Lead dancer and rapper Lisa, of K-pop sensation Blackpink, has embraced her roots with her first solo project. Lisa’s single album “Lalisa,” named after her given Thai name Lalisa Monoban, has become a smash hit worldwide, going number one on the Korean and Thai charts, and climbing to the top five on the US iTunes charts shortly after it’s release.

The Thai pop star has been a key part of Blackpink since the group debuted in 2016 with their hit song “Boombayah,” which became the first K-pop debut song to hit one billion views on YouTube in 2020. Since their debut, each of the members have gotten their fair share of popularity, collaborations and brand deals. Two of the members of Blackpink, Rosé and Jennie,  had already made their solo debut in the past, but Lisa’s debut may have been the most anticipated of the group. 

“Lalisa” features two tracks, one being the title track and the other named “Money.” They are both upbeat dance tracks with powerful raps that emphasize Lisa’s individuality and her successful aura. “Lalisa” features lyrics like, “I’m incomparable, you gonna still love me nonetheless” and “being the greatest of all time ain’t fantasy,” showing off her fans’ love and the resulting success she experiences from it. The song’s choreography is powerful and emphasizes Lisa’s expert dance skills, and has the internet scrambling to learn and record their own rendition of it. 

In the second track “Money,” Lisa tries a different rap style than her usual melodic raps. The entire song is in English, and features some fierce lyrics. She channels her inner hip-hop artist in this song, rapping about her “money moves” and buying the things she likes. This song does not yet have a choreography, but fans (affectionately called Blinks) are hoping that it will eventually get one in a music video. Based on the track, the choreography would be powerful, a style that Lisa can pull off effortlessly with her strong stage presence. Blinks, including myself, look forward to her future music and performances, both solo and group efforts!