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Seoul City (song)

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"Seoul City"
Song by Jennie
from the album Ruby
ReleasedMarch 7, 2025 (2025-03-07)
StudioAlo (Beverly Hills)
GenreR&B
Length2:44
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Music video
"Seoul City" on YouTube

"Seoul City" is a song by South Korean singer and rapper Jennie. It was released through Odd Atelier and Columbia Records on March 7, 2025, as a track on her debut studio album Ruby (2025). A music video for the song was directed by Dasom Han and uploaded on Jennie's YouTube channel on April 26.

Background and release

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After departing from YG Entertainment for solo activities, Jennie founded her own record label named Odd Atelier in November 2023.[1] She then signed as a solo artist with Columbia Records in partnership with Odd Atelier in September 2024.[2] On January 21, 2025, Jennie officially announced her debut studio album Ruby.[3] She revealed the album tracklist on February 18, which included "Seoul City" as the thirteenth track.[4] The song was subsequently released on digital and streaming platforms alongside Ruby on March 7.[5]

Development and recording

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"Seoul City" was written by Jennie, Badriia "Bibi" Bourelly, Carly Gibert, and the song's producers Myles Edward Harris (known as MoneyGoForMyles), Braylin Philip Bowman (known as Resource), Xeryus Gittens (known as Xeryus), and Michael Len Williams II (known as Mike Will Made It).[6] According to Bowman, the idea for the beat started in 2019 when Williams needed beats for Miley Cyrus. Bowman, initially envisioning the song as having a "bluesy, psychedelic rock style, with a little bit of soul", created a live drum loop with a guitar melody from Gittens and arranged live bass and keyboards around it. The recording was sent to Williams and forwarded to Harris, who used it as a sample and made it into his own beat with "festival vibes" by speeding it up, adding 808s, hats, snare, and a melody. Harris sent the beat back to Williams, and it became one of the beats picked by Jennie during a studio session with her and several songwriters. Bowman later expressed surprise about the final direction with the "rock and soul elements" being retained for a K-pop song, while Harris praised Jennie for taking it "where it needed to go sonically and vocally."[7]

Lyrics and composition

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The song has been described as a "mellow" love letter to Seoul that pays tribute to the city's vibrancy and Jennie's connection to it.[8] It celebrates the city's magical charm and honors it as the most precious place in the singer's heart.[9] During her appearance on You Quiz on the Block, Jennie explained the meaning of "Seoul City", saying: "When I thought about the question I got from my friends, 'What is the one city in the world that can be called paradise?', I felt like I would definitely go home to Seoul."[10] The production was noted for having "Mike Will Made It's distinctive Atlanta vibe"[11] blending "moody synths, a deep bass groove, and layered vocal effects" to create a "hypnotic and cinematic effect."[12] Similarly, it was described as a "slower-paced" track featuring "cinematic synths and layered tonality"[13] as well as "moody falsettos" similar to Jennie's song "One of the Girls" (2023).[14]

Live performances

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Jennie included "Seoul City" on the setlist of her concert tour the Ruby Experience, which commenced in Los Angeles on March 6, 2025 at the same time as Ruby's release.[15] She also performed the song at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 13 and 20.[16]

Music video

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The music video for "Seoul City" was directed by Dason Ham and released on Jennie's YouTube channel on April 26, 2025.[17] It was previewed before its release during Jennie's shows for the Ruby Experience tour.[14] The release marked the seventh music video from Ruby's 15 tracks, the first time a K-pop artist released this many music videos for an album. Jennie's extensive promotional rollout was noted for setting a new benchmark for the K-pop industry, which normally releases two or three music videos, mostly for lead singles, due to the high cost of video production and promotional expenses. The video captures the "dreamlike beauty" of Seoul and shows Jennie immersed in the city’s vibrant spirit, "enhancing the song’s nostalgic atmosphere."[9] Jennie's looks in the video were designed by Leje, a five-year-old brand that fuses ancient Korean crafts with modern bold silhouettes as a way to reimagine the typically "reserved and elegant" Korean female identity as "confidently extravagant". Her glossy black and white tube top was constructed with a 3-D printed base, etched with mother-of-pearl inlay, and finally applied with lacquer.[8]

Usage in media

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Jennie was named honorary ambassador by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and Seoul Tourism Organization to promote tourism in Seoul in 2025.[18] Under the slogan "Absolutely in Seoul," the campaign comprised several promotional videos broadcast on digital billboards and television channels worldwide, one of which featured the song "Seoul City".[19]

Credits and personnel

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Credits adapted from the liner notes of Ruby.[20]

