Jennie Gets Emotional at Coachella—But Some Fans Criticize Her “Off-Key” Singing

BLACKPINK’s Jennie stole the spotlight once again at Coachella, delivering an even hotter performance in the festival’s second weekend.

On April 21 (KST), Jennie took the stage at the Outdoor Theater—one of Coachella’s main venues in Indio, California—as a solo K-pop artist, an unprecedented feat. She captivated the audience with a powerful 13-song set featuring tracks from her debut solo album Ruby.

Jennie kicked things off with her title track “Like JENNIE” and thrilled fans with a surprise dance break performance of her debut single “SOLO.” Her stage presence, vocal strength, and polished live performance impressed even more than her week 1 showing. Highlights included her fierce rap delivery in “Like JENNIE” and solid vocals in “F.T.S.”

One of the most touching moments came during the final song “Starlight,” when Jennie shouted “Love you, Mom!” mid-performance. The lyric “I just wanna make my mama prouder” echoed with deeper meaning as fans spotted her mother in the audience, making the moment even more emotional.

After wrapping up her set, Jennie appeared visibly moved and shared heartfelt thanks: “Thank you so much for coming to my show. I’ll never forget tonight. I love you all.”

The crowd erupted in cheers, chanting her name until the very end.

However, not all Coachella attendees and fans were impressed. Many took to social media to voice their disappointment over Jennie’s Week 2 performance. On platforms like Reddit and X, some users criticized the set for having "less live singing, lower energy, and inconsistent delivery" compared to Week 1.

One fan bluntly remarked on a popular Reddit thread, “Week 2 gagged me so hard. Something was clearly off—maybe nerves? But she didn’t give her all, and it was visible to everyone.” The sentiment echoed across several threads, with viewers expressing frustration that the highly anticipated performance didn’t live up to expectations.

Despite the mixed reactions online, Jennie’s Coachella stages still sparked a global wave of attention. Her “Like JENNIE” performance video climbed to No. 2 on YouTube’s Worldwide Trending Music Videos and No. 3 on the platform’s general trending chart. On X (formerly Twitter), hashtags like #Jennie and #JENCHELLA soared to No. 1 and 2 worldwide.

Following her first weekend performance, Jennie was the only K-pop artist included in Billboard’s “Best Performances of Coachella Week 1” list—solidifying her solo star power.

First held in 1999, Coachella is the largest music festival in the U.S., attracting over 200,000 attendees annually during its two-week run in California’s desert city of Indio.

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