"It's literally just lighting" — Fans defend Lisa over allegations of whitewashing in ‘Born Again’ MV ft Doja Cat & RAYE

BLACKPINK's Lisa released the music video for Born Again, featuring Doja Cat and RAYE, on February 6, 2025. This track serves as the fourth pre-release single from her upcoming debut solo album, ALTER EGO, scheduled for release on February 28, 2025.

Born Again is a Britpop-inspired track that delivers an empowering message of rebirth and rediscovery. The song blends Lisa's versatile rap and vocals with RAYE's voice and Doja Cat's rap, creating a dynamic and engaging listening experience.

The music video, directed by Bardia Zeinali, portrays the three artists as powerful figures, with Lisa, Doja Cat, and RAYE embodying Greek goddesses and warriors in visually sophisticated scenes. Lisa described the video as an homage to powerful women, aiming to inspire and empower viewers.

Following the release of the Born Again music video, an online debate emerged concerning the portrayal of the BLACKPINK rapper's skin tone. Some fans accused the production of whitewashing, suggesting that Lisa's natural skin tone appeared lighter in the video, which they argued could perpetuate unrealistic beauty standards and undermine her Southeast Asian heritage.

Discussions on social media platforms highlighted these concerns, with users expressing disappointment over the perceived alteration of Lisa's appearance. One user, seemingly in defense of the BLACKPINK singer, commented,

"It’s literally just lighting stop being a hater."

Some fans alleged that the BLACKPINK idol used heavy makeup to look white in Born Again. They expressed confusion over the need to lighten her natural skin tone for the production.

"The ethnic diversity in every comeback should be studied," a fan wrote.

""y'all just don't understand lighting" ITS BRIGHT AS HELL IN THAT ROOM," another fan said.

"Also recognize makeup as well you can clearly see her make up was made lighter for this outfit too. Not saying she is dark skin, but it is quite obvious she is not this white," another fan noted.

Conversely, other fans defended the artistic choices made in the video, arguing that lighting, makeup, and post-production processes could account for variations in appearance.

"I'm confused people's struggle with female idols, the one on the right has increased colors and contrast. The one on the left has the opening and fading feature. If a male idol did this, you would defend him forever. But when it comes to women, you get the mentality of a child," a fan defended.

"Song is too good so they have to come up with other thing to hate on.. you're a loser," another fan wrote.

"Is there any single sane ppl in this app?! you all just talking nosense get life ig," another fan reacted.

---

More about Lisa's upcoming debut solo album: ALTER EGO

Born Again is part of the BLACKPINK rapper's highly anticipated debut solo album, ALTER EGO. The album consists of twelve tracks and features collaborations with artists such as Rosalía, Doja Cat, and RAYE.

It has been supported by three more singles: ROCKSTAR, New Woman (feat. Rosalía), and Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me).

The concept of ALTER EGO revolves around the BLACKPINK rapper embodying five distinct characters, each representing different facets of her personality and artistic expression.

These personas—Roxi, Kiki, Vixi, Sunni, and Speedi—are symbolized by the points of a star, a recurring visual motif in the album's promotional materials. The album's teaser video showcases Lisa in various settings, including a volcanic red runway and a futuristic cyberpunk catwalk, reflecting the adventurous and cinematic themes woven into the project.

---

In other news, Born Again by Lisa feat. Doja Cat & RAYE earned the biggest 24-hour debut for any music video on YouTube in 2025. The music video surpassed over 9.27 million views with only 16 hours of tracking.