Recording

Personnel

  • Jennie – vocals, songwriter
  • MoneyGoForMyles – songwriter, producer
  • Resource – songwriter, producer
  • Xeryus – songwriter, producer
  • Mike Will Made It – songwriter, producer
  • Badriia "Bibi" Bourelly – songwriter
  • Carly Gibert – songwriter
  • Gage – recording engineer
  • Jaycen Joshua – mix engineer
  • Mike Seaberg – mix engineer
  • Jacob Richards – assistant mix engineer
  • Chris Bhikoo – assistant mix engineer
  • Will Quinnell – mastering engineer

Charts

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Chart performance for "Seoul City"
Chart (2025) Peak
position
Singapore Regional (RIAS)[21] 29
South Korea Download (Circle)[22] 72

References

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  1. ^ Peters, Michelle (December 24, 2023). "BLACKPINK's Jennie Begins 'Solo Journey' With New Label and Company OA". Billboard. Archived from the original on January 1, 2024. Retrieved January 1, 2024.
  2. ^ Aswad, Jem (September 8, 2024). "Blackpink's Jennie Signs Solo Deal With Columbia Records". Variety. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  3. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (January 22, 2025). "Blackpink's Jennie Unveils Debut Solo Album 'Ruby'". Variety. Archived from the original on January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 22, 2025.
  4. ^ Ki, Adelle (February 19, 2025). "Jennie Reveals 'RUBY' Album Tracklist". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on February 20, 2025. Retrieved February 20, 2025.
  5. ^ Yoon, So-Yeon (January 22, 2025). "Jennie to release solo album Ruby on March 7, featuring Childish Gambino and Dua Lipa". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on January 22, 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  6. ^ Jennie (February 21, 2025). "Ruby / Jennie / Credits". Tidal. Archived from the original on March 10, 2025. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  7. ^ Bell, Crystal (April 3, 2025). "Creating the sound of JENNIE's Ruby with Mike WiLL Made-It & Ear Drummers". The Fader. Archived from the original on April 3, 2025. Retrieved April 3, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Jian, Lee (May 8, 2025). "Ancient craft, modern couture: The Korean fashion designers behind Jennie's 'Ruby' look". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on May 9, 2025. Retrieved May 8, 2025.
  9. ^ a b Kim, Jae-heun (April 27, 2025). "Jennie of Blackpink redefines K-pop album promotion with seven 'Ruby' music videos". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on April 27, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  10. ^ Park, Jin-eop (June 9, 2025). 블랙핑크 완전체 준비 중인 제니, 300시간 수작업 공들인 '자개 패션' 추억 소환 [Jennie, who is preparing for the full group of Blackpink, recalls memories of 'mother-of-pearl fashion' that took 300 hours of handwork]. Sports Seoul (in Korean). Archived from the original on June 10, 2025. Retrieved June 9, 2025.
  11. ^ Benjamin, Jeff (March 10, 2025). "Every Song From JENNIE's Solo Album 'Ruby,' Ranked". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 10, 2025. Retrieved March 10, 2025.
  12. ^ Letícia L. Gomes, Maria (March 7, 2025). "Jennie – –Ruby". Clash. Archived from the original on March 7, 2025. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  13. ^ Tan, Azrin (March 7, 2025). "With 'Ruby', Jennie Kim delves into a curious new world". Vogue Singapore. Archived from the original on March 13, 2025. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  14. ^ a b Garcia, Thania (March 7, 2025). "Jennie Brings 'The Ruby Experience' to Los Angeles for a Sweet and Sultry Intro to Her Solo Era: Concert Review". Variety. Archived from the original on March 8, 2025. Retrieved March 19, 2025.
  15. ^ Garcia, Thania (March 7, 2025). "Jennie Brings 'The Ruby Experience' to Los Angeles for a Sweet and Sultry Intro to Her Solo Era: Concert Review". Variety. Archived from the original on March 8, 2025. Retrieved March 7, 2025.
  16. ^ Barraza, Paris (April 13, 2025). "Coachella 2025: From 'Starlight' to 'ExtraL,' see full setlist for Jennie's solo performance". The Desert Sun. Archived from the original on April 14, 2025. Retrieved April 14, 2025.
  17. ^ "JENNIE - Seoul City (Official Video)". YouTube. April 26, 2025. Archived from the original on April 26, 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  18. ^ Hwang, You-mee (July 29, 2025). "Blackpink's Jennie becomes face of Seoul". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on July 29, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  19. ^ Shin, Min-hee (July 29, 2025). "Blackpink's Jennie named honorary tourism ambassador for Seoul". Korea JoongAng Daily. Archived from the original on July 29, 2025. Retrieved July 29, 2025.
  20. ^ Jennie (2025). Ruby (liner notes). Odd Atelier/Columbia Records. L200003175.
  21. ^ "The Official Singapore Charts Week 18 (25 Apr - 1 May 2025)". RIAS. Archived from the original on May 6, 2025. Retrieved May 6, 2025.
  22. ^ "Circle Download Chart - Week 10, 2025". Circle Chart. March 2–8, 2025. Archived from the original on March 13, 2025. Retrieved March 13, 2025.
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