Lalisa (single album)

On April 19, 2021, an official from YG Entertainment revealed to South Korean media outlet The Korea Herald that Lisa would debut as the third soloist from her group (after her group-mates Jennie and Rosé respectively) with schedules later to be officially announced through a notice.[2] On July 12, through Star News, her label revealed filming for her music video was underway.[3] On July 25, the singer uploaded two images from her in a recording studio onto her Instagram stories, where a close-up of a screen is shown alongside two different soundwaves and the caption "What’s my name?", hinting at the single album's title.[4]

On August 25, 2021, YG Entertainment uploaded a teaser poster with the album's title, named after her given name,[5][6] with pre-orders starting that same date. On August 27, YG released a 26-second teaser showcasing one of the visual concepts of the album.[7][8] On August 30, it was confirmed by YG that the title track of the album would also be named "Lalisa".[9] The full tracklist was released on September 5.[10] The album was released worldwide on September 10 through YG and Interscope in conjunction with the music video for its eponymous single.[11] Leading up to the release of the solo, Lisa held an online live countdown event on social media platforms V Live and TikTok to talk about the album and the music video.[12] On September 11, Lisa gave an interview on The Woody Show as a special guest, marking her first appearance on a Thai talk show. On September 14, the artist held a special live broadcast on Naver Now to promote the single album.[13] On November 12, Lisa held an Audacy Check In interview.[14] On November 18, Lisa appeared as a guest on The Zach Sang Show and the radio show 102.7KIISFM.

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
NME	[27]

Lalisa received mixed reviews from music critics, who praised Lisa's performance and charisma but criticized the songs' lyrics and production. Rhian Daly writing for NME called the album "disappointingly flat" pointing out the poor quality in song production. She described the single "Lalisa" as "an awkward song" and felt that B-side track "Money" was even more disappointing.[27] Allison S. Park of The Harvard Crimson stated that Lisa's "formidable rapping skills shine through" but also criticized the "absence of a cohesive lyrical narrative" in the lead single.[28]

Chase McMullen writing for Beats Per Minute felt that Lisa's confident performance took center stage and praised her ability to transition smoothly between parts in the song "as to make each component feel perfectly natural".[29] Jenna Guillaume writing for MTV praised Lisa's rapping, singing, and dancing skills.[30] Writing for Pinkvilla, Anwaya Mane praised Lisa's "bold and confident rap" and her "inimitable and awe-inspiring high-energy performances" as well. She described "Money" as "a smooth, flowy and conversational kind of rap" which showcased Lisa's different side.[31]

Lalisa surpassed 700,000 pre-orders within four days, breaking the record held by bandmate Rosé's R for the highest number of pre-orders for a single album among K-pop female solo artists.[37] As of September 10, the single album had surpassed 800,000 pre-orders.[38] According to Korea's Hanteo Chart, the single album sold 330,129 copies on the first day and 736,221 copies on the first week of release, setting the record for the highest first-week sales among all female artists and making Lisa the first female soloist to achieve 500,000 copies in first-week sales.[39] The physical edition went on to debut at number one on the Gaon Album Chart, while the kit debuted at number four.[40] The album also debuted at number three on the monthly Gaon Album Chart, selling 693,079 copies as well as 60,000 copies of the kit version in the month of September.[41] In November 2021, Lalisa was certified double platinum by the Korea Music Content Association (KMCA) for selling over 500,000 copies. The album ranked at number 20 on the year-end Gaon Album Chart with 708,475 copies sold in 2021.[42] In August 2023, it was certified triple platinum for selling over 750,000 copies.[43]

Notes

• All tracks are stylized in all caps.

Personnel details are adapted from Lalisa's liner notes booklet.[44]

• List of certified albums in South Korea
• List of Gaon Album Chart number ones of 2021