Less Than a Lover

On July 18, Jennie posted a Polaroid photo on social media of herself wearing a bright floral dress and leaning on a man's shoulder, with the man's face obscured by a heart emoji.^[1] Fans speculated that the man in the photo was Taiwanese model Nah Kai.^[2] Shortly afterwards, she announced the single "Less Than a Lover" with a romantic teaser showing the silhouettes of a couple under an arched tunnel in a European alley. The poster credited Jennie as the project's director, writer, and music producer and was captioned "The summer I chose to pause the love story."^[3] On July 20, she confirmed the single's release date with a second teaser image depicting Jennie outside a pickup truck with a man, revealed to be Nah Kai.^[4] A third teaser on July 20 showed the two running hand in hand through an open field.^[5] "Less than a Lover" is the first single from Jennie's first extended play, Fallen Angel (2026).^[6][7]

"Less than a Lover" is a "softer, more introspective" alternative pop ballad featuring restrained vocals over a lo-fi guitar, vintage electric keyboards and "dreamy, laid-back" instrumentation.^[8][9][10] Jennie was creatively involved throughout the entire project and participated in the song's lyrics, musical production, and music video direction.^[11] Lyrically, the song explores the dynamics of a casual, seasonal romance that falls between friendship and a committed relationship.^[12] Through lines such as "More than a friend, but less than a lover" the singer establishes clear boundaries, expressing a desire for a low-pressure, temporary connection.^[8] The track marked a stylistic departure from the singer's previous performance-oriented releases.^[13]

Directed by Choeey, the song's music video was filmed in Girona, Spain and incorporates a cinematic narrative structure, with Jennie credited as both writer and narrator. The visual also stars the Taiwan-born model Nah Kai. Shot with a muted color palette and intimate camera angles, the visual begins with a spoken intro outlining a script about avoiding long-term romantic responsibility: "So I want a film about a girl. She wants to avoid love, wants to avoid responsibilities. She’s very confused, but also knows what she wants - just to enjoy summer."^[10] The narrative follows a summer romance through scenes of road trips, coastal drives, and poolside moments.^[8] The video ends with a scene on the beach described through a short voiceover. Just as the two characters are about to kiss, Jennie backs away, choosing to keep the relationship casual.^[10]

Jennie first debuted "Less Than a Lover" live before its release at the Governors Ball Music Festival on June 7, 2026.^[16] She further performed it at the Roskilde Festival on July 3,^[17] the Open'er Festival on July 4,^[18] and Mad Cool on July 9.^[19] Following the song's release, she performed it at Lollapalooza on August 1.^[20]

All credits adapted from Tidal.^[21]

• List of K-pop songs on the Billboard charts
• List of M Countdown Chart winners (2026)