“It’s just a singing technique” - Fans defend BLACKPINK’s Jennie after “out of breath” criticism over 2025 MMA ‘Seoul City’ stage

On December 20, BLACKPINK's Jennie attended the 17th Melon Music Awards at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul. The appearance marked her return to an award show stage for the first time since early 2019. That year, she attended the Gaon Chart Music Awards on January 23 with BLACKPINK. This time, carrying the entire set herself, the K-pop idol's stage combined modern production with Korean-inspired visuals.

Rearranged versions of Seoul City, ZEN, and like JENNIE were performed in order. During Seoul City, she appeared under a large veil, featuring text inspired by Korea’s earliest lyric book, which immediately drew focus. The stage used blue tones tied to the city’s lights and atmosphere.

The following ZEN section shifted toward a calm and controlled rendition. The final like JENNIE expanded in scale, with more than 50 dancers filling the stage. Jeogori-influenced outfits were redesigned for both Jennie and the dancers. However, some viewers claimed she appeared "out of breath" during the Seoul City stage.

Others defended the performance, pointing to live singing.

"Bro she is not out of breath, its just a singing technique and its low key attractive," an X user commented.

Many say that it’s the song’s style, meant to be sung that way.

Meanwhile, netizens keep praising her performance.

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BLACKPINK's Jennie makes MMA history as the first solo Daesang winner

At Seoul’s Gocheok Sky Dome on December 20, BLACKPINK's Jennie secured Record of the Year at MMA2025. The win marked her fourth Daesang. She became the first solo artist in Melon Music Awards history to claim the category.

“Thank you for giving me such a big award. This year has been very meaningful to me. My first solo album was released, and I’m happy to end the year joyfully. I will continue to be a JENNIE who makes great music," after receiving the award," the MANTRA hitmaker stated.

BLACKPINK’s Jennie (Image via Instagram/@melon_music)

Winners are decided through downloads and streams at 60 percent. Expert review accounts for 20 percent, while fan votes complete the remaining 20 percent. Her debut full-length album Ruby, was released in March. It arrived through her self-founded label Odd Atelier with Columbia Records.

The album sold over 661,000 copies in its first week. That figure marked the highest first-week sales by a female K-pop soloist in 2025. Ruby entered the top ten charts in 19 countries. It also reached number three on the UK Albums Chart. This became the highest placement ever for a K-pop solo act.

Three songs from Ruby charted together on the Billboard Hot 100. like JENNIE landed at number 83. Handlebars, featuring Dua Lipa, reached number 80. ExtraL, featuring Doechii, entered at number 99. This made her the first female K-pop soloist to achieve the feat.

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This year, Jennie also won the Global Force Award at the 2025 Billboard Women in Music ceremony. She also appeared on global stages, including the 2025 Met Gala and Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival.

Edited by Shreya Jha