ELLE Korea Interview With LISA (May 2022)
You just came back from Paris, right? What was the first thing you did as soon as you arrived in Korea?
I went to pick up my dog right away. I left him at a puppy school for two weeks when I was away from Korea, and he really came back as a good boy. (laughs) Also I ate tteokbokki.
I didn’t expect to meet Love today. Why did Lisa, who is well known as a cat butler, decide to keep a dog?
I’ve always been with cats since I was young, so I thought I definitely prefer cats more. But one day, all of a sudden, I thought I could also get along well with a dog. After living with Love, I realized that dogs and cats have different ways of showing their presence or expressing affection. I feel twice as happy these days because I can feel different kinds of love.
When you met in the spring of 2021, you were preparing for your solo album. You said you wanted to be a person who could give more opinions so that you could do something more like yourself. Did you succeed?
My opinion has been reflected a lot. I was able to try everything I wanted to do during the music video shoot, including the album design and color. The whole process was fun. But looking back, I can see some parts that would’ve been better if I changed it. Though I think it’s natural to feel lacking or regretful about what you’ve done. We’re all human beings.
What are some parts that you feel good about giving your opinion when you look back?
In the “LALISA” music video, I appeared in a traditional Thai outfit. It’s also a twist in the song, and I think it matched well because it was a production that people didn’t expect.
As soon as I saw that scene, I thought, “Yes! That’s my Lisa!” You showed various performance videos as well as music video and broadcasting stages. What’s your favorite?
Jimmy Fallon live show video, which was my first solo performance. I think both the outfit and the lighting were perfect. Also I like the exclusive performance video of ‘MONEY‘.
It’s the video that got more than 500 million views, right? Even though it was released in September, both ‘LALISA’ and ‘MONEY’ are still ranked high on Spotify, a global music platform.
To be honest, I didn’t expect this much. Jennie and Rosé‘s solo album got a lot of attention. I thought that if I look forward to it, the burden and stress would increase. I thought that I should just do my best and accept any kind of reaction. But it’s been loved for a long time. Overseas fans are posting proof videos that the song ‘MONEY’ was played at a club.
In the meantime, you’ve tried many things besides your solo promotion. You filmed your first beauty collection and also became Celine Maison’s first Haute Parfumerie Ambassador.
I think I’m really lucky in that there are various opportunities to do many things. So I try to make everything fun.
Celine’s artistic director, Hedi Slimane, is one of the people who consistently captures the subject, Lisa, in the camera. How does it feel to film with someone who understands Celine best?
Who I work with has a huge influence on me. If I work with someone I know well, I can focus on filming faster. Especially when I’m with Hedi, I feel like I can clearly convey Celine’s identity and charm with one direction. Also I’m personally influenced by Hedi’s style.
Looking at your Instagram feed, seems like you had a great time with your friends by the river. Wearing a dress that looks like it escaped from a famous painting. How did it happen?
I went to Thailand after 3 years. I went to the place where I wanted to go because my mom showed me this place many times on video calls. Even my friends who are office workers took a vacation for me and went with me. We’ve all been friends since we were young. I even bought a dress the day before to make it feel like a picnic.
Bangkok is one of the most trendy Asian cities that change rapidly. You must be surprised if you go back after a long time.
I used to go there about two or three times a year, but it feels new every time I go there. It’s been a while since I visited this time, so I focused on spending time with my family and friends rather than exploring new things. I also ate out at a restaurant near my house.
You also published your third photo book to celebrate your birthday on March 27. This time, I saw a lot of pictures taken at the set.
That’s right. There’s also a picture I took at the set of the April issue of last year. I started making a photobook because I thought it would be a waste to look at the pictures that I take alone. But since it’s already the third time, I thought it would be unnatural to show only new sides. When I have a lot of work, it’s my real life to be on set or in a studio all the time. I think those photos will be fun as time goes by. It’s a record where I can look back on with my fans, what I’ve done throughout the year.
When do you feel the love of your fans the most?
I always feel that. Especially when I’m not feeling well, I feel the love of people around me. Even during my solo promotion, I felt a little lonely doing my own schedules, but thanks to the fans, I felt less lonely. They send a lot of messages like ‘Make sure to take vitamins’.
Have you ever been surprised to see yourself on stage? Have you ever wondered how you made such expression or gesture?
I missed the concert so much that I recently watched BLACKPINK’s concert videos and fan cams. There was a video of us having a concert right after we arrived after flying for about 10 hours, and I looked so energetic and excited on stage! It was a really tiring day. How did I do that? I felt once again that I received a lot of energy from the fans on stage.
Whether it’s stage or dance, do you feel pressured by people saying that Lisa will always do well? Expectations for BLACKPINK’s next step are bound to be high.
There’s something I always say with the members. “We cannot do 100 percent every time. But let’s try to keep our own standards.” Instead of saying that we should really do well this time or that we should show it properly, we try to do our own part well as much as we have done till now.
Will the experience gained through each solo promotion be reflected in the BLACKPINK’S stage?
When I perform with the members, I think I’ll be able to stay focused even when it’s not my part. I had to fill the stage all by myself during my solo promotion, so I made a lot of efforts not to miss the camera.
When was the most nervous moment recently?
When I stood on the runway for the first time at Celine’s 2022 S/S collection! Thinking that I was chosen out of many professional models made me worry a lot. I walked with my hands in my jacket pocket, and when I finished walking, my hands were all sweaty. It’s proof of how nervous ! was. (laughs)
I was able to see Lisa’s natural side through your appearance on the Thai talk show ‘Woody Show‘ last year. I heard it was your first official interview in Thailand.
Even though Thai is my first language, I sometimes speak strangely, so my mom sometimes points out my Thai (laughs). I was nervous because I didn’t have many chances to interview myself, but Woody made me feel comfortable. At some point, I realized that I was just chatting comfortably. I always feel the love and support from Thailand.
You’ve talked about ‘Proud’ and ‘Believe in Yourself’ many times. You influence so many people, but what are some advantages of others you want to emulate?
I have a friend who always says ‘okay’ to everything. But there are times when I think, ‘I don’t like this’ or ‘I don’t want to do this’. I recently thought that I sometimes need to live in my friend’s attitude that seems to be calm and free from ups and downs.
Is there anything you, who are always in the position of being asked, want to ask people?
I want to specifically ask people who say I’m a stimulus or an inspiration to them. Kids often say things like, ‘I want to be like you’ or ‘Thanks to you, I’ve set a life goal. Some people talk about how I’ve been living abroad since I was young and never gave up on my dream. Recently, a person older than me said that I became an inspiration. And that she achieved her dream thanks to me, so I was curious about why. It’s still hard to believe that some aspect of me can have such a big influence. It’s amazing to be someone’s inspiration.
Is there anything you want to praise yourself these days?
The fact that I always live with good energy. I think of everything positively and try not to take it negatively. I think I’m doing it very well and I want to praise myself for that. (laughs)
We’ll be able to see the stage of the four members of BLACKPINK soon, right? What would your daily life be like with the members all day long?
We were together all day yesterday too! It’s always fun and comfortable when I’m with the members. Even if you don’t say it, you can tell what they are thinking just by looking at each other. Because we’ve been together for 11 years, including our trainee years.
Summer, your favorite season, is coming. Is there anything you don’t want to miss this summer?
I asked Rosé to hang out with me a while ago. The sea! Especially, I want to go to Jeju Island. I hope it comes true.
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