Jennie’s ‘Fallen Angel’ music video draws mixed reactions

Jennie’s music video for her latest single has sparked debate online, with some viewers criticizing the imagery used while others argue that the scenes are symbolic of the song’s themes.

The Blackpink member released “Fallen Angel” and its music video on Aug. 28. The minimalist track is built around a lyrical guitar melody and restrained vocals.

Much of the discussion has centered on scenes toward the end of the video.

Children dressed in white robes and red veils appear holding candles, followed by images of fire and thorny bushes. In another scene, a child delivers narration surrounded by burning thorns, before the video concludes with children singing the song and Jennie making a gesture that appears to cover a child’s eyes.

The imagery prompted some viewers to draw comparisons to religious or cult-like rituals.

“The combination of children, candles, red veils and fire evokes the idea of human sacrifice,” wrote one user on Instagram Threads. “The particular sequence in the music video has clear human-sacrifice motifs and the sight of children standing there in red veils while Jennie stands among them, also dressed in red, makes the scene feel eerie and ritualistic.”

Others questioned the decision to feature children in the sequence at all, saying the imagery “felt more disturbing than artistic,” with some going so far as to accuse the video of containing satanic imagery.

“While I’ve been a long-time fan of Jennie, the use of children in such imagery felt too explicit. Personally, I feel very disappointed with this music video,” wrote one user on Instagram. The post went viral in South Korea, drawing widespread attention to the debate surrounding the music video.

Others, however, pushed back against such interpretations, arguing that focusing solely on the video’s occult-like imagery ignores its broader narrative.

YouTuber Goyohan Sikdang argued that the discomfort created by the scenes may be “intentional,” describing the imagery as a “creative device” rather than something meant to depict an actual ritual.

“A ‘fallen angel,’ from a biblical perspective, could refer to Lucifer. But art is also about taking the image of a fallen angel and interpreting it in a different way,” he said. “If you think that all artists have to remain confined to the existing meanings of symbols simply because you don’t know how to borrow those symbols and give them another interpretation, then you won’t be able to understand any art.”

He added that after seeing the music video become a topic of discussion online, he watched it expecting to find more explicit references to satanism but came away unconvinced, saying people “tend to instinctively interpret something unfamiliar as dangerous.”

A user on X also interpreted the children as representing Jennie’s younger self or inner child, with the fire and thorns symbolizing pain and adversity. They argued that the sequence “depicts Jennie confronting those experiences and ultimately coming to terms with them.”

Neither Jennie nor her agency has publicly addressed the debate surrounding the imagery.

“Fallen Angel” is the title track of Jennie’s latest EP. The release also includes the pre-release single “Less than a Lover” and “Heaven.” Three tracks selected by Jennie for fans — “Sweettooth,” “Lock It Down” and “Face” — are exclusively available on the physical edition.