BLACKPINK’s Lisa has made a new personal record with her 2024 comeback single, “Rockstar.” Even days after its release, fans can’t stop talking about the deeper meaning of “Rockstar” lyrics that briefly comment on her experience as an Asian rapper in the global scene.
Lisa‘s success with “Rockstar” indicates that the BLACKPINK member is ready to carve her path after exiting YG Entertainment. After the YG chapter, the singer established her own agency, Lloud, in 2024. Her comeback single, “Rockstar,” marked her first release under the new agency.
Her latest single set a new record in the Billboard charts, debuting at number 1 on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and at number 70 on the Billboard Hot 100. Previously, both of Lisa’s singles, “Lalisa” and “Money,” had ranked in the same chart at 84 and 90, respectively.
Lisa’s new song ‘Rockstar’ lyrics meaning explained
Lisa’s “Rockstar” lyrics have impressed critics and fans alike. In the song, she does not shy away from being savage. She starts the song by rapping, “Gold teeth sittin’ on the dash, she a rockstar/ Make your favorite singer wanna rap, baby, la, la/ ‘Lisa, can you teach me Japanese?’ I said, ‘Hai, Hai’/ That’s my life, life, baby, I’m a rockstar.”
The lyrics cleverly comment on how Asian artists are generalized. Despite being Thai, Lisa has encountered questions like whether she can teach someone Japanese. In the pre-chorus, she makes a reference to her city, Bangkok, singing, “Been on a mission, boy, they call me catch-and-kill/ I’m stealin’ diamonds, make them chase me for the thrill/ Been MIA, BKK so pretty/ Every city that I go is my city.”
In verse 2, Lisa makes a second Japanese reference, this time, a dipping sauce, ponzu, which gets mixed reviews from international foodies. Lisa sings, “Make a wish, babe, what you wanna do?/ Dippin’ outta big cities like a ponzu/ It’s a fast life, it’s an attitude/ Put it on the calеndar and tell me when to comе through.” Fans speculate that Lisa is showing her love for Japan through the ponzu reference.
Meanwhile, the music video of Lisa’s “Rockstar” attracts viewers equally, along with the lyrics. The MV garnered over 92 million views within ten days of its release. The video shows vibrant scenes of Thailand’s capital, Bangkok. The MV shows the colorful shops of the Yaowarat district, where the rapper struts and dances with many artists.
