JENNIE, Less than a Lover | Song Review

BLACKPINK standout JENNIE thrills on her short but sweet, friend/lover-confused pop single, “Less than a Lover.”

Noted, JENNIE.  The BLACKPINK standout drops the love-driven pop single, “Less than a Lover”.  “Don’t think too much / ‘Cause all I need this summer…” The ellipsis will be replaced later. “Less than a Lover” was written by JENNIE, Bibi Bourelly, Deb Never, Jelli Dorman, and producers Tyler Spry and Cashmere Cat.

 

“Less than a Lover” keeps the duration less than two-and-a-half minutes. That is sufficient time for JENNIE to do her thang. The record commences with smooth, rhythmic chords at the beginning. An appealing groove provides an anchor.  Throughout, the production touches are colorful and suit JENNIE superbly. She delivers silky smooth vocals.  Her tone is beautiful, as she sings the memorable melodies and lyrics.  “Splashing in the water / Please don’t make this harder on me,” she sings in the second verse, and concludes, “Tan lines on your body / I’m tracing your spine in degrees.” So, what theme is JENNIE exploring? The sweet spot between friend and lover. The form is easy to follow, and plays out as follows: verse one, pre-chorus, chorus, verse two, pre-chorus, chorus, bridge, and outro. Focusing on the chorus, it is golden and easily gets stuck in your head. Also, it somewhat clarifies what she wants… I think:

“Is a little bit less than a lover

Need a little bit less than a lover

You get a little bit more than another

Need a little bit less, little less, little less

Need a little bit less than a lover.”

Does “Less than a Lover” make sense? No, not completely, but that’s the case with love, like, so on, and so forth.  What does make sense is that this is another awesome pop bop from a talented artist.  Hopefully, she figures out this less-than-love thing, but she’s got the music thing locked down. 

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JENNIE » “Less Than a Lover” » Columbia Records » 7.24.26 [📷: Columbia Records]

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