"Its a fully english album made by a Thai woman" — Fans slam American rapper Azealia Banks for alleged racism towards BLACKPINK's Lisa

American rapper Azealia Banks recently got embroiled in a controversy and faced accusations of racism for seemingly dismissing BLACKPINK's Lisa and other K-pop idols.

The incident began on March 1, 2025, when a fan asked Azealia Banks about her opinion on Lisa's latest solo album, Alter Ego. Banks replied shortly that she did not listen to K-pop. This response provoked backlash from large portions of social media, as they noted that Lisa was singing in English on the album, also highlighting her Thai origin.

Azealia Banks was then accused of being xenophobic in her dismissal of Lisa, assuming she had Korean origins rather than discussing the referenced music. Following the comments, Banks went on social media to share that she was frustrated with high-end fashion houses.

She criticized these establishments for favoring K-pop idols over hip-hop artists in their celebrity invitations. Azealia Banks wrote:

"Sidebar: how the f*ck are all these garbage K-pop stars getting all this love from notoriously racist European fashion houses before the plethora of hip-hop artists who have been showing love, driving their sales, and immortalizing them in song for the last three decades?"

She continued:

"Especially when these k-pop artists are largely making crappy facsimile urban Americana hip-hop music? Do they not understand that the influence begins and ends with Black America lmao? ... It’s really interesting to watch the desperation and delusion running amok in Legacy fashion houses rn. Fashion + Europeanism as a joint package is on a steep decline."

The incident sparked a social media furor, with fans weighing in on Azealia Banks's comments and their broader ramifications. Her criticism of the fashion industry's failure to include hip-hop artists was condemned by many as she called the K-pop idols "garbage."

Many pointed out that Lisa's work transcended traditional K-pop boundaries and that her Thai heritage and her English-language album made her globally appealing.

One fan wrote on X:

"Its a fully english album made by a Thai woman."

Most considered this as an unwarranted offense against K-pop artists. Fans reacted swiftly to Azealia Banks's statements, labeling them problematic.

"Girl the whole album is in English and she's Thai, why would it be K-pop?" a fan wrote.

"Lisa is thai and her album is in english honey where tf you got Kpop from," another fan wrote.

"The way she worded is simply rude. She could’ve say like 'not yet' or 'still didn’t' but the way he said it, it seems like 'i haven’t and what about it'. Idgaf about lisa but i won’t bear if anyone disrespect lisa music," another fan added.

Some fans expressed disappointment over Azealia Banks's unnecessary name-calling of K-pop artists.

"BC’s your racist to Asians, we know," a fan reacted.

"Shes talking about a Thai woman with an album fully in English btw," another fan said.

"At this point calling Lisa a kpop artist is the most pathetic thing you can say literally she is THAI and sings in ENGLISH," another fan added.

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BLACKPINK's Lisa unveiled her debut solo album, Alter Ego

On February 28, 2025, Alter Ego marks an addition to Lisa's career as her first-ever full-length solo album. The concept of the album revolves around five distinct personalities—Roxi, Sunni, Kiki, Speedi, and Vixi—each speaking to different aspects of her artistry.

Such a theme allowed the BLACKPINK rapper to explore a plethora of genres, from rap to dance to pop. The album's track, FXCK UP THE WORLD ft. Future, reached the No. 5 on the Worldwide iTunes Song Chart, and maintained the position for two consecutive days.

Here is the ALTER EGO full tracklist:

• Born Again ft. Doja Cat & Raye
• ROCKSTAR
• elastigirl
• thunder
• NEW WOMAN ft. rosalía
• FXCK UP THE WORLD ft. Future
• Rapunzel ft. Megan Thee Stallion
• Moonlit Floor
• when i'm with you ft. Tyla
• BADGRRRL
• lifestyle
• chill
• dream
• FXCK UP THE WORLD (vixi solo version)
• Rapunzel (kiki solo version)

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Parallel to her musical endeavors, the BLACKPINK idol continues to dabble in acting by joining the cast of HBO's The White Lotus season 3.

The White Lotus season 3 premiered on February 16, 2025, with new episodes airing weekly on Sundays at 9 pm ET/PT on HBO and streaming on Max. Episodes 3 and 4 will be aired on March 2 and March 9, 2025, respectively.