Signaling a new era for BLACKPINK’s LISA, her latest single ‘Rockstar’ arrived June 28 on streaming platforms along with a visually striking music video to complement her comeback. After a lengthy solo hiatus since 2021, LISA shared a teaser on social media announcing her return to the music realm with the ‘Rockstar’ concept in days leading up to the release. The captivating teaser clip, although just a snippet of seconds, was enough to showcase her familiar attributes of flamboyance and power, now with a new cyberpunk edge. This new aesthetic is well infused in the storytelling of visuals that quickly flash in and out to pique interest. In her newly activated TikTok account, this was effectively strategized as the teaser clip garnered millions of followers in a span of 18 minutes, setting a Guinness World Record.
In terms of previewing the melody, the clip maintains an upbeat percussion with light distortion single-play synths, followed by LISA’s vocals in singing,“Baby, I’m a rock star,” which perfectly embodies her performance range and ability.
This new concept brings other aspects of LISA’s identity to the forefront, embracing her Thai heritage, with the music video filmed in Bangkok. By setting the scenes with electrifying colors of city nightlife, LISA’s charisma shows she’s truly in her element. This is a personal feat in many ways, as the track launches her first single under the newly established partnership of her own label, LLOUD Co., with Sony’s RCA Records.
As an all-rounder, she delivers her distinctive vision well in her rapping, singing, dancing and newfound style. Her pedigree of experience is shown in her seamless transitioning and range of intense rap verse delivery to breathier angelic-like pop vocals. These qualities, paired with the production of the track, provide an unmatched flow but become undermined with the redundancy of lyricism. The intention of displaying LISA’s charisma is apparent with her boastful lyrics such as, “Make your favorite singer wanna rap, baby, la-la” and “That’s my life, life, baby, I’m a rockstar.”
The layering of the electronic-trap production with a variation of tempo that accelerates and slows down when needed, or abruptly introduces calm instrumentals such as a sample of Tame Impala’s “New Person, Same Old Mistakes,” expertly mixes the beat to keep a sharp rhythm that suits singing and rap segments, adding excitement and edge to the underwhelming lyrics.
There’s only so much that can be combined to go with the phrase “I’m a rockstar,” and it doesn’t help that many other starting lines are recycled and repeated, creating a loop of unimpressive depth that doesn’t sustain long-term interest. This is not to say that LISA’s badassery isn’t seen in her music video or adept performance; it comes down to the limit that the technical construction of the song places with an aimless boast.
Verdict: It’s a fun track that could have more potential on stage if geared towards nailing the performance and character required to keep the audience engaged. LISA’s music video exemplifies her ability to make up for the track’s auditory shortcomings, with the possibility of offering a more personalized edge.
