Jennie Drops 'Less than a Lover' on July 24 — That Viral Polaroid Was a Teaser All Along
Jennie is releasing her new solo single "Less than a Lover" on July 24 at 1 p.m. KST. Her agency OA Entertainment (Odd Atelier) announced the release alongside a teaser image on July 21. It's her first solo release since her debut studio album 'Ruby' in March 2025 — roughly a year and four months. The Polaroid That Broke the Internet What made this announcement land so hard was what happened a few days earlier. On July 18, Jennie posted a single Polaroid to Instagram with no caption: her head resting affectionately on a man's shoulder, his face covered by a heart-shaped sticker. The internet promptly lost it. Was it a relationship reveal or a music teaser? Fans went full detective mode, trying to identify him from his hairstyle and vibe alone. When the teaser dropped on July 21, the whole thing turned out to be a neatly executed promo rollout. One thing worth flagging, though: the man's identity still hasn't been officially confirmed. Speculation named a particular model online, but the agency has never confirmed who he is. Some outlets are reporting it as settled fact — for now, it's safer to treat it as speculation. Not a Power Performance — A Hazy Lo-fi Summer Song "Less than a Lover" is an emotive summer track built on lo-fi guitar and vintage electric keyboard, topped with noticeably more grounded, matured vocals. That's a clear turn away from the performance-driven singles like "Mantra" and "like JENNIE" she's leaned on so far, which makes it all the more intriguing. The teaser image is striking too. Jennie gazes out at a summer landscape through the window of a moving truck, the whole frame carrying a distinctly cinematic mood. The accompanying line — about a summer she chose to put the love story on pause — hints at where the song sits emotionally. Written, Composed, and Directed by Jennie The most notable part of this release is how much of it is hers. She wrote the lyrics, handled the music, and directed the music video herself — making this her directing debut. Since leaving YG in 2023 to launch her own label, Odd Atelier, Jennie has steadily taken more control over her own output. This single reads as a continuation of that trajectory. A Song Already Battle-Tested at Festivals The track was famous among fans well before its official release. Jennie first performed it at the Governors Ball Music Festival in the U.S. in June, then brought it back for headline sets at Denmark's Roskilde Festival on July 3, Poland's Open'er Festival, and Spain's Mad Cool Festival. Clips spread organically across TikTok and Reels, fan demand for a studio version piled up, and the official release followed. Her festival run continues next month with Lollapalooza Chicago in the U.S. and Summer Sonic 2026 in Japan. For a summer song arriving in the thick of summer, it's easy to picture the crowd singing it back to her.
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