Lisa of Blackpink
Courtesy of YG EntertainmentLalisa Manobal — better known as Lisa from the K-pop supergroup Blackpink — has tested positive for Covid-19, The New York Times reports.
Blackpink’s label/production company, YG Entertainment, revealed the test result in a statement issued to Korean news outlets. YG said Lisa had had not been in close contact with her other three bandmates, but they were still awaiting the results of a PCR test.
A rep for Interscope, which works with Blackpink in the United States, did not immediately return a request for comment. As of publication, Manobal had not addressed the positive Covid test on her social media accounts.
The Korean music and culture website, Soompi, shared YG Entertainment’s statement in full: “We first shared this information quickly and accurately with representatives and staff, and we took strong preemptive measures even beyond the guidelines of health authorities,” the company said. “We will continue to not hold back on providing full support with the health of our artists and related staff members as the top priority. If there are any changes in the future, we will once again notify you quickly.”
In September, Manobal released her debut solo project, Lalisa, which contains two songs, an eponymous title-track and, “Money.” The release made Lisa the third Blackpink member to drop a solo project, following Jennie’s Solo (which arrived in 2018) and Rosé’s R (which dropped in March).
As for Blackpink, the group released their debut studio album, The Album, back in October 2020, while over the summer they released a new documentary, Blackpink the Movie. The film’s arrival in August coincided with the fifth anniversary of Blackpink’s debut as a group, and the film paired live performance footage with interviews with the four members.
Fontaines D.C. have teamed up with Rosalía for their new collaboration, Where Is Gone?.
The song features on the Irish rock band's forthcoming album, Dopamine Chamber, which arrives on Friday (16.10.26). For guitarist Carlos O’Connell, working with the Spanish superstar is particularly special because of his own Spanish roots.
He explained: “I’ve admired Rosalía ever since her debut album, which I thought was absolutely beautiful.
“What excited me most was the way she continued to preserve Spain's musical traditions, something that felt spiritually connected to what we've been trying to achieve with Irish music. Having roots in both countries, it's been really special to witness. "She's an artist who has continued to amaze me at every point in her career.”
Frontman Grian Chatten has also described the collaboration with Rosalía as one of the most memorable achievements of his career.
He revealed that he felt "humbled" when she agreed to lend her voice to the band's album.
Speaking to NPR, Grian said: “I've always felt there's something almost like a single big idea that I'm personally trying to communicate to the world before I get old and die, if that makes sense. There's one thing I think I'll spend my life trying to express. I have a feeling she has a similar outlook. … I mean, she's an amazing arranger, composer and lyricist. It means so much that she wanted to sing on something we'd put together. It's definitely one of the highlights of my career.”
Rosalía's links to Irish rock music extend beyond Fontaines D.C. She also offered inspiration and helped develop the Spanish lyrics for U2's The Mirror Maker (Rosalía), a track from their forthcoming album, Carnaval de Luz.
During an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon last week, she spoke about frontman Bono, saying: “I don't know him personally, but he sent me a text explaining that he was working on a new project and had written a song called The Mirror Maker."
Rosalía joked that Bono had invented a few words of his own.
She recalled telling him: “I wasn't sure what to make of it, but I told him he could create his own language if he wanted to.”
She described the opportunity to collaborate with the 66 year old music veteran as a real privilege.
She added: “Bono is a legend.
“It's amazing.”
Bono recently revealed that he was worried about seeming like a stalker when he reached out to Rosalía to ask whether he could name the song after her.
