The world is getting to know Lisa on a first-name basis.
The 27-year-old K-pop star from the girl group Blackpink is making moves with her debut solo album “Alter Ego,” which was released on Friday, and she’ll perform her “Born Again” single with Doja Cat and Raye at the Academy Awards on Sunday.
She’s also making a name for herself as an actress as Mook, a health mentor at the resort on Season 3 of “The White Lotus,” which was filmed in her native country of Thailand.
As she gets set to take the Academy Awards stage hot off of her new LP, here’s everything you need to know about Lisa.
Lisa isn’t her real name:
Lisa’s real name is Lalisa Manobal, which she uses as an actress on “The White Lotus.” But she was actually born Pranpriya Manobal in Buriram. At the advice of a fortune teller when she was 13, she legally changed her name to Lalisa, which means “one who is praised.”
She moved to South Korea alone when she was 14:
At 13, the Thai native auditioned for the South Korean agency YG Entertainment, and after being selected as the company’s first international recruit, she moved alone from Bangkok to Seoul when she was 14 — without knowing how to speak Korean. “They wanted me to focus on speaking Korean more, so they told all the girls who trained with me: ‘No English with Lalisa,’” the singer — who had learned English in middle school — told Billboard.
She made her debut with Blackpink in 2016:
Blackpink made its debut with the 2016 EP “Square One” before following up with another EP, “Square Up,” in 2018. Then the girl group released two LP, 2000’s “The Album” and 2022’s “Born Pink.”
She gets some all-star assists on “Alter Ego”:
In addition to Doja Cat and Raye on “Born Again, “Alter Ego” also features Rosalía on “New Woman,” Future on “Fxck Up the World,” Megan Thee Stallion on “Rapunzel,” and Tyla on “When I’m with You.”
She adopts five different alter egos on her new LP:
Lisa splits into five different personalities on “Alter Ego”: Roxi, Kiki, Vixi, Sunni and Speedi. “It represents five characters of me as well, like I feel related with them,” she said on “Hot Ones.” “It feels like I can express myself in a different version of me, and it’s fun.”
She’s a big fan of “The White Lotus” — even before acting on the show:
“I’m a big fan of ‘The White Lotus,’ and as soon as I heard that I got an opportunity to audition for this role, I just went straight away and did it,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. “I’m just so lucky and happy to be part of ‘The White Lotus’ family. They’ve been so nice to me. We’re like a big family.”
She’s impressed her ‘White Lotus’ co-stars with her fame:
“If I’m really honest, I didn’t understand Lisa’s level of fame,” Aimee Lou Wood, who plays Chelsea, told Elle. “I wasn’t getting it, because she was so down-to-earth and so chill. And then I’d go to the airport, and we’d be flying to a different part of Thailand, and there’d just be posters of Lisa everywhere..”
“I did not know [her], but the butlers at the Four Seasons were gobsmacked,” Parker Posey, who plays Victoria Ratliff, told Variety. “She’s huge in Thailand.“
She’s rumored to be dating the heir of one of the world’s richest men:
Lisa has been romantically linked with Frédéric Arnault, CEO of LVMH Watches — and son of LVMH CEO Bernard Arnault, who, according to Forbes, is the fifth wealthiest man in the world with a net worth of $186.4 billion.
She’ll be reuniting with Blackpink for a tour later this year:
Although Lisa’s solo career is taking off, while her fellow Blackpink singers Rosé, Jisoo and Jennie have also pursued solo projects, the group will be reuniting for a stadium tour this summer. It kicks off at Goyang Stadium in South Korea on July 5 before making North American stops in Los Angeles, Chicago, Toronto and New York. Then they head to Europe for shows in Paris, Milan, Barcelona and London.
