Published by: Dionne Mendoza
Date Published: September 26, 2024
Time Published: 11:12 PM
Gold teeth sittin’ on the dash; she’s a rockstar indeed.
August and September were a blast for the Thai rapper, singer, and dancer, Lisa Manoban, as she released a catchy song and broke new records by winning her second Best K-pop award in the recent VMAs. Starting her journey as an idol at the age of 14 years old, Lisa is constantly making a name for herself in the creative industry. A one-of-a-kind story that has been continuously inspiring millions of people around the world.
However, behind all of her ground-breaking success, the rockstar that we know today was once a little girl with big dreams and a persistent passion, training, hard work, and exceptional talent.
Through her on-screen charismatic looks and iconic performances, everyone constantly talks about Lisa. However, the influential idol is also admired by many fans behind the scenes, as seen in her interactions with her supporters and fellow idols after events. Having received many awards and constantly breaking new records, her name is always on the headlines. However, behind every success, there is a challenging journey. What is the story of the young Lisa Manoban, what are the challenges that she faced, and how did she become the sensational artist that the world knows today?
START OF THE JOURNEY
Purple into gold. This was the life that the 14-year-old Pranpiya Manoban, later legally changed into Lalisa Manoban, had always dreamed of since she lived in Thailand. Born on the 27th of March 1997 in Buriram Province, Thailand, she was an only child with a loving family to support her in her dreams. [1]
Lalisa had a burning passion for dancing ever since she was a child. She was a part of We Zaa Cool, a dance group in her hometown. Performing in different shows and events, her love for dancing was shown. Having also a keen interest in performing and in Korean pop or K-pop, she auditioned for YG Entertainment, a Korean entertainment agency, way back in 2010, where she successfully ranked 1st out of 4000 participants in Thailand and was invited to South Korea to train alongside the other trainees. [2]
Flying to South Korea to train, 14-year-old Lalisa experienced many changes in her life. From having to live far away from her loved ones to having language barriers with the other trainees and coaches, and having to constantly adjust to the way of living as a foreigner and as a young trainee. She had a rough start in her journey, crying almost every day and seeking the comfort of her mother. However, her desire to be successful and her passion for performing helped her to persevere through the obstacles. [3]
Slowly adjusting to her new lifestyle with the help of other trainees, Lalisa aced most of their training sessions and enhanced her expertise in performing. This amazing performance helped her to be recognized by their coaches and trainers. Her skills were also admired by her seniors in the agency and were recognized by the supporters who were waiting for the company’s new girl group.
After successfully training for 5 years and 3 months, she was set to debut in the agency’s new girl group, alongside the other 3 members: Jisoo, Jennie, and RosΓ©. This new girl group, soon to be named Blackpink, will be her newly formed family and the foundation of her success as the group’s member and as an individual artist.
LIFE AS A PERFORMER
The 8th of August 2016 marks the start of Lalisa’s journey as an idol. Debuting in YG Entertainment’s new girl group, Blackpink, people are already intrigued by their potential as a group and as individuals. Having the stage name "Lisa,” which is based on her real name, she took on the role of the group’s main dancer and lead rapper, unleashing her further potential as a performer.
Releasing banger after banger, fans and locals quickly recognize Blackpink and its members. This recognition raised the group’s fame, causing them to perform in certain shows, events, and more. Coachella, a well-known music festival in the US, invited them to perform in the event in April 2019, wherein they fulfilled their long-time dream to perform in front of many people alongside many well-known artists. Locals quickly recognized Lisa as the “Ponytail Rapper” in the event because her remarkable hairstyle and charismatic performance caught the eyes of the audiences and the media. This new title helped her gain new supporters and build a stronger fan base for herself.
On August 25, 2021, YG Entertainment announced Lisa’s solo debut, following Jennie and RosΓ©’s debut. This announcement shocked the fans, which caused the announcement to trend worldwide on different social media sites. Their excitement was shown in the teaser’s growth in views, likes, and comments. [4]
After a long wait, on September 10, 2021, Lisa’s solo album debut was released to the public. This highly anticipated album was enjoyed by many supporters and natives. With the two songs, namely, “Lalisa” and “Money,” Lisa gained more popularity and continued to rise to stardom as she promoted her songs in different US shows and broke and made new records. [5]
Lisa has been slowly achieving her dream ever since her childhood—to be a successful performer in her group and as a soloist.
