K-pop star Lisa graces the November covers for 10 international editions of the music magazine. Photo LALISA MANOBAL/INSTAGRAM

SEOUL — K-pop star Lisa from girl group Blackpink has become the first global cover star of Billboard.

The Thai singer-dancer graces the November 2024 covers for 10 international editions of the music magazine, including those published in the United States, Saudi Arabia, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Italy, South Korea and the Philippines.

Netizens were left buzzing by the sudden windfall of Lisa content, especially since she already made a surprise appearance on the cover of Vanity Fair magazine’s Hollywood issue earlier in the week.

In an interview for Billboard’s cover feature, the 27-year-old said she has been having fun exploring a solo career outside Blackpink, who made their debut in 2016.

“In Blackpink, I’m a rapper, so I always rap. But now, it’s a chance for me to show the world that I’m capable of (so much more),” added Lisa, whose full name is Lalisa Manobal.

She said the quartet will reunite for a comeback in 2025, and all four have been supportive of one another’s solo forays.

“We know each other so well and know how much energy we have to put into every single project... I’m just so happy that they’re releasing (their own music),” she said.

Her other high-profile magazine cover in the same week was the annual Hollywood issue of Vanity Fair magazine. Its super-sized foldover cover typically features both rising stars and A-listers.

But Lisa’s appearance alongside established actresses like Nicole Kidman, Zoe Saldana and Zendaya raised some eyebrows, given her lack of acting appearance.

She will make her acting debut only in the third season of award-winning drama series The White Lotus, which is expected to premiere in 2025. Judging by a recent teaser trailer, Lisa will be playing a hotel employee at the titular fictional resort chain.

Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Radhika Jones defended her inclusion, saying: “Lisa’s incredibly famous, but we’re going to introduce her in a new context, and it’s nice to be able to create that mix.”

In a clip posted on Vanity Fair’s Instagram account, the star is seen raving over her “secret obsession” with blind boxes from Chinese toy company Pop Mart – and it is this fandom that has been credited with starting the global craze for the Labubu figurine. — The Straits Times/ANN