Review: Performance over art, Lisa of Blackpink makes her solo debut with “LALISA”
September 15, 2021: Lisa is the third member of Blackpink to release a solo project. — WriterMild
YG Entertainment, the home of legendary K-pop acts Big Bang and formerly 2NE1 and Psy, has had the world at its feet when it comes to marketing its artists and shaping irresistible images for them. Blackpink is no exception. But this success does not always translate into artistic growth that would be a worthwhile addition to this heavily stigmatized music industry. And the latest unfortunate example of this issue is “LALISA” by Lisa of Blackpink.
“LALISA,” a Korean-English hip hop track which features Lisa singing about how amazing it feels to be her and inviting you to repeat her name 24 times, arrived with a record-breaking music video. Producer Teddy Park of YG Entertainment is on the song credits. After a chant-like introduction fading in, “LALISA” starts off with droning brass riffs that immediately establish the Teddy Park sound reminiscent of Blackpink’s earlier release “Kill This Love” or “BANG BANG BANG” by Big Bang. With the high frequency vocal and percussive elements contrasted by the deep bass, the first drop’s impact is solid. The following ones do not hit as hard, but are compensated by the startling music video visuals. Catchy, stripped-back, and super neat; this is a solid piece of YG/Teddy Park production. But there is one big issue: it sounds exactly like a Blackpink song.
Lisa seems to shine brighter than the other members on most Blackpink singles as she best suits the sound designed to appeal to the international audience. But it becomes a double edged sword when this highly anticipated debut of hers fails to differentiate her solo identity from her Blackpink identity. Lisa did have some input in the production of this track as we can hear some Thai instruments such as Pi (reed oboe) and Khlong (leather drum). But that is the only minor effort put into making it a Lisa song. The lyrics hit on the first few listens but the song’s self-centered tone wears off soon after. With the exception of Jisoo, all of the other Blackpink members — Jennie, Rose and now Lisa — have released their solo debuts. And “LALISA” unfortunately has the least depth. Good lyricism is about empathy and building a human connection with listeners. Jennie’s “Solo” and Rose’s “On The Ground” came off as much more relatable as any listener would know what heartbreak or dilemma feels like. But “LALISA” is simply just Lisa selling herself.
Let us move on to the more commendable part of this project: the music video. It is fashion-packed with 14 outfit changes. While some looks on Lisa invite cultural appropriation claims, this video is definitely on the safer side given how previous releases by YG Entertainment have had their fair share of serious scandals. Apart from the overly familiar hallway walk scene YG production loves to use as an opener, the rest of the video gets increasingly more entertaining with a scene featuring Lisa on the dance pole or one with her on the balcony accompanied by a complete color shift from muted to vibrant. The scene that makes this video its own distinguished statement has to be the stunning all-gold Thai scene.
Dancing in front of the sculptural replica of her hometown landmark Prasat Hin Phanom Rung, Lisa wears a Thai traditional outfit, a Chada headdress, and jewelry by Thai fashion houses Asava, Hooks by Prapakas, and Saraan. Although the dance for this verse seems more like an Arabic belly dance, Lisa made sure she paid homage to her motherland as she sings in Korean, “From Thailand to Korea, and now here, went for the throat.” This 30-second section is jam-packed with splendid cultural representations. And Lisa’s energy lives up to the grandeur.
Experiencing this project as a whole, the song “LALISA” ultimately does not exist without the music video. And this is symptomatic of what YG Entertainment has previously done for Blackpink and other groups: empty marketing and treating artists as products. Lisa is known for her captivating dance, colorful rap, and striking appearance. Most importantly, people seem to fall for her charisma. But sadly, this is all we know about her as the current biggest female idol in the K-pop industry. It remains a mystery whether she is capable of pulling off a wide range of genres and lyrical depth like Lady Gaga does but just has never been given a chance, or whether she is bound to follow the Britney Spears path of stardom.
While K-pop has repeatedly been referred to as the manufactured genre and industry, many bands and artists have been putting in constant effort to redefine it. The current best-selling boy group BTS from Big Hit Entertainment has been writing and releasing music about deeper topics such as rebelling against social norms and loving oneself, all of which add the human element to their identities and offer much more relatable messages to listeners. Hyuna, a female rapper from P Nation with a similar focus to Lisa, which is performance, released a song called “I’m Not Cool” to share her struggle of trying to appear perfect on stage when she knows she can never be. There is undeniably more taste in Hyuna’s approach considering how she uses an opposite statement to imply that she is in fact cool. Lisa’s approach to set the tone through the lyrics that she is indeed the greatest of all time does not leave room for reflection or conclusion to be made by her listeners. Seeing some of these examples of K-pop with more depth and thought put into the music puts “LALISA” on the much weaker side of the K-pop spectrum despite the video being as equally entertaining as any other video produced by a big Korean label.
Lisa is 24 and has a whole life and career ahead of her. It is not too late for YG Entertainment to start investing real effort and lyrical talent into supporting this gem in her artistic growth. In the end, what stands the test of time is art and not artists.
*******
Content Details: Song & Music Video – LALISA / Artist – Lisa / Release Date – September 10, 2021 / Label – YG
