In recent weeks, the spotlight has been on BLACKPINK’s Jennie following her solo debut album’s title track, “Like JENNIE.”As the accompanying dance challenge gained traction on social media, numerous K-pop idols joined in, creating a festive atmosphere around the track.
While many fans expressed their excitement about seeing fellow idols participate and celebrate Jennie’s achievement, a portion of the online community voiced their criticism regarding the dance covers. Detractors often targeted the performance styles of the participating idols, igniting a controversial debate within the fanbase.
In response to this negativity, Jennie’s dedicated fanbase came forward to defend their beloved idol and the other K-pop stars involved. They highlighted that Jennie’s intention behind the song and the dance challenge was to encourage confidence and self-expression, urging critics to embrace positivity instead.
Community Reactions
Fans flooded social media with a variety of supportive comments. Here are some notable reactions:
“Can we just enjoy & celebrate everyone here?”
“I really don’t care about which idol did the dance best. I’m just happy that all idols are participating in the trend with their own unique styles, and this is all that Jennie needed,”said a fan on X.
“It’s just sad how idols can’t even do a dance challenge for fun these days—one is ‘overdancing’ and the other ‘too lazy,'”added another fan.
“Some fans turned it into a competition which shouldn’t be. I know everyone has their own style of dancing which doesn’t necessarily mean one is better than the other,”commented a netizen.
Many users reiterated their displeasure at the misplaced criticism aimed at K-pop idols participating in the dance challenge.
“No, because I’m enjoying everyone who has done the Like JENNIE dance challenge! I don’t understand why K-pop fans have to turn everything into a competition or use it to drag each other’s favorites down,”stated a fan.
“Nowadays, many people think that they are choreographers who have the right to judge the idols’ dances and turn the dance challenge into a competition,”commented an X user.
“I never understand why idols get hate for dance challenges. It’s like this is TikTok; it’s not that serious,”replied a netizen.
“Dance challenges are supposed to be fun. If you don’t enjoy them, just scroll past and keep quiet. It’s as simple as that,”commented another X user.
Insights into BLACKPINK Jennie’s Solo Journey
Jennie, a prominent member of BLACKPINK and a multifaceted South Korean singer-songwriter and rapper, debuted under YG Entertainment in 2016. Recently, in December 2023, BLACKPINK members announced their departure from the agency following the expiration of their contracts.
While BLACKPINK continues to be part of YG Entertainment, each member has begun pursuing their solo careers, either by establishing their own labels or signing with new agencies. Ahead of the group’s departure, Jennie launched her own label, Odd Atelier, in November 2023, and is also signed under Columbia Records.
Notably, Jennie commenced releasing her solo music independently in October 2024, with her debut track titled “Mantra.”She subsequently announced the upcoming release of her solo album, “Ruby.”Following this, in January 2025, she dropped the pre-release single “Love Hangover,”featuring Dominic Fike.
In February, Jennie released another pre-album track, “ExtraL,”featuring Doechii, and the complete album, “Ruby,”debuted on March 7. This album boasts a total of fifteen tracks, including collaborations with various notable artists such as Dua Lipa, Kali Uchis, FKJ, and Childish Gambino.