Her Own Way - As one of the most beloved K-Pop Idols, Jennie is always thinking about what her fans want from her. but what does she want for herself?

When Jennie steps out in public, it is practically an act of bravery. The mononymous global pop star, fashion icon, and, most notably, member of the record-shattering K-pop group Blackpink is so inundated with paparazzi at Fashion Week and obsessed over by fans at shows that even the most mundane aspects of her life can trigger international news cycles. The majority of her adulthood has been a commitment to country and fandom, so she's practiced in being observed; when she notices it, she sits up straighter, smiles a bit brighter, works a little harder. She can't place when that started happening exactly, but it's something she's learned she can turn on, especially when she performs: "Anyone who meets me will say I'm so far from what I represent as me onstage," she says.

- By Puja Patel- Photographs by Zoë Ghertner - Styling by Carlos Nazario

When Jennie steps out in public, it is practically an act of bravery. The mononymous global pop star, fashion icon, and, most notably, member of the record-shattering K-pop group Blackpink is so inundated with paparazzi at Fashion Week and obsessed over by fans at shows that even the most mundane aspects of her life can trigger international news cycles. The majority of her adulthood has been a commitment to country and fandom, so she's practiced in being observed; when she notices it, she sits up straighter, smiles a bit brighter, works a little harder. She can't place when that started happening exactly, but it's something she's learned she can turn on, especially when she performs: Anyone who meets me will say I'm so far from what I represent as me onstage, she says. I would never say that I'm lying there. It's a part of me, a switch inside of me that I can just click.

When we meet on a summer night in Hollywood, she's just come off two straight weeks in the studio, working on her forthcoming debut solo album. She's been poring over lyrics to make sure her semantics are narratively sound and cutting, cutting, cutting vocals from morning to night. It's currently past dinnertime, and she's lounging in a cropped black T-shirt and joggers in an empty office next to the photo studio where she's just finished a shoot. A little nylon Jacquemus bag with a stuffed-teddy-bear charm sits on her chair beside her. She's been on set all day, and if she's tired, she hides it well; she is warm and friendly. When she laughs, she throws her head back and clutches her hands together like a child who's just encountered her first puppy. It's easy to see why there are TikToks devoted entirely to her wide-eyed facial expressions, including the specific way she pouts.