A viral moment from BLACKPINK member Jennie's performance at the 2025 Melon Music Awards has sparked widespread speculation that she shaded her former partners, but the truth behind the footage reveals a different story.
During her December 20 performance at Seoul's Gocheok Sky Dome, Jennie performed her hit single "Like Jennie," which includes the lyric "No, I'm not thinking about no exes, know they miss me."
As she delivered this line, fans captured footage showing her smirking and looking toward the audience, prompting immediate speculation on social media that she was directing the message at her rumored former partners, EXO's Kai and BIGBANG's G-Dragon, both of whom attended the event, according to Koreaboo.
The clip quickly went viral across multiple platforms, with fans creating memes and commentary about the perceived shade. Dispatch had previously reported that Jennie dated Kai in 2019, though the relationship ended shortly after being exposed, and rumors of a relationship with G-Dragon circulated in 2021 following YG Entertainment's ambiguous response.
Read more: BLACKPINK's Jennie Accused of Being 'Lazy' Mid-Show — The Real Reason Behind Her Onstage Freeze
However, verification of the seating arrangements during Jennie's performance reveals that neither artist was actually in the audience at that moment. Kai had already left the venue following EXO's earlier performance, while G-Dragon was not seated in the artist section during Jennie's stage time. Audience footage confirms the artist's seating area showed neither of her rumored exes present when she performed "Like Jennie."
The lyric itself is not new and was written months before the MMA ceremony. "Like Jennie" was released as the fourth single from her debut solo album Ruby in March 2025, Genius reported. In interviews about the track, Jennie explained that the song celebrates her individuality and confidence rather than targeting specific individuals.
The night proved historic for Jennie regardless of viral speculation. She became the first solo artist in MMA history to win Record of the Year (Daesang), while also taking home Top 10 Artist and Millions Top 10 awards. During her emotional acceptance speech, she thanked her 50 backup dancers, production team, and expressed missing her BLACKPINK members.
While the "exes" lyric generated social media buzz, the evidence shows the viral moment was coincidental timing rather than deliberate shade toward anyone in attendance, as per Sportskeeda.
