Lisa opens up in documentary about past controversy and label departure

Lisa, the Thai-born global K-pop icon and Blackpink member, opens up about her past online controversies and her high-profile departure from her longtime South Korean label in a new feature-length documentary directed by Sue Kim, bbc.com reported. The project tracks the artist across a full year of solo transitions, capturing unscripted moments of vulnerability alongside the immense pressures of international stardom.

A Documentary Inside Lisa Solo Transition And Past Controversy

The documentary captures a tense period when a leaked teen trainee video resurfaced online, showing members of Blackpink rapping to a US track and using an unbleeped racial slur. The scandal erupted just as Lisa was preparing for a major performance at the 2025 Coachella Festival, bbc.com reported. While some fans expressed anger and demanded an apology, Blackpink’s management agency prohibited all members from issuing statements.

Director Sue Kim recalled entering Lisa’s dressing room during the crisis to offer her an unfiltered space to speak.

I said, ‘Listen, I know this is new. I know you guys are confused and deeply hurt. But this is your time to say whatever you want to say, even if you’re just processing and telling us how you feel.’ Sue Kim via bbc.com

Speaking unscripted on a sofa, Lisa admitted the situation was terrible and acknowledged her past mistake. It’s bad, she stated in the documentary, explaining that she was fifteen or sixteen years old at the time and unfamiliar with English or the heavy historical weight of the word, having only heard it in rap songs. Now I would never do that, because I am educated now. I know better now, she added. But I made a mistake.

Navigating Death Threats And Creative Independence After YG Entertainment

Amid the controversy, the singer faced direct death threats and lived with constant security concerns while maintaining her public appearances. Reflecting on the intense scrutiny, she noted that while she had to accept and compromise with criticism to a degree, the weight at times became overwhelming.

Beyond online friction, the film documents Lisa’s decision to break away from South Korea’s strict K-pop idol system, which previously barred her from drinking alcohol or engaging in adult romantic relationships. I didn’t want my love life to ruin Blackpink’s popularity, Lisa explained in the film. But when I turned twenty-five, I realized this is not the life you should have. She ultimately chose not to renew her contract with YG Entertainment, the agency that discovered her as a teenager, signing instead with RCA Records in the United States.

Director Sue Kim observed that making such a move required immense courage given Lisa’s polite demeanor and years of ingrained obedience under the K-pop system. The documentary also captures her early struggles in the recording studio, dealing with vocal anxiety and tearful moments as she pushed to assert her artistic independence.