NME gave Alter ego a 3/5 rating with the general comment: Lisas debut album brought glamorousness but not much content - it painted the perfect image of a superstar, but not the woman behind that image.
The magazine emphasized that Lisa is always a force - sharp, flexible and extremely charming on stage. In her debut solo album Alter ego, the Blackpink star not only entered the spotlight, she also increased her sparkle.
Lisa introduced 5 different covers, each covering is associated with songs, aesthetics, album covers and even a specific comic book connection.
It was a flashy debut, expressing a high concept, but in the process of playing makeup games, Lisa - as an artist - got lost, wrote NME.
According to Crystal Bell, instead of making a statement that identifies her own identity outside of the color she has in Blackpink, the album Alter ego is more like a combined of disjointed identities by Lisa.
This is reasonable if you consider the origin of the album, when the female singer wanted to "try many different genres of music" in the studio and combine all of them.
The result is a project that includes diversity but lack of cohesion less clear artistic vision and more of an experimental sound - NME believes that the album Alter ego is mainly experimental and has little artistic value.
Specifically, the magazine pointed out that if Alter ego has a unified theme, it is flashiness and surplus. Lisa spent most of the album's time enjoying her wealth and status, showing off design brands, cars and luxury items that few people can reach.
"It's just my way of life," she affirmed in "Lifestyle," a bold, exaggerated, resounding holiday song with a strong amation and endless confidence.
But to be fair, this is the reality of her - Lisa is one of the most famous women in the world, traveling through places that most people will never experience - NME admitted.
However, showing off being rich is not the main problem, but the regrettable thing in Alter ego is that Lisa never does deeper.
"The camera in front of me/Call me Mona Lisa," she sang with indifference in Chill, comparing herself to the worlds most famous mystery.
But what is the feeling of not being able to reach that star level? Instead of giving an in-depth look, the album surfs the raised landscape, painting a picture of power and privileges but never revealing the people inside it - NME wrote.
The emptiness of Alter ego is most clearly illustrated in F *ck up the world, a bold and undeniablely straightforward song. Lisa seems to be completely suitable for her style, she expresses her lyrics with confidence, style and power.
However, with all its noisy energy, the song ended up like a company speech - the empty talk of a CEO saying they wanted to "destroy everything" (the English word is anathematic) without a real plan behind it.
However, NME also pointed out that the album Alter ego is not without highlights. When Lisa focuses on one audio and one statement, the outcome can be great.
New Woman, a passionate collaboration with Rosalia, is a highlight of the album a smooth, vibrant celebration of the regeneration. The duo exchanged lyrics as if two women entered their comfort zone, shaking away the past to accept an evolutionary, untouchable self.
The MV directed by veteran director Dave Meyers enhanced the song's appeal, depicting Lisa as a power of nature - fearless and completely controlling everything.
