5 Hardships BLACKPINK’s Lisa Overcame On Her Way To The Top
Five years after BLACKPINK‘s debut, Lisa is finally dropping her first solo single album, LALISA. She’s on top of the world now, but her journey hasn’t been easy. With each hardship Lisa overcome, she proved that she is, and will always be, a star.
1. Her manager’s ₩1 billion KRW scam
Last year, news broke that Lisa’s former manager stole ₩1 billion KRW ($817,661 USD) from her through fraud. This manager was with Lisa since BLACKPINK’s debut, which made the betrayal even more devastating.
The manager told Lisa that he would help her invest in real estate, but in reality, he blew her hard-earned money on gambling. According to an official at Market News, being a foreigner made Lisa even more vulnerable to fraud.
Lisa is a foreign member of BLACKPINK, and she has been alone in Korea since she was young, so she can be very vulnerable to these kinds of things, such as economic ideals.
— Official
Dealing with this matter couldn’t have been easy, but Lisa moved forward, making the most of 2020. She served as the dance mentor on Youth With You Season 2 and began preparing for her solo debut.
2. Plagiarism accusations
In 2020, Lisa also found herself embroiled in a plagiarism controversy. Cierra Nichols, a choreographer, accused Lisa of plagiarism the choreography in a “Lilifilm” video, featuring QUIN and 6LACK‘s “Mushroom Chocolate.”
A month before Lisa’s video dropped, Nichol released her own dance video to “Mushroom Chocolate,” which led her to believe Lisa had copied her work.
Nichols later issued an official apology to Lisa, her choreographer, YG Entertainment, and everyone else who was affected by her accusations.
After serious comparison, I will state that there were some similarities in regards to the movement but will say for the record that it was not copied by the choreographer or Lisa the artist. With love, Cierra Nichols.
— Cierra Nichols
3. Racial discrimination and racial attacks
Being a K-Pop idol isn’t easy, but non-Korean idols often face an extra hurdle: discrimination based on race. As a Thai idol, Lisa has weathered racial attacks from anti-fans, the media, and even people within her own industry.
Each time someone tries to shoot Lisa down, she comes back even stronger with allies by her side. BLINK has rallied with Lisa by reaching out to YG Entertainment, trending hashtags like #RespectLisa, and much more. Lisa’s friends, such as GOT7‘s BamBam, a fellow Thai star, have also stepped in to defend her.
4. Plastic surgery rumors
As an idol, Lisa has faced high levels of scrutiny from the public, enduring criticism about everything from her talent to her appearance. Whenever plastic surgery rumors arise, fans are quick to drop receipts from Lisa’s pre-debut days.
5. Trainee days
On Youth With You, Lisa wrote a letter to fans about the hardships she encountered as a trainee. To debut, she had to travel to a new country, learn a new language, and train for five years.
I can totally understand you all because I’ve also been through that experience. When I was 14 years old, I wanted to be a singer… I left home by myself and went to an unfamiliar country to be a trainee. I went through high level training and had to overcome the language barrier.
— Lisa
Lisa encouraged her fans not to give up on their dreams. After all, she is living proof that perseverance, hard work, and a heart of gold can make them come true.
