Lisa, one-quarter of the powerhouse K-pop group BLACKPINK, released her first-ever solo EP, Press Play, this week via her own label, LLOUD, in partnership with RCA Records. The release comes 18 months after the launch of her debut full-length album, Alter Ego back in 2025.
“SaWaDiKa” opens the EP, followed by “V12,” “Cobra,” “Tarantino,” “Cut U Off,” and “Sweat.” The six tracks are heavy on energy, bass, and beat – blending trap with pop while showcasing Lisa’s signature confident bars and catchy lyrics. “Tarantino” also builds in the bright twang of the phin, a traditional Thai string instrument.
The EP draws on other Thai influences, most notably in “SaWaDiKa”, which takes its name from sawatdee ka, a formal Thai greeting women use to say ‘hello’. Released in early September as Press Play’s punchy lead single, it debuted at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100, marking Lisa’s highest-charting song on the chart to date.
From its opening single to the final track, Press Play traces Lisa’s journey from her Thai roots to her evolution into a global pop star. As she explained on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, “Every single song has their own character, their own vibe, and when we combine it together, it’s like a movie. So you just press play,” referencing the EP title and lyrics of “Tarantino”.
The two tracks, “SaWaDiKa” and “Tarantino,” also have their own high-powered music videos. “SaWaDiKa,” which has amassed more than 224 million YouTube views in just one month, follows Lisa across neighbourhoods and urban architectural spaces in her native Bangkok, Thailand, accompanied by a slick troupe of backup dancers. “Tarantino,” meanwhile, is exactly as cinematic as its name suggests, with Lisa taking on a Tarantino-esque fight scene from her hotel room to the kitchen, effortlessly dispatching chefs with a flick of her manicured hand.
It’s been a busy few months for the rapper, actor, and global pop star. Lisa recently won the Best Pop award at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards for “Dream” featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi, a track from Alter Ego, becoming the first K-pop solo artist to win the prize. She is also the subject of the feature documentary Always Lalisa, released in IMAX and cinemas worldwide on October 12. With Press Play arriving just ahead of her first Las Vegas residency, Viva La Lisa, in November, Lisa is showing no signs of slowing down.
