It will be difficult for Lisa (Blackpink) if she chooses to leave YG to go solo and is showing signs of being “banned” in China. The Thai star may lose the support of the two music and fashion markets. The most important in Asia are China and Korea.
Lisa from Blackpink. Photo: YG
Lisa faces difficulties
Lisa is currently a globally famous Kpop idol, but in Korea, Lisa’s reputation is inferior to the 3 members of the Blackpink group. Because the Korean public always prioritizes domestic stars over foreign stars.
When Jennie and Lisa were caught up in the noise of their similar images, the Korean audience’s reactions to the two were clearly different.
After participating in the 18+ movie “The Idol” and having dance scenes that were considered too provocative, Jennie was criticized on forums. But after that, the public’s interest in her seemed to increase. Jennie returned with the still popular single “You & Me”, the song climbed to the top of the Korean music charts.
Lisa performing at the Crazy Horse Paris strip club (France) also became the subject of criticism on social networks. Some Korean newspapers used harsh words towards the star from Thailand.
Korean fans reacted differently to Jennie and Lisa. Photo: Instagram
“Lisa started her career as a Kpop idol, now she has become the world’s top artist with Blackpink. Lisa has the right to choose and carry out the activities she wants. However, in that process, people The domestic fans who made Lisa what she is today are gradually being forgotten” – TenAsia commented.
The Korean public’s reaction to Lisa is quite indifferent. This is worse than continuing to be criticized and discussed. TenAsia said Lisa “forgot” Korean fans and perhaps Lisa is suffering the opposite consequences.
On the other hand, if she leaves YG to join a Thai or American company, it is unlikely that Lisa will maintain her desirable image for the past 7 years.
Kpop became a billion-dollar industry because Korean entertainment companies all have effective “systematic formulas” to turn their artists into stars.
YG is one of the four “big guys” of this industry, they have “soft power”, economic potential, and invest heavily in training, image building and music products.
The Kpop industry made Lisa a global star. Photo: YG
For Blackpink, YG builds a luxurious image for its members, associating music with high-end fashion. Therefore, the fact that the female global ambassadors of two luxury brands Celine and Bvlgari performed in a strip club is even more offensive and disappointing.
Korea is the world’s 7th largest music market according to IFPI, and is a luxury market that has risen to the top in Asia with huge spending on high-end fashion products.
If she still wants to save and continue operating smoothly in Korea, Lisa must also consider re-signing with YG, instead of moving to a smaller company, or returning to her hometown.
There will be serious consequences if you are murdered in China
Lisa is currently facing a series of signs of being blocked in the Chinese market when her personal Weibo account is locked. The online community also discovered that posts and photos about the female idol on Weibo of Bvlgari and Celine were no longer displayed.
Statista predicts that in the next 5 years, China will still likely be the second largest luxury market in the world. And according to IFPI, China will be the 5th largest music market in the world by 2023, just behind Japan in Asia.
For many years, Lisa has been the most famous female Kpop idol in the country of billions of people. While Korean idols are restricted from operating in China, with Thai nationality, Lisa can still participate in the popular TV show “Youth With Friends”.
It is typical for Chinese fandom to spend a lot of money and wholeheartedly support their idols. In 2021, Chinese fans bought 900,000 copies of her solo album, helping Lisa set a record. Luxury fashion brands Celine and Bulgari also rely on female ambassador Lisa to profit from her fans in this market.
China is a country of billions of people, so everything from music to fashion contributes “hugely” to the achievements of artists.
If Lisa is banned in China after her daring performance at Crazy Horse, brands and Lisa’s fanclub will not be able to report or promote her image here. Of course, the government cannot prohibit audiences from buying albums, but perhaps Chinese fans will not buy luxury goods for Celine and Bulgari.
Because if Lisa is banned, fashion sales will not be counted in her achievements. This makes absolutely no sense to Chinese fans.
If Lisa is murdered, Chinese fans will not buy products she represents. Photo: YG