To the fans of White Lotus, I am sure it comes as a shock to see Mook offstage and onstage,” Lisa poked fun at the audience in a witty manner, noticing the dissonance between her acting career and her music career, which began her as a performer. “This is her when she’s not working.” Mike White, the creator of the aforementioned series, seemed to have some doubts about casting Lisa for the part, but I am sure he would’ve been thrilled to see her shine with spectacular displays of musical finesse.
A New Lane Carved on a Familiar Stage
Blackpink fans have heard the “Sahara” stage before, particularly during the 2019 Sahara Tent performance and the headlining main stage in 2023. This particular solo performance, however, stood out as an unapologetic display of absolute prowess blended with artistic confidence, sculpting a different musical lane for herself. Emerging on a colossal pillar, clad in a striking bodysuit with metallic claws that accentuated her figure, commanding attention as the monstrous “Thunder” intro blasted through the tent, Lisa performed elaborate lead vocals interspersed with dominant trap-level rap and double-time exuberant rapping of “FXCK Up the World.” K-Pop royalty has never been heard this “unplugged” at Coachella, and certainly not at this level of rawness. With that being said, the extraordinary set-up from the rest of the Blackpink shows is what allowed her to showcase her undeniable brilliance in full splendour.
Investigation of bold threats and their masculine styles of music.
It is a well-known fact that there is a pattern of solo artists from popular groups experimenting with harsh sounds. Yet, Lisa made it clear while listening to her song “Money,” a self-confidence-fueled rap banger, that this sort of fierce and abrasive musicality has always existed as part of her DNA. This solo set removed the usual range of baroque twists and turns that define K-pop melodically, resulting in songs that had an eerie and disquieting quality and delivering it in a muscular way for the first time.
Tender Moments and Retro Flair: Range and Homage
While composing Lisa’s instrumental album, “When I’m with You,” she demonstrated her artistic range by fusing throwback R&B with contemporary hits. As keenly attuned to the rhythms of contemporary musical trends, she retrofitted Gen Z elements into her newer songs, transitioning into the breezy disco of “Moonlit Floor,” reminiscent of Sixpence None The Richer. “Elastigirl” draws insouciant inspiration from Ciara’s “Oh,” and “Rockstar” does the same for M.I.A.’s seminal “Bad Girls.” These allusions, while under less skilled hands, may feel pandering, but in Lisa’s capable hands, they were deftly executed. Even the voyeuristic dancing during “Rockstar” was enough to incite passionate howls of appreciation from an already enthralled crowd.
“Dream” and Looking Back at Blackpink’s Debut
Set pieces like the soaring magical refrain of “Born Again” and the no-nonsense, “drill-banger” feel of “Lifestyle” were phenomenal. The poignant ballad, “Dream,” with its lighters-up, forlorn, wished-to-be-love nostalgia, proved to be the most emblematic of it all. It seems Lisa cites, as a reminiscence of July 2022, “We Got Love,” Blackpink’s proprietary Coachella debut. In the propelling K-pop universe, reminiscing that way might sound authoritative considering how at a standstill everything feels on the inside. To Lisa’s credit, even at such a young age, “That kind of freaks me out” remains an earned sentiment reflecting where K-Pop has been or will be. You would think Mook from her “White Lotus” would easily fall under the M’s spell, being able to grasp the measure of sheer magnitude of this showcase of singularity.
