JENNIE is giving fans a fresh look at one of the biggest solo releases of her career. The BLACKPINK star has officially unveiled the performance version of “Less Than a Lover” on YouTube.
The new visual arrives just weeks after the single’s successful July 24 release, extending the momentum of JENNIE’s new solo era under her independent label, Odd Atelier.
Unlike the cinematic official music video, the performance version places the focus squarely on JENNIE’s expressive delivery. The song was first introduced during performances at Governors Ball in New York, Roskilde Festival in Denmark, and Open’er Festival in Poland, where “Less Than a Lover” made its live debut before its official release.
It has already become one of JENNIE’s strongest solo successes across streaming platforms. On July 24, “Less Than a Lover” debuted at No. 34 on Spotify’s Daily Top Songs Global chart with 2.261 million streams, making it one of the highest first-day debuts of her solo career. It also reached No. 1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart in at least 27 countries, became the best-selling single in China, climbed to No. 2 on Melon’s Hot 100 in South Korea, and topped YouTube’s Worldwide Trending Music Videos chart. Its official music video collected 5.7 million views in its first 24 hours, the biggest opening for a K-pop soloist on YouTube in 2026.
“Less Than a Lover” also represents a creative milestone for JENNIE. The singer is credited as the sole songwriter and composer, making it one of her most personal releases to date. She further expanded her artistic role by directing the official music video herself.
Excitement surrounding the new song had been building long before its release. Alongside “Less Than a Lover,” JENNIE also previewed unreleased songs “Lock It Down” and “Heaven” during her summer festival appearances, teasing that additional solo music is on the way. Days before the official release, she fueled speculation by sharing a mysterious image featuring an unidentified man before posting the message, “The summer I chose to pause the love story,” a lyric that listeners later connected to the track.
The new performance video follows the success of Ruby, JENNIE’s acclaimed 2025 debut solo album, which debuted inside the top 10 in 19 countries, sold more than 660,000 copies during its first week in South Korea, earned triple platinum certification, and produced five Billboard Hot 100 entries.
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