Lalisa Manoban, or short for Lisa (리사), is already breaking records with her solo music. The 24-year-old’s “LALISA” has already surpassed 800k pre-orders, according YG Entertainment.
This is arguably the highest record in the history of any K-pop female soloist. The last time this happened was 16 years ago with BoA’s “Best of Soul” (800k orders) all the way back in 2005. It’s a huge deal not only to Blinks and Lisa stands, but also the K-pop community.
During her press conference earlier this morning (Friday, 10th September), the BLACKPINK member opened up about this new exciting chapter. She said, “I’m happy and excited to be able to show you a new side of me and new music. I’ve been preparing hard for the ‘LALISA’ stage, a stage I can be proud of and one that will be remembered as the best moment, for Blinks who waited a long time.”
“I think ‘LALISA’ is a song that can show the strength and confidence of my name well. The special reason for choosing my name as the album name was that I wanted to capture my coolest appearance. It means that the solo album itself is me,” the K-pop star continued.
When asked about the concept album, Lisa shared, “I put up my bangs for the first time during the jacket shoot because I wanted to show them a new side of me. Fans have never seen me like that either. I made a huge decision to show a new side of me. I want to show that to Blinks like a surprise gift. I’ve worked hard on everything from album work to styling.”
“LALISA” is also a love letter to her home country as it reflects her identity. “I wanted to contain the feeling of Thailand, my home country. We solved it well with Thai choreography and costumes. There is a Thai-style sound in the song. It would be amazing to hear it. It has an unexpected charm. Also I added traditional Thai dance to the part where Thai sounds come out. Please look forward to it,” Lisa added.
As for her B-side “Money”, Lisa commented, “It’s a hip hop song that everyone can enjoy. As soon as I heard it, I really wanted to [be the one to] sing it.”
It’s also heartwarming to see that Lisa’s fellow BLACKPINK bandmates have been by her side throughout the process. “Jennie and Rosé both showed great things [with their solo debuts], so I worked hard to try and show good things as well,” said Lisa. “All the other members came to my music video set to cheer me on, and they stayed with me until the wee hours of the morning. I felt so comforted by their presence.”
Enjoy the mv:
Sources: Soompi, @i6080808’s Twitter.
