BLACKPINK Jennie Enters TIME's 100 Most Influential People List

• TIME magazine ranks Jennie as one of the "100 Most Influential People of the Year," alongside world leaders from US, China, Israel, and Japan.
• Notably, no other Korean solo artist has been offered the title, showcasing Jennie and BLACKPINK’s global popularity.
• With an “undeniable presence,” Jennie continues to chart success through her solo career, especially in the Western market.

TIME magazine has added BLACKPINK Jennie to its yearly list of the "100 Most Influential People of the Year," making the singer the only South Korean individual to take part in the 2026 selection. Named in the Artists category on Wednesday, the 30-year-old superstar joins a global roster of powerful individuals, spanning from statecraft to sports to culture. 

Jennie joins the list alongside US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Interestingly, the global celebrities Time 100 list 2026 also featured New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, actor Dakota Johnson, and notable Korean Americans like musician Anderson. Paak and Olympic snowboarder Chloe Kim.

Jennie Joins Time 100 Most Influential 2026: Solo Breakthrough, and Chart Dominance

BLACKPINK Jennie Time 100 list ranking follows a period of remarkable commercial success. Her 2025 solo album, Ruby, rewrote streaming patterns when three of its songs entered the Billboard Hot 100 at the same time. The album’s momentum was bolstered by her Like Jennie Spotify streams record. Notably, the song ruled the platform as the most-streamed K-pop song throughout the first half of 2025, further solidifying Ruby's K-pop success.

K-pop’s Global Impact Bolstered by Jennie and BLACKPINK

Ever since debuting with BLACKPINK in 2016, Jennie has been a key contributor to the group's global success, propelled by tracks such as Ddu-Du Ddu-Du and How You Like That. The group notably performed at Coachella in 2019 as the first K-pop female act, later returning in 2023 as a Main Stage performer. Although Jennie initiated her individual discography with the single Solo in 2018, her recent endeavors have cemented her as an independent cultural force.

Jennie's Influence on Global K-pop? Grammy-Nominee Says So

In TIME magazine, Grammy-nominated musician Gracie Abrams' tribute to Jennie defines her “presence” as "undeniable," which is synonymous with her massive public reach. Gracie Abrams' tribute to Jennie further described her as having "magic at her core," which remains consistent even when the singer is performing for 100,000 spectators or just standing in a quiet backstage hallway. As per Abrams, Jennie’s ability to cut through the industry noise with "kindness and warmth" is what showcases her long-lasting impact.