Our Key Takeaways From BLACKPINK LISA’s ‘Alter Ego’
LISA is proving that her artistry knows no bounds. The BLACKPINK superstar — already a chart-topping rapper, dance icon, and rising actress on HBO’s The White Lotus — adds another title to her growing résumé: solo artist. With her highly anticipated debut album, Alter Ego, LISA showcases a kaleidoscope of sounds and personas across 15 genre-blurring tracks.
While BLACKPINK bandmates ROSÉ and JENNIE peeled back their layers on intimate solo projects — Rosie (2024) and the upcoming Ruby, respectively — LISA takes a more conceptual route. Through Alter Ego, the Thai-born phenom introduces five distinct alter egos, each representing a different facet of her personality. From ROXI’s unapologetic swagger to SUNNI’s dreamy vulnerability, LISA crafts a sonic journey that’s both imaginative and deeply personal.
“I was trying so many different styles while recording,” LISA explained in a January interview with Capital Breakfast. “I’d never done some of these sounds, but they felt great. So I thought — why not bring all these sides together and call it Alter Ego?”
The ambitious vision extends beyond the music. LISA pairs the album with a 56-page graphic novel, Alter Ego: The Official Comic, offering fans a vivid, visual companion to the characters she’s created.
Below are five standout takeaways from Alter Ego — a debut that signals the arrival of a multifaceted solo star.
1. ROXI Sets the Tone — LISA in Her Rockstar
LISA introduced the world to ROXI — the first of her alter egos — in the music video for the lead single “Rockstar.” The track’s blistering bars and swaggering confidence catapulted it to No. 70 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 2024, laying the foundation for the album’s bold aesthetic.
“Gold teeth sittin’ on the dash, she a rockstar,” LISA spits, storming through Bangkok’s neon-lit Chinatown. While Alter Ego leans more into bombastic hip-hop than guitar-heavy rock, ROXI’s fearless energy pulses through the entire project — a declaration that LISA’s reign is only beginning.
2. SUNNI Brings Vulnerability to the Spotlight
Among the high-octane bangers, Alter Ego carves out space for softer moments — courtesy of LISA’s second persona, SUNNI. The dreamy singer/songwriter alter ego takes center stage on the breezy ballad “Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me),” which interpolates Sixpence None the Richer’s iconic “Kiss Me.”
First teased during LISA’s sultry performance at the 2024 Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, the track conjures a Parisian love affair with lyrics like, “Green-eyed French boy got me trippin’… Kiss me under the Paris twilight.” SUNNI re-emerges on album closer “Dream,” a wistful piano ballad that finds LISA reminiscing on lost love with delicate vulnerability.
3. KIKI’s Y2K Playground Is Pure Nostalgia
KIKI — the candy-coated, millennium-obsessed alter ego — injects Alter Ego with playful nostalgia. The persona shines on tracks like “Elastigirl” and the Megan Thee Stallion-assisted “Rapunzel” remix, packed with Y2K references from flip phones to superhero motifs.
“It’s the Hot Girl Coach and LISA!” Megan declares on the remix, trading bars with LISA over a slinky, bass-heavy beat. KIKI’s vibrant personality and tongue-in-cheek lyrics make her the album’s most fun-loving alter ego — proving that LISA knows how to balance artistry with pure pop escapism.
4. LISA in Full Bloom
With Alter Ego, LISA transcends the boundaries of K-pop, emerging as a full-fledged global pop star. By embodying five distinct personas, she pushes her creative limits — blending hip-hop, R&B, pop, and electronica into a cohesive statement of self-discovery.
From the unapologetic bravado of ROXI to the tender balladry of SUNNI, Alter Ego proves that LISA is an artist capable of occupying multiple lanes at once — and doing it all on her terms.
With this debut, the “Beyoncé of Thailand” isn’t just showing different sides — she’s rewriting the blueprint for what a K-pop solo artist can be.
