BLACKPINK's Lisa has kicked off her solo career by launching her own label and releasing her first new song, but the initial results have been disappointing.

Lisa dropped her new single "ROCKSTAR" on global music platforms at 9 AM (KST) on June 28th. This is her first solo track in three years since 'LALISA' in 2021, and her first release under her new label, LLOUD Co.

"ROCKSTAR" features Lisa's skilled rap and energetic pop vocals, with contributions from Ryan Tedder and Sam Homaee of OneRepublic. Lisa also took part in songwriting and composing.

With bold visuals like goggles, chains, tooth gems, a wolf cut hairstyle, and tanned skin, Lisa hyped up fans for her new song.

The music video, shot in Bangkok, highlights Lisa's Thai heritage and features Thai culture and daily life scenes, along with her powerful choreography.

Fans had mixed reactions to the release. Some praised her transformation into a global pop star, while others felt it was too different from her BLACKPINK image. Comments like "We still love BLACKPINK's Lisa" and "It feels awkward" were common.

Chart performance has been underwhelming. On release day, "ROCKSTAR" ranked 8th on Spotify's Daily Top Songs Global Chart and hit No. 1 in Thailand. However, it ranked 29th in Korea, 14th in the Philippines and Hong Kong, 10th in Taiwan, 9th in Malaysia and Singapore, and 79th in Indonesia.

On iTunes, it only topped the chart in Thailand and didn't make it into Korea's MelOn chart Top 100. This contrasts sharply with 'LALISA,' which topped iTunes in 72 countries.

There is still hope for a rebound, as Lisa's previous hit 'MONEY' saw a surge in popularity on global charts a month after its release.

After her role in HBO's 'The White Lotus' season 3 and the release of her solo single, fans are eager to see what Lisa will do next in her solo career.

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IU recently revealed that she watched her own concert film in a public theater, but shockingly, no one recognized her—even when she dropped a hint!

On February 27, a new video featuring IU was released, showing her inside a car on her way to Daejeon.

She excitedly shared, “This is a surprise stage greeting for UAENA! I picked this location through a ladder game when I did stage greetings.”

Previously, IU had let fate decide which city she would visit after her stage greetings. She happily said, “There are UAENAs everywhere I go. Wherever I go, it's a flowery path.” The game ultimately led her to Daejeon.

IU originally hoped to explore the city, saying, “I wanted to visit Daejeon's pride, Sung Sim Dang, and walk around, but my team said it wouldn’t be possible. The lines are too long, and it’s freezing outside.” She sighed, adding, “So, things turned out this way.”

Dressed up for the occasion, IU smiled, saying, “I don’t get to meet UAENAs in Daejeon often, so I wanted to make a surprise appearance looking my best.”

She also joked about enjoying surprise events, adding, “As long as Hanteo oppa drives me safely, I’m happy.”

But what really caught fans' attention was IU’s unexpected confession—she had secretly watched her concert film in a theater, but no one noticed her! “No one recognized me at all. There weren’t that many people, and it was a weekday… but still! I even gave a hint!” she said, sounding both amused and surprised.

Later, when IU finally appeared at the theater, her fans were overwhelmed with emotion. Some even burst into tears, prompting her to gently say, “You really didn’t expect me to come, right?”

After wrapping up her stage greeting, IU laughed at herself, saying, “Wait, did I just do a 40-minute one-woman show? I must have talked so much.”

On her way back to Seoul, IU reflected on the day, sharing, “It was so cold today. I shook hands with all the UAENAs. My hands are usually cold, and since the weather was freezing, I think I made a lot of people’s hands cold, too. But after touching so many warm hands, mine became warm, too. I still haven’t washed them.”

Her love for her fans truly knows no bounds!

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