K-Pop, or South Korean Pop music, has a unique formula for producing songs that stay on the billboard. The essential element is a catchy hook tune, which is combined with striking dances. The packaging is designed for social media, where the song can live its own life with a passionate fan base.

BLACKPINK, the most popular South Korean girl group, has been revolutionizing the genre recently. BLACKPINK’s 2021 saw the members release long-promised solo albums instead of a group album. Lisa, one of the four members of BLACKPINK, recently released a solo album titled “LALISA” that received mixed reviews.

 Here at Lambert High School the album also received mixed emotions. The president of the Asian American Pacific Islander Association (APAL) Club, Ethan Rattanakhom, had an extremely strong opinion about the new solo album. 

Mr. Rattanakhom, who happens to be one of the biggest K-pop fanatics at Lambert said, “The lyrics are unholy and the music itself sounds corporate.” 

Another member of the APAL Club, Hyunsung Rho, had better things to say about the album.

“The album was catchy I think. Personally, I liked it. Lisa is my queen.” Rho said. 

Personally, Lisa’s new album is mediocre at best. Her album seems to ride the hype of hyper-confident rappers such as Megan Thee Stallion and Cardi-B. The Chorus itself is extremely catchy, but the song itself sounds like it was created by a corporate enterprise trying to squeeze the money out of the current popularity of female rappers who bleed confidence. This formula of corporately created music does bring in numbers (Lisa’s album beating Taylor Swift’s solo artist record for 24-hour views) however, it takes the soul out of the music. This album had the potential to be so much more. Lisa possesses exceptional rapping abilities, as well as a high level of self-confidence. However, the instrumentals are too repetitive, and the song lacks any genuine power or strength. 

Overall, “LALISA” is loud, flamboyant and showy. For some, this album might be right up your alley with its brash tracks but for many others, this album falls short and was a disappointment for many K-Pop fans around the world.