Blackpink star Lisa pays Chinatown shopkeepers US$540 each to shut street for video shoot

Lisa fronts a group of dancers during the music video shoot in Bangkok's Chinatown. Photo: YouTube/LLOUD Official

• K-pop idol pays to clear Bangkok street to shoot video which has attracted 55 million views on YouTube since its June 28 release

Famous Thai singer Lisa of the K-pop group Blackpink has paid shopkeepers 20,000 baht (US$540) each so that she could close down a bustling Bangkok Chinatown street to shoot a music video.

Lisa, whose real name is Lalisa Manoban, released a new solo Rockstar and the accompanying music video on June 28, news outlet sina.com.cn reported.

The song, which blends contemporary R&B with hip-hop, is her first solo track released by her newly founded company LLOUD after she left her previous talent agent YG.

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"I'm so thrilled that I can finally share my new single Rockstar with you guys," Lisa, 27, said on Instagram.

"I've been working on this project for quite some time and had so much fun while preparing this. Thank you for your patience and I am really happy to celebrate this together with you all," she wrote in Instagram.

The music video (MV) was shot on Yaowarat Road, often referred to as Bangkok's Chinatown, and features a vibrant street food scene and bustling atmosphere.

Lisa's team completely shut down the area from 2am to 5am, a period when shops would typically be closed, for three days in May, according to Singapore-based news website MS News.

She offered to give each shop owner 20,000 baht (US$540) and even passers-by 1,000 baht for any disturbance caused by the video shoot.

The compensation amounts to more than a month's salary in Thailand.

After making its debut on the morning of June 28, Rockstar soon soared to the top of the list of solo artists with the most views, 32.4 million, on YouTube in the first 24 hours of its release.

This eclipsed Taylor Swift, whose song Fortnight, released months ago, received a combined total of 19.5 million in 24 hours.

Lisa, who has a large fan base in Asia, has received singing and dancing training in South Korea since she was a teenager.

She often showcases Thai culture, including food, fashion and tourist attractions. She is widely recognised as a tool of soft power for the country and most of her team are from the country.

The Thai news outlet Khao Sod English reported that the former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who is an expert on international business, told local officials in Bangkok to prepare to promote food in Yaowarat Road to capitalise on Lisa's video.

Mainland social media is also abuzz with the release.

"I like this song that is full of power. But I don't like her new appearance because it's a bit greasy," said one person on Douyin.

But another commented: "Lisa previously had a style of being pure and sweet, a prominent feature for South Korean stars. Now she is more wild and natural. It's good that she can be herself now."

Another person was attracted by the street views in the MV and said: "There are so many billboards in Chinese. I hope I can visit there someday."

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

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