It's hard to be both cool and timeless. For everyone except Thai pop star Lisa, that is. In Rockstar , her latest single, she effortlessly juggles almost every contradiction imaginable, and thus crafts a video that feels ultramodern but that generations to follow will probably bop their heads to as well. In the first shot, the pop icon clad in black leather and dark cargo pants dancing in the middle of a fluorescent street. She looks like a reverse-supernova –dark in a sea of light–, a rockstar in a Lisa kind of way.
The singer draws inspiration from a diverse set of imagery. Her slicked-back urban chic hair and punk makeup is compellingly juxtaposed with edits that make her look as if she has multiple arms and faces, reminiscent of Hindu and Buddhist deities. As the video progresses, Lisa explores this buzzing city with a squad of similarly-dressed backup dancers. She boasts that “every city's [her] city,” and it does seem that she owns every cobblestone she walks on. Her easy and fluid movement speaks for itself, but the confidence is reinforced by the final shots of the video, where the city freezes, and she floats above, an omnipotent puppeteer.
Rockstar is Lisa at her best, a classical and modern goddess, pumped up with crisp beats, alluring lyrics, and glamorous dance moves.