Dear Gossips,    

By now I think we all know about the importance of the September Issue in magazine publishing. Could we say that it’s even more significant now than it was, say, a decade ago or more with so much volatility in print and significant declines in ad rates? 

 

For the magazine industry, then, even though TikTok might not care as much, the “September Issue” needs to be protected. It is very much a symbol of legacy media – ironically, even though we’ve been told that digital is dominant, those who emerge from digital origins still look to legacy for legitimacy and validation. So where the September Issue is concerned, it still matters who the choices are for the cover, and they can signal where we’re at in terms of how legacy might be responding to rapid shifts in the cultural landscape. 

For its September 2024 Issue, ELLE USA went with Lisa, making her the first K-pop solo artist to be featured on the cover of the magazine in any month, but it’s especially significant that it’s happening for this particular month. Not that she doesn’t have the credentials – those credentials were earned several years ago. But this year is good timing because she’s coming off the success of her new song “Rockstar”, which a few days ago became the most-watched music video of any female artist worldwide in 2024 (over 144 million and counting in just 38 days). And, also, there’s her upcoming acting debut in season three of The White Lotus – release date TBC. 

 

But there’s also the fact that, well, Lisa’s just a great model, plain and simple. She is swagger and sweetness all at once, as pure of a popstar as there ever was, with all the skills and that thing that you just can’t bottle: charisma. 

 

A couple of weeks ago I went to see the BLACKPINK concert movie in theatres. Weirdly the film itself isn’t great in how it’s presented and edited. I’ve seen so many Korean concert movies and the image quality is almost always world class, because their tech is so good. Born Pink, however, looks like YouTube at times. They were filming, literally, for a whole tour, and for whatever reason, the shots they chose were so disjointed, often the wrong angle for the song choice and the choreography, and definitely not enough outfits considered the drip that BLACKPINK is known for. So I definitely understand why so many Blinks have been so unhappy with their label, YG, for so long. Because they could have produced it a lot better. But the point is, despite the unsatisfactory production value, the chemistry and the talent of all four members, Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa, and Rosé, is undeniable – and you simply cannot ignore Lisa’s crazy ass stage presence. When she is on camera, every hair toss, every flick of the wrist, every hip check, every single move is mesmerising, you cannot take your eyes off her, the magnetism is outrageous. 

 

But then she goes from this… (love the styling in this shot): 

 

…to this, a cutie!

 

Lisa is headlining Global Citizen on September 28. If you’ve never seen that performance power, you’re about to when she takes the stage in New York. Get ready. 

Click here for more of Lisa in ELLE.

Yours in gossip, 

Lainey