While Jennie’s recent release “Mantra” has secured the top spot on charts, Lisa has been caught up in various controversies surrounding her solo track “Rockstar”.
Jennie returned to solo promotions about a year after her special single “You & Me” in October last year. With her departure from YG Entertainment and the establishment of OA Entertainment, her new release “Mantra” garnered both anticipation and concern.
However, Jennie proved her prowess once again with her comeback, affirming her place as a “shining solo artist”. “Mantra” debuted at No.5 on Spotify’s “Daily Top Songs Global” chart, surpassing her previous personal best of No.13 with “You & Me”.
The success of “Mantra” highlights Jennie’s dedication to her solo career. The song carries a powerful message encouraging self-love and confidence, as well as the empowerment of others. Featuring entirely English lyrics, “Mantra” allowed Jennie to shed her past image of innocence, embracing a bolder, more confident persona. This shift resonated with the public, further amplifying her appeal.
After its release, “Mantra” topped the real-time chart on Bugs in Korea and reached No.1 on iTunes’ “Top Songs” in 57 countries/regions, including the U.S., Brazil, Singapore, the Philippines and Mexico. Notably, Jennie became the first K-pop female solo artist to achieve No.1 on the U.S. iTunes “Top Songs” chart this year. The music video for “Mantra” also reached No.1 on YouTube’s trending videos in both Korea and the U.S. after its release, and ranked No.1 on YouTube’s worldwide trending chart, gaining significant attention both domestically and internationally. These indicators show that Jennie has successfully captured both the domestic and global markets.
In contrast, Lisa, who released “Rockstar” on June 28, has been embroiled in various controversies. Accusations of music video plagiarism and lip-syncing during performances, including at the Global Citizen Festival in New York, have put her in the spotlight. Fans who had previously hailed her as a live performance powerhouse were left disappointed by these incidents.
Lisa, who holds Thai nationality, has played a crucial role in driving BLACKPINK’s global popularity. When she began her solo activities, she garnered a lot of attention, but aside from rumors about her personal life—such as her alleged relationship with Frédéric Arnault, the son of LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault—her achievements as an artist have been somewhat disappointing.
Pop culture critic Ha Jae-geun commented, “Lisa has shown tremendous star power, but as a singer, her music has fallen short of public expectations. Combined with various controversies, her overall performance seems lacking. Jennie, on the other hand, has received positive reviews for ‘Mantra’, and the key to increasing her appeal will be how much more she can enhance her mass appeal going forward.”
Source: Naver
