K-pop artist and rapper LISA has broken countless records for both sales and chart positions in the U.S., and her debut solo album is looking to continue that success. Released on Feb. 28, her newest album, “Alter Ego,” isn’t perfect, but it is something special.
In the second half of 2024, the member of K-pop group BLACKPINK released the singles “Rockstar,” “New Woman (feat. ROSALÍA),” “Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me)” and “Born Again (feat. Doja Cat & RAYE).” Each displayed LISA’s diverse range of pop styles and her ability to collab with many artists.
“Alter Ego” assembles 2024’s singles alongside a nice sprinkling of new songs. The result is an album with highs and lows, but a consistent flow that is worth a listen.
The opening track sets an incredibly high standard. “Born Again (feat. Doja Cat & RAYE)”—released as a single on Feb. 6—is superb and almost spiritual. LISA’s vocals soar over an orchestration while a stellar slap base kicks off the album with an indelible groove. There are no gaps in the instrumentation to slow things down: synths, claps, drum pads and bongo samples are always blending into a standout mix.
How do you follow up a beautiful and vulnerable cut like “Born Again”? Well, LISA dives headfirst into the shenanigans that any wealthy pop star gets up to in “Rockstar.”
This single is not particularly inspiring, nor is it relatable—though it doesn’t need to be. Instead, the solid lyricism and robust music of the opening single fades for an abrasive tour de force in pop egos. It’s made clear in this song why the album is called “Alter Ego.”
When you listen to lines in “Born Again” like, “I coulda made you pray to Jesus / Woulda showed you to the light,” you get a compassionate image of LISA that is demolished by track two. On “Rockstar,” LISA sings, “I’m stealin’ diamonds, make them chase me for the thrill.”
But this change in lyrical substance is matched by an emotive vocal performance by LISA that really brings this single its unique flavor. “‘Lisa, can you teach me Japanese?’” is sung so sarcastically—as if mocking a stan—that it captures the ego of the music industry and spins it on its head. This is well worth a listen, though isn’t as solid as “Born Again.”
Next, we’ve got a new album track, “Elastigirl.” LISA is singing about Ms. Incredible from “The Incredibles”—whose power was stretching to impossible sizes—and it’s clear after the opening tracks that her musical range is similarly incredibly flexible.
Synths and drum kits flow over a rhythm that teeters through the nearly three-minute run time, only slightly overstaying its welcome despite its short length. What’s missing here is a bold chorus, or a punchy lyric. The closest we get comes when LISA sings, “I’m a, I’m a elastic girl, try it on me, I’m flexible / Wrap my body right ‘round your world, la-la-la-la-la-la.”
Even after the “la-la-la’s,” everything about this track just feels flat. By now, the opening singles almost feel like clickbait. Is this what we get for the rest of the album?
“Thunder” attempts to bring back the literal thunder of this album, but its catchy-first production can only do so much. Here, LISA does sing like a rockstar with some abandon, but she also sings about “booms” like the Costco Guys. These lyrics are like sweet nothings: in one ear and out the other.
“Got that uh-huh, that uh-huh / Big, big uh-huh, uh-huh.” Uh huh, LISA, I have no idea what you’re talking about. Yet she sings as if riding a stallion with “Make way, make way, make way.” I guess we’re making way for a let-down chorus.
Even a solid rap in the middle doesn’t really bring this song any merit, and a slightly distorted vocal mix with chorus effects is not what LISA’s vocals need. Honestly, she’s more than capable of producing dazzling vocals without all these effects. Producers ILYA, Rob Knox and Abby Keen blundered here.
But fear not! Track five is a banger. Oh wait, “New Woman (feat. ROSALÍA)” is another single we’ve already been hearing since August 2024. I understand that an album is carried by its singles, but when three of the first five tracks are months-old singles, it feels like this album is a greatest hits compilation. Regardless, this song is worth a listen.
By this low point, however, the album finally kicks into gear with a spree of new tracks. “FXCK UP THE WORLD (feat. Future)” explodes with a trap-infused beat that wakes you up. A pounding base and outstanding vocal performance from LISA pushes this song further than most vocalists could take it.
Luckily, we are graced with solid lyricism, “(Yeah) Uh, uh, woke up in that mode again / (Yeah) Uh, uh, please don’t call my phone again.” The lead in “Yeah” reverberates while LISA sort of mopes her way through the line before returning with a vengeance in the impending chorus.
“Alter Ego” continues with “Rapunzel (feat. Megan Thee Stallion),” which contains a smorgasbord of styles. It’s pop at its core, yet it’s guided by a wobbly synth lead. Then, we get a catchy and odd bridge about “motherfuckin’ money” before the real chorus begins with “Hair down, feeling like Rapunzel.”
This is a solid track, and in general, the concept of Rapunzel being in “the hood” does provide a platform for lyrics to go over the poignant problem—or joy — of “Livin’ lavish while we still young / Spendin’ that shit ‘til we go dumb.”
Now we segue into another single, and in my estimation, one of LISA’s defining songs: “Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me).” Crispy drums enclose a tight production with the return of a punchy bass — although the theming around France is a letdown.
LISA singing “bonjour bébé” falls flat on its face once you learn that is a common phrase at baby showers, meaning “Hello baby.” The choice to focus on France here has soiled this song for me personally, bébé, but LISA is a brand icon for Louis Vuitton, so maybe this is an homage.
The second half of the album has a few new songs tucked away, including “When I’m with You (feat. Tyla),” “BADGRRRL,” Lifestyle,” “Chill” and “Dream.”
“When I’m With You” is a highlight lo-fi cut that has some solid moments, especially a warm chorus accompaniment as a fade out. To contrast, “BADGRRRL” feels like LISA dabbling with her BLACKPINK roots: It’s aggressive, catchy and bass-heavy. This is the kind of song that gets you head bopping.
“Lifestyle” follows and feels like a less sarcastic “Rockstar” from earlier. Although, it still has a racing chorus that is well worth a listen, yet by no means is it a highlight.
Nearing the end of the album, the production team attempts to branch out. “Chill” opens with a guitar and feels extremely unlike the rest of the album. Despite being a pun, lyrics like “Can’t read my face, just call me Mona LISA” are reminiscent of carefree sing-along songs like mxmtoon’s “mona lisa.” It’s fine and stands out in juxtaposition to everything on this album but ironically, it does not feel like Mona LISA at her finest as an artist.
Finally, before ending with two alternate versions of previous tracks, “FXCK UP THE WORLD (Vixi Solo Version)” and “Rapunzel (Kiki Solo Version),” “Alter Ego” ends with a beautiful track, “Dream.”
Lyrics like “If all that we were is all that we’ll ever be / it’s bittersweet” need to simmer a little, and that is exactly what the mix in “Dream” allows for. Breaks in the music give the song time to breathe and carefully beckon LISA’s vocals to flow in with wonderful delivery.
Albums rarely end on a note as sublime as this, and the acoustic drums, strings and encore-deserving vocals leave you wanting more of LISA’s debut solo album.
Rating: 4/5