With a starring role in The White Lotus and her solo album debuting in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200, LISA of BLACKPINK is undoubtedly at the peak of her career. However, as she revealed in a recent interview, her path to stardom began with a song that few would expect.
How Hannah Montana Played a Key Role in LISA’s Career
In an interview with The Guardian (March 24), the K-pop star shared the surprising song that helped launch her career: “Ice Cream Freeze (Let’s Chill)” from Hannah Montana, the alter ego of Miley Cyrus.
“For my BLACKPINK audition in Thailand, I sang ‘Ice Cream Freeze’,” she revealed. “There were at least 1,000 people, so I never thought I’d be chosen. But it’s such a fun and danceable song, and I felt it fit my style perfectly.”
The song, which appeared on the soundtrack of Hannah Montana‘s third season, features playful dance instructions sung by Cyrus:
“Do the ice cream freeze, strike your pose / Then you do the milkshake / Shake it, shake it down low.”
Meeting Justin Bieber and Her Shy Side
In the same interview, LISA also revealed her longtime admiration for Justin Bieber. She knows every lyric to “Baby”, but when she met him, she was too shy to express how much she admired him.
“I met him a few years ago, but I just said hi. I didn’t tell him how much I love him because I’m really shy,” she admitted with a laugh.
The Success of “Alter Ego” and BLACKPINK’s Legacy
In February, LISA released her first solo album, Alter Ego, which debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200. With this achievement, she became the third BLACKPINK member to reach the Top 10 as a solo artist, following JISOO and ROSÉ. Shortly after, JENNIE also joined the list, as her album Ruby debuted at No. 7 as well.
From a childhood audition with Hannah Montana to topping global charts, LISA’s journey proves that passion and hard work can turn a childhood dream into worldwide success.