HER OWN JOURNEY TO STARDOM
As a member of a worldwide sensational group, Lisa has started to make quite a name for herself in the industry. From having different titles such as “Triple-threat Blackpink member” and “The Ponytail Rapper” to having different endorsements and even being the ambassador of different high-end brands such as Louis Vuitton, Celine, Bulgari, and Mac Cosmetics. She is one of the most influential K-pop artists we have today.
As a soloist, she also broke and set different records with her discography. Her title track, "Lalisa,” from her solo album debut "L,” broke Taylor Swift’s record as the most-viewed YouTube music video in 24 hours by a solo artist, while her latest release, “New Woman,” featuring RosalΓa, had six million streams on Spotify, making her the first K-pop female soloist to do so. As a fan of her said, “Lisa’s competition is only herself. She keeps on surpassing herself.”
A new woman indeed. After ending her solo contract with YG Entertainment in December 2023, Lisa launched her company, LLOUD, in February 2024 to retain her rights over her music and to create more influential songs for everyone. Through this newly created opportunity with her agency, Lisa took a chance to release a new song, "Rockstar,” which showcases her new look as a soloist while also telling her journey as a rockstar. Then, after a few months, she released her latest song, “New Woman,” featuring RosalΓa, which marks her first collaboration with a Western artist. This song tells Lisa’s story of finding herself again after surpassing the obstacles she had to overcome to create her name.
In the recent VMA awards this September 2024, Lisa won the Best K-pop for her single, “Rockstar.” This marks her second award in the show, following her first similar award in 2022. She became the first-ever soloist to win Best K-pop, winning it twice, further solidifying her influence in the music industry. [6] She also performed her two latest songs, “Rockstar” and “New Woman,” marking her second iconic performance at the VMAs, following her first performance in 2022.
Lisa is a rockstar indeed, with her charismatic looks, iconic performances, and remarkable achievements. From a struggling foreign trainee to a highly respected idol, her name is surely a sensational name in the creative industry and will definitely go down in the history books.
She had achieved her golden dream in the midst of lavender-hazed obstacles. Her success became an inspiration to her fans to keep on pursuing their dreams, whatever the hardships that may come along their way. As Lisa said in an interview with Rolling Stone, “I’m curious to know how much I can expand what I do. Music-wise, dance-wise, I feel like I still have to learn more.” [7] Are you curious about how much you can expand what you do as well?
Through the lavender-hazed obstacles of adjusting to living in a new country, she persevered and became a member of a global K-pop girl group, Blackpink, where she rose to global stardom alongside her 3 members or sisters. Making a name for herself by creating solo songs, Lisa became a successful artist in the creative industry. Her journey as an idol tells us an inspiring story to keep on what our heart desires and to keep on pursuing our passions no matter the obstacles we may face.
Her story is a remarkable reminder for us that dreams, no matter what the hindrance that may come along our way, can go from purple into gold with enough curiosity, dedication, hard work, and passion. Together, with Lisa, let us be curious about our potential and learn more about it together.
REFERENCES:
[1]Wiki, C. to B. P. (n.d.). Lisa. BLACK PINK Wiki. https://blackpink.fandom.com/wiki/Lisa#Life_and_Career
[2]IMDb. (n.d.). Lalisa Manoban - biography. https://www.imdb.com/name/nm8707186/bio/
[3]Dimsumdaily Hong Kong, By, & Kong, D. H. (2023, May 1). From a struggling trainee to K-pop sensation: The journey of Blackpink’s Lisa. Dimsum Daily. https://www.dimsumdaily.hk/from-a-struggling-trainee-to.../
[4]Blackpink Lisa’s solo debut date announced. Manila Bulletin. (2021, August 26). https://mb.com.ph/.../blackpink-lisas-solo-debut-date...
[5]Lisa made her solo TV debut with “Lalisa” performance. Nylon. (2024, February 20). https://www.nylon.com/entertain.../blackpink-lisa-solo-album
[6] India Today. (2024, September 12). VMAS 2024: Blackpink’s Lisa Wins Best K-pop act for 2nd time. India Today. https://www.indiatoday.in/.../video-music-awards-2024...
[7]Spanos, B. (2024, August 16). Lisa and RosalΓa Rev up their aura on the new single “New Woman.” Rolling Stone. https://www.rollingstone.com/.../lisa-rosalia-new-woman.../
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