"Solo" (stylized in all caps) is the debut solo single of South Korean singer, rapper, and Blackpink member Jennie. Released on November 12, 2018, through YG and Interscope, the song was written and produced by Teddy and 24. Musically, "Solo" is a dance, pop, and hip hop song with EDM elements. Its lyrical content revolves around the theme of independence after a break-up.
"Solo" was a commercial success in South Korea, peaking atop the Gaon Digital Chart and the Billboard K-pop Hot 100 for two weeks. Internationally, it became Jennie's first chart-topper on the Billboard World Digital Songs chart in the United States, and debuted on the charts of several other countries, including Canada, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Scotland, Singapore and the United Kingdom. It has received two platinum certifications from the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA): for selling over 2.5 million digital units, and for surpassing 100 million streams.
An accompanying music video for the song was directed by Han Sa-min and uploaded to Blackpink's YouTube channel simultaneously with the single's release. The video was filmed in the United Kingdom and depicts Jennie's transformation from an innocent to strong independent woman. The video has accumulated more than 900 million views and is the most-viewed video by a K-pop female soloist on the platform.
Recording and composition
In a press conference held on November 12, 2018, Jennie talked about the song's creation, stating, "When I'm at Teddy's studio, he'll make a song and I'll just record the guide for it. It wasn't that he was working on a solo track for me. He just said, 'I have something new, let's try it.' So I recorded the song he had, and it happened to be a great fit".. She also described the meaning behind the song as "When you’re dating someone, you tend to present what the other person wants rather than your true self. I wanted to express that feeling. Rather than the heart wound coming from a breakup, I wanted to express myself more freely". While Jennie is not credited as a songwriter, she created the concept behind the song. She told the Hollywood Reporter, "So, I've input a lot of my ideas into the concept, the style and everything. So, I've had a strong connection from the beginning, I guess." Jennie explained how "Solo" was written by Teddy and produced by him alongside 24. The song is composed in the key of E-flat minor in a tempo 95 beats per minute and runs for 2:49. It has been described as a dance, pop and hip hop song, with EDM elements. SBS''' Kang Kyung-yoon noted that the lyrics follow two themes; a weak introverted girl and an "independent yet strong woman.
Commercial performance
"Solo" debuted at number one on the Gaon Digital Chart on the week ending November 17. Overall, the song stayed in the top ten of the chart for 13 consecutive weeks and spent 33 weeks in the top 100 of the chart. It furthermore topped the component Download and Streaming chart. The CD release of the single charted at no. two of the Gaon Album Chart, selling 45,000 copies in two months making it the 100th best-selling album of 2018. As of April 2021, it sold more than 100,000 copies. Eventually "Solo" became the 86th and 35th best-performing song of 2018 and 2019 respectively in South Korea. The song was certified platinum by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) both for surpassing 100 million streams on June 6, 2019, and for 2.5 million paid digital downloads on March 12, 2020. The song entered the Billboard K-pop Hot 100 on the chart issue dated November 24 at number one. The following week it dropped to no. ten, but reached the top again the following week. It spent 25 weeks on the chart. The song further reached number one in Singapore and Malaysia. In Japan, "Solo" debuted and peaked at number 22 on the Billboard Japan Hot 100 in the week ending November 26. In the United States, "Solo" debuted atop Billboard's World Digital Song Sales chart on the issue dated December 1, 2018. It spent 25 weeks in said chart. The song has sold 10,000 digital copies in the US as of December 2018. "Solo" also reached the single charts in Canada and Scotland, while reaching the UK download component and New Zealand Hot Singles charts. On June 30, 2021, the song surpassed 300 million streams on Spotify, surpassing Psy's "Gangnam Style" in October last year and became the most streamed song by a Korean solo singer.