Review: Jack of all trades, a master of none: 'Alter Ego' by Lisa
Lalisa Manobal , widely known by her stage name Lisa, has always been considered the boldest and most energetic Blackpink member. Known for her sharp dance moves and magnetic presence, the star is one of the most loved K-pop idols worldwide. On Feb. 28, 2025, Lisa kick-started her solo career by releasing her debut album, 'Alter Ego,' with her own record label, LLoud.
The album's premise is exploring five of Lisa's alter egos —named Roxi, Kiki, Vixi, Sunni and Speedi. According to the rapper herself, the debut album is a product of her experimenting with different styles. The concept of various personas initially intrigued me, hoping to see new sides of Lisa that had been suppressed by the limitations of YG Entertainment, her previous music label. However, the album doesn't commit to a cohesive direction in terms of music style and narration, failing to capture Lisa's artistry to its fullest extent. Pop-rap tracks such as 'Rockstar' and 'Lifestyle' contain catchy beats and lyrics about confidence and success. The 80s-inspired opener 'Born Again' and disco-pop track 'Moonlit Floor,' sampling a 90's classic, 'Kiss Me,' by Sixpence None The Richer , take the listener back in time while also exploring more sentimental topics. Lastly, synth-pop tracks such as 'New Woman' and 'Chill' explore a completely different sound compared to the other songs in the album.
'Alter Ego' is packed with guest appearances, including Raye , Doja Cat , Rosalía , Future , Tyla and Megan Thee Stallion , which does more harm than good. These household names in the music industry showcase distinct music genres, outshining Lisa who only adapts to her co-singers' styles. For instance, 'When I'm With You,' sounds like a track from Tyla's discography with Lisa as a feature, not the other way around. This is because Tyla has been known for creatively mixing South African music and dance with R&B and pop, but Lisa has never been associated with such style before. British singer-songwriter Raye and American rapper Doja Cat also steal the stage with their outstanding vocal performance in the powerful electropop opener 'Born Again.' The song sets a high initial expectation for the following tracks because of its heartfelt lyrics and addictive melody, which makes the rest of 'Alter Ego' underwhelming for listeners.
The bigger issue of this debut, however, lies in its lyricism. Some lines, such as ''Lisa, can you teach me Japanese?'' in her lead single, 'Rockstar,' simply lack intent and are out of place in the song. In other cases, Lisa repeatedly name-checks brands and flexes her wealth. For example, she sings, 'With five bad girls in the Honda Civic (Honda Civic)' in 'BADGRRRL' and 'Lo-lo-lo-lovin' it, these checks be comin' in / These checks be doublin'' in 'Lifestyle.' Having a couple of songs with such lyrics have the potential to be engaging, but the recycling of the same shallow topics makes the album repetitive and takes away from the listening experience. While Lisa sings about love and heartbreak in her softer songs such as 'Moonlit Floor' and 'Dream,' the restriction on the topics Lisa covers in her rap verses makes her album fall under a blunt category: ballads are for emotions and rap is for aggression. The album did not present a nuanced theme or a coherent personal narrative, which was the ultimate deal-breaker for me.
Despite its shortcomings, some tracks of the album demonstrate Lisa's strengths as a vocalist and rapper. One of the highlights of the album is 'Born Again,' one of the strongest works from Lisa's discography thus far, with rejuvenating lyrics about heartbreak, self-discovery and reinventing oneself. Another standout song is track 11, 'Lifestyle,' which quickly became a fan favorite upon release. The upbeat, heavy bass track was hailed as an empowering anthem, as many of Lisa and Blackpink's songs are. On the other hand, track 12 of the album, 'Chill,' showed a new and distinct side of Lisa and demonstrated her strengths vocally. The synth-pop track was the perfect blend of chill vibes and danceable beats, embodying the rapper's confident, swaggy personality through a refreshing style. The song became an instant favorite of mine because of how it highlighted Lisa's voice and complemented her artistic persona while also exploring something new. In my opinion, 'Chill' was the only song that truly achieved the goals that Lisa appeared to have when creating her debut album.
The primary issue of 'Alter Ego' is its lack of originality. With an incoherent theme, repetitive lyrics and unnecessary features, the album fails to take its listener through a unique journey. However, its versatility in terms of genres and sounds allows fans to see new sides of Lisa, highlighting her potential for growth. Even though 'Alter Ego' fails to showcase Lisa's unique identity, it is still a huge milestone for her career as an independent soloist. Related
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