
| Longevity | 8 |
| Bias | 9 |
| RATING | 8.5 |
The Bias List // K-Pop Reviews & Discussion 
now it makes perfect sense that Jennie said that her album release date would be in March, because it would be accompanied by a pre-release, after all, releases this far away are usually justified by artists releasing pre-releases. But then there’s this… which is basically suffocating
if Jennie took a song like Chloe Jane’s Dance Floor Emergency as inspiration I would be super supportive of her being an idol star who moved from K-pop to Western pop, but that’s not the case. Good production but there’s something about the fluidity of this song that doesn’t make it difficult for me
7.5 (7, 8, 7, 8) for now – unlike Nick, I don’t think Jennie’s career deserves so much relevance or transparency to the point of getting ratings like 5.5 or 8.5… I’m being generous of course
Remembering that my assessment method is different from Nick’s, I prioritize forms of compositions. My criteria:
Segmentation – 7
Production – 8
Structuring – 7
Fascination – 8
Overall rating: 7.5
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“Fascination” is a good one.
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So far, Jennie’s music has been the only music thats been working with this new trend of super simple/short song structures. I fucking love this. genuinely, LOVE it on first listen. Its so simple yet weird. Very Grimes-like.
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Unrelated, but what did you think about Tate Mcrae’s new single?
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I think all her music sounds like way, way lesser versions of better songs from the 2000’s. Like… she has the vibe but she is not getting good material.
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Yeah, although I liked it, Ryan Tedder just seems to be holding back lately with his production and I need him to lock in…
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Ooh, I love its odd, yet compelling energy. I liked Mantra cause the Miami bass production was pretty good there and I also liked the sing-talk chorus, so I admit I was shocked when I saw the 4.75 rating cause it wasn’t that bad to warrant it. And since you mentioned you were too harsh on it, I wonder how’d you rate it now?
Anyways, the song has a pretty claustrophobic energy, but it also has a compelling production to back it up. Idk how I’ll feel about it in a while, but so far, I like it.
Rating’s the same.
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I enjoyed Mantra as well, and Zen’s going on my ’25 playlist for sure. I’ve been waivering on CIX’s Thunder since originally proclaiming it the best song of the year so far; I think Zen might overtake it, but too early to be sure.
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It’s quite early to judge, and I doubt Zen would rise to the 9s for me to consider it as one of my SOTY candidates (which Rebel Heart and Thunder are part of as of now), but it definitely is my 3rd favorite comeback this month (after those two songs ofc!)
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I really like Rebel Heart, but I’m having trouble with the lyrics. This is a case where I really wish it was sung in Korean, so it wouldn’t get in my way & I didn’t have to be bothered about it, haha;)
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Agreed. It gives me Rachell Platten “Fight Song” vibes and that’s never a good thing. A full-Korean version would likely be way better.
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Tbh, I’m at that stage where I just don’t care about the English lyrics in K-Pop songs (tbh, this also applies to most Western songs) cause most of the time, they either don’t make sense/are just amusing/funny (hello SM songs!) or are just absolutely corny (Permission to Dance) or godawful horrific (Woke Up in Tokyo…). And besides, I mostly like Rebel Heart for the melodies, which ends up being another factor for me ignoring the lyrics😭
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I totally get it. Most of the lyrics are in Korean, and maybe in the context of those lyrics that I don’t understand, the English lyrics make more sense. It may be that the more I hear this song, the less the English lyrics in the chorus matter. It *is* a really good song. I hope I can get past it and enjoy it for what it is:)
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The vocal delivery in this song is such a choice… I heard Anti era’s Rihanna or something like BBHMM.
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Production is very good, and the song is eerie enough to keep me interested for her new album. Mantra was more what I expected from a Blackpink member, this isn’t and it makes me super curious.
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amazing https://posts.gle/fBjtiQ
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It’s weird to do a surprise release the day after FKA TWIGS has her new album out because there are definitely similarities in that sulky slow aggressive vibe. I preferred MANTRA but this is still good.
As someone mentioned the Rihanna style voice is quite effective.
7.5/8 for me.
