Lisa brings the savagery with her latest solo, ‘Rockstar’

It’s some world class badassery we’ve got on our hands today. Lisa Manoban, better known as Lisa of Blackpink, has just dropped her comeback solo track—her first since opting to run her solo career on her own terms with Lloud. And the track, titled ‘Rockstar’ certainly has all the makings of a superstar staking her claim on the charts. After all, since it was first cheekily teased as an accompaniment to her TikTok era (double whiplash, we know), the Internet’s been an absolute riot. Then, she dropped those immensely transformative teaser images; of that beautiful bronzy tan mired by that inimitable cyberpunk cool. The hype was real, and no doubt the lot of us who were already at the edge of our seats were rewarded generously with a rapturous music video—a 168-second effort we instantly dived into over and over again. Behold, some eight thoughts about Lisa’s ‘Rockstar’.

1. First things first, that opening shot of her, coupled with that catchy techno lead into the track. Everything about it is instantly seductive and draws you right in; from the back-lit silhouette of her signature pose to the undeniable way she holds her own even before she turns to look at the camera. 
2. Let’s talk about the set. Lisa’s never been one to shy away from showing off her own culture and for ‘Rockstar’ she only took it a whole notch upwards. Set against the backdrop of the Yaowarat district aka Bangkok’s Chinatown, it’s clear that those neon-lit streets are meant to mirror the cyberpunk aesthetic typically associated with Japan. Rumours have it she paid each store owner a sizeable amount to clear the street for filming, since she would be disrupting their regular business operations. 
3. On that same note, whilst most of the song goes hard on hyping her superstar lifestyle up, there’s no denying the undercurrent of the ‘Lisa, can you teach me Japanese?’ line. Might Lisa be discreetly shading the typical anglophilic perspective that doesn’t recognise any other part of Asia beyond East Asia? Well joke’s on them, evidently. 
4. As far as idol dancers go, we already know Lisa sits on the top rung. From that in-street choreography to the sharp dance break, we’ve been served some slick, slick moves on a platter and we can’t wait to see what it will look like when she performs this live. 
5. Her 100-strong troupe of dancers—and yes, they were all from Thailand—added so much oomph to this music video, especially with the sequence of each of their faces being shown, as if these are the faces that actually feel closest to her own. Another thing these hooded figures did remind us of? Rihanna’s mega Super Bowl performance. 
6. Speaking of Rihanna, the track effortlessly samples Riri’s cover of Tame Impala’s ‘New Person, Same Old Mistakes’. A sultry segue if anything, to her delicious dance break, which is quite possibly, our favourite part of the music video.
7. Our second favourite thing? The flawless, impeccable aesthetic of it all. From her ravishingly cool girl style to the spattering of beauty details throughout, this music video is a smorgasbord of enrapturing visuals that is almost impossible to look away from. 
8. All in all, the mega idol definitely went above and beyond for her first solo comeback with Lloud, her self-established agency. And we don’t even know if this is the first song of more to come this year. Oh La-la-Lisa, the rockstar that you are.