Rockstar by K-pop artist Lisa is an anthem that defies international stereotypes of ‘Thainess’

By Mary Jane Ainslie, University of Nottingham

Thai singer, dancer and rapper Lisa, a member of South Korean girl group Blackpink, released her latest solo single, Rockstar on June 28. Within 30 minutes, the video had over a million views on YouTube.

A Thai native who is one of very few non-ethnically Korean performers to succeed in the K-pop industry, Lisa’s success has been followed closely in Thailand. Rockstar caused a sensation in Bangkok. Mobile data usage increased sharply across the city after the single’s release, and Lisa-themed merchandise flooded both street markets and luxury shopping malls.

Yet there is a sense that eager Thai consumers and (even more) eager Thai authorities were unprepared for, and unsure how to react to, the success of this track. Filmed in Yaowarat (Bangkok’s Chinatown), the music video’s Bladerunner-esque aesthetic has caused tourists and locals alike to flock to the filming location. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration had to install barriers and redirect traffic to ensure crowd safety.

https://youtu.be/hbcGx4MGUMg?si=dKtC08mf9tgbpZfQ

Anyone and anything connected to Lisa – be it her favourite meatballs or her used toilet seats – has become fair game for commercialisation through association. The mish-mash of responses from Thais of various social, ethnic and cultural backgrounds, evident in the many reaction videos posted online, adds to the confusion – as does the Korean struggle to define the song as K-pop or T-pop (Thai pop music).

Over the past decade, Lisa’s rise has been praised by Thai officials and co-opted as part of official Thai soft power by the Thai ministry of culture. Both the previous regime and current coalition government dubbed her a “cultural ambassador”. She was praised her for spreading Thai soft power by using emblems of culture such as headdresses from traditional Thai dancers in her previous video, Lalisa (2022).

Lisa’s “Thainess” has became a large part of her distinctive star image and appeal within the K-pop industry. Yet Rockstar is significant as her first video based solely in Thailand. It’s also the first from her newly created company and personal platform, LLOUD.

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