BLACKPINK’s Lisa released another Baddie banger! On Feb. 28, Lisa unveiled Alter Ego, her highly-anticipated debut solo album. The album has been a long time coming, with Lisa dropping singles leading up to its release dating back to June 2024, when she released “Rockstar.” Since then, she’s released “New Woman,” “Born Again,” and now, “FXCK UP THE WORLD.” The song and its lyrics are rebellious in tone, highlighting Lisa’s desire to build her own path apart from others’s perceptions and to defy conventional norms. Lisa debuted her own alter traits prior to the debut of Alter Ego.
She included five alter personalities, each with their own distinct sound from her album. “FUTW” is inspired by Lisa’s alter ego Vixi, who is both rebellious and powerful. On Lisa’s official website introducing her alter egos, Vixi describes herself as “the one they love to call the ‘villain’.” Curious to see how Vixi fits into the wider idea of “FUTW”? Me too! So, why don’t we look at what the lyrics actually mean?
Lisa begins “FUTW” with the song’s refrain as she unveils Vixi to listeners. In the verse, Lisa raps about being in the zone and not wanting to be bothered as she does whatever she wants, even if it causes a scene. She sings, “(Yeah) Uh, uh, woke up and I’m on again / (Yeah) Uh, uh, please don’t call my phone again / (Yeah) Uh, uh, walk in causing havoc / Yes, that is a habit / Bad on bad, I’m tragic, yeah, yeah.”
In the opening verse, Lisa emphasizes her stage presence by rapping, “They watch me on the stages (Stages), they watch me go crazy (Crazy) / I’m ’bout to make them pick the pieces up, then lock ’em in the cages (Cages).” Lisa has taken on the spotlight in many forms. From being one-fourth of the mega girl group powerhouse that is BLACKPINK and leading her own path in her solo career, to taking center stage in events like the 2024 Victoria Secret Fashion Show and the 2024 Global Citizen Festival. Her aura on stage is undeniable, and the verse emphasizes this with lines that underline how she can make her fans freak out over her in the same way she hypes up the crowd during her performances.
She continues, “A lot can happen in a couple minutes, lots of reasons, lots of things in action /
Lots of people watchin’ things unravel, watch the moment, watch me goin’ / Locked and loaded, say some sh*t that’ll make ’em think it, thought-provoking / Only do things that are makin’ history, tryna make moves that’ll make ’em miss me / Stay as busy as I want to, takin’ trips to escape a bit.” The verse notes how fleeting time is and how situations can change quickly. Lisa understands that both haters and supporters are watching her every step in her life in the spotlight; therefore, she uses this attention to express herself and for her listeners.
Lisa exudes classic baddie energy near the end of the first verse, rebelliously rapping about having no boundaries and doing anything she wants as long as it aligns with her goals and ambitions. She raps, “Make it shift to a different gear, takin’ things to a different tier / Pop up with it on the roof, like a proper villain / All this spendin’ got me in a mood, driven by the vision / I’ve been livin’, sittin’ pretty, pretty fixin’, pretty cities / Busy, busy, uh, really gettin’ busy with it, giddy up.”
The chorus is a bold and feisty departure from Lisa’s previous verses, as she powerfully challenges the status quo while simultaneously shaking things up. The chorus goes, “Woke up feelin’ like, like / F*ck up the world, f*ck up the world / I think I just might, might / F*ck up the world, f*ck up the world / Woke up feelin’ like, like / F*ck up the world, f*ck up the world / I think I just might / I think— I think— I just— I just— (I just, I just).”
The second verse of “FUTW” is all about Lisa’s confidence, as she raps about how unique she is in her style of work. “Never seen no girl like this (This), stone cold plus ice on wrist (On wrist) / As bad as it gets, fits like crazy down to my fit / I’m a chart topping, exotic, a godd*mn heart-throbbing head dropper.” The sentiment is emphasized in the second half when she mentions how her mere presence can turn heads. Lisa raps, “Just walked in and made jaws drop, see me wearing it and watch it pop / Getting and doubling (Doubling), my barrell and boss is tumbling (Tumbling) / High currency, I’m thumbing it, oh, you thought it went hard, I’m upping it (Uppin it) /I don’t do generic, London and Paris, looking real healthy, all on my carrots / Give them a look, now I’ve got them all staring, give me the crown, so I might as well wear it, uh.”
The verse that had fans gagged the most came from the song’s bridge, where Lisa raps about crafting her new sound independently—and if people don’t like it, they can go back and listen to her old work. Yeah, you heard her! She’s not here for haters trying to put her in a box. The bridge goes, “Rappin’ like my lease up, I told them that I’m focused (Yeah, yeah) / They want the old LISA, then listen to my old sh*t (Yeah, yeah) / Rappin’ like a deep cut, flowin’ like the ocean (Yeah, yeah, yeah) / They want the old LISA, then listen to my old sh*t.”
I’m here for Lisa discovering her own sound as she begins her solo career, and with the release of Alter Ego, she’s proving she already has!