LISA One Of The Most Recognizable Faces And Names In The World
“Tell it to the world, kiss my name,” LISA sings in Korean in the pre-chorus of electro-pop solo banger “LALISA.” The lead rapper and main dancer in K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, LISA has one of the most recognizable faces and names in the world. But this wasn’t always the case. LISA was born as Pranpriya Manobal in Buriram, Thailand in 1997. As a young Thai teen, she dreamed of being a K-pop star. So, on the advice of a fortune teller, she changed her given name to Lalisa, meaning “one who is praised.” Shortly after, in 2011, she was selected by K-pop company YG Entertainment to become a trainee, and moved to Seoul without any grasp of the Korean language.
In 2016, LISA became the first non-Korean artist at YG Entertainment when she debuted in BLACKPINK. Known for their bold, catchy rap hooks and embrace of the “girl crush” concept, BLACKPINK would go on to become one of the most popular music groups in the world. Their debut song, “Boombayah,” reached No. 1 on Billboard’s world digital song sales chart, and was followed by other global hits like “Ddu-du Ddu-du” and “Kill This Love.” In 2023, they became the first Korean act to headline Coachella.
LISA made her solo debut in September 2021 with single album LALISA, featuring “Lalisa” and B-side “Money.” The music video for the former broke the record for the most-viewed music video from a solo artist in the first 24 hours. “Money” was an even bigger hit, with LISA taking on a classic hip-hop theme: exorbitant wealth. “Dollar bills, dollar bills/Keep on fallin’ for me/I love the way it feels,” she raps over a horn loop and the cha-chings of a cash register.
The lead rapper and main dancer in K-pop girl group BLACKPINK, Thai member LISA rose to worldwide fame as the first non-Korean artist at YG Entertainment. In 2021, she made her solo debut with the two-track release LALISA, finding particular success with swagger-driven “MONEY.” The song boasts of LISA’s exorbitant, idol-built wealth, a theme that continues on follow-up album Alter Ego. The 2025 collection marks a new chapter in LISA’s career, as it was the first released after she left YG Entertainment as a solo artist and launched management company Lloud.
As is the case with many K-pop releases, Alter Ego is not just an album—it’s an entire concept. For her solo album debut, LISA slips into five different comic booklike personalities (Roxi, Kiki, Vixi, Sunni, and Speedi), each with their own backstory, look, and dedicated album track. On “Rockstar” (Roxi) and “Lifestyle” (Speedi), LISA boasts about life as a global pop star, while “FXCK UP THE WORLD” (Vixi) allows the superstar a chance to play the villain: “Walked in causing havoc/Yes, that is a habit.” The romantic, France-set “Moonlit Floor” (Sunni) samples Sixpence None the Richer’s 1998 hit “Kiss Me,” swapping “beneath the milky twilight” for “under the Paris twilight.”
The high-concept framework doesn’t keep LISA from collaborating. The Kiki-inspired “New Woman” sees her teaming up with Spanish superstar ROSALÍA for airy electropop empowerment, while British singer-songwriter RAYE and American rapper Doja Cat are on board for the disco-infused, ’80s-inspired breakup track “Born Again.” LISA taps South African singer Tyla for “When I’m with You,” American rapper Megan Thee Stallion for one of two album versions of “Rapunzel,” and American rapper Future for one of two album versions of “FXCK UP THE WORLD.” The result makes for an album that, while grounded in the K-pop industry and crafted by a Thai artist, feels even more culturally expansive.
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