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It’s definitely the most fascinating song related the black pink…. I can’t really tell how I feel about it. I’m usually so ready to write off what the ladies release because I’m so accustomed to not liking it, but this was a welcomed surprised. So many are in that YouTube comment section calling it a masterpiece like they have for all of her work, but this time I can actually hear it/ see it
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I think I have my thoughts together now
I really enjoy it as is, but the “chains on chains line” is a NO. I would’ve liked a bridge and outro especially with this production they could’ve added a polyrhythm and a new synth texture to really send the track to a new level. But that’s me being greedy, it’s not a masterpiece but I really like it without much of the usual reservations I have for BP music.
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Gotta say, if nothing else, that music video was an absolute stunner. I was thoroughly captivated and mesmerized. The cinematography was excellent.
On the song, I was presently surprised. They suddenly stops were unexpectedly great accents and textures. It sort of reminded me of Ga-In’s Tinkerbell (though Zen has less interesting production choices) in that there’s this manic energy being conveyed.
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Strangely enough, this was the song I thought of when I first heard it. Not sure if it was an influence or not. Totally different genres and even vibes, but the unusual verses made me think of it.
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This is definitely the song that aligns the most with what BLACKPINK could’ve released at some point in their careers. Only this time we got an actual chorus with words and dynamics, it’s not just chanting or repeating the word over and over again. I consider myself a BLACKPINK fan, but I still agree with Nick. I would’ve loved for them to have this type of song!
But since this is a Jennie song, you gotta give her her flowers. This definitely feels like a “main-single” type of song. Mantra was much more bland and easy-listening, but this one is more compelling and interesting. I’m definitely excited for her album, from the collaborations she has to this single, it’s shaping up to be really good.
9/10!
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Quite mid.
A turd wrapped in gold is still a turd.
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I love it! It sounds like a Rihanna song and I mean that as a compliment. I really hope the rest of her album is this good, and given the features, I’m sure it will be. Doechii and Jennie was not something I had on my 2025 bingo card but I can’t wait to see it happen.
Also, I need to know what the wardrobe budget was for this MV. There’s so many outfits and Jennie manages to pull off every single one of them in my opinion.
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Well so its interesting. It _sounds_ like it is in a mixed meter which keeps the song sounding off kilter in an interesting sonic way. Meaning a emphatic note hits in a way that the average listener would not expect.
The verses sounds like they are in 3/4 then 5/4 time, which means actually basic 4/4 time with notes pulled and pushed around the measure bars. The prechorus is closer on 4/4. I haven’t fully counted out the chorus yet, but it sounds like they either skip a beat from the prechorus to the chorus, or once again its in that 3/4 5/4 =or something=.
As for me. I don’t know when I would listen to this. Partly, its the messaging which is a typical I’m a bad itch posturing, which I don’t care about. I am also not sold on the vocal. The verses are a monotone deliberately which is fine, fine-ish, but it sounds artificially thickened with technology, making her sound like a couple of other stomping around ladies out there who are more authentic. Jennie’s natural voice is more like the prechorus sound. So I am just not buying it. Except for perhaps Jessie, maybe old Brown Eyed Girls, I just don’t believe ladies of kpop are anything like what they sing they are like in a song like this. Actually Jessie would sell the shit out of this song.
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This song had me testing my patience 😂. It is definitely not something I would go back to listen to but I do appreciate the sonic direction they opted this time, far better than the recycled material like Mantra.
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If nothing else, I love how experimental this song is. Blackpink songs have an infamously repetitive structure, with something repetitive themes, so I imagine all four girls have been itching to explore different sounds sonically. It’s nice to see them doing that, and it feels much more authentic than what they were doing as a group. Jennie, in particular, seemed like the member most eager to branch out into different artistic spaces. She clearly doesn’t want to be defined by kpop standards.
Despite this, though, I don’t love the song. (Or, at least I don’t yet. It might be a grower.) It didn’t hold my attention well, and I didn’t find it very catchy at all. The sparseness of it made it feel a bit incomplete to me. But maybe I’m just used to very ‘full’ feeling music.
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