Lisa (BLACKPINK) Biography: Early Life, BLACKPINK, Alter Ego, "SaWaDiKa", Always Lalisa and Viva La Lisa (2026)

Lisa: Saying “Hello” to a New Chapter

In September 2026, Lisa released a single called “SaWaDiKa”, a stylized version of the Thai greeting “sawatdee ka”, meaning “hello”. It is a hard-hitting rap song with a video shot on the streets of Bangkok. The title captures where her career stands: after a decade as one of the world’s most famous K-pop stars, she is introducing herself again, this time on her own terms and with her Thai identity at the center.

Lisa’s path has few parallels. She left home as a teenager to train in a foreign country, in a language she did not yet speak, and became one of the defining members of BLACKPINK. Since then, she has launched her own company, released a solo album, acted in The White Lotus, performed at the Oscars and the FIFA World Cup, and become the first K-pop artist to book a Las Vegas residency.

Early Life in Thailand

Lisa was born Pranpriya Manobal on March 27, 1997, in Buriram, Thailand. She later changed her first name to Lalisa. She grew up in Bangkok, raised by her mother, Chitthip Brüschweiler, and her Swiss stepfather, Marco Brüschweiler, a well-known chef.

She loved dancing from childhood. She took dance classes and joined a youth dance crew, We Zaa Cool, whose members included Thai singer BamBam, later of the K-pop group GOT7. She also competed in dance contests and TV talent shows as a child.

A Foreign Trainee at YG

In 2010, at 13, Lisa auditioned in Thailand for South Korea’s YG Entertainment, the company behind BIGBANG and 2NE1. She was reportedly the only person selected from that audition. In 2011 she moved to Seoul and became YG’s first non-Korean trainee.

Her training lasted more than five years. She had to learn Korean while practicing singing, rapping and dancing, often for more than 12 hours a day, and she has spoken about how lonely she felt being far from her family. She eventually became fluent in Korean, English and Thai, and she also speaks some Japanese.

BLACKPINK’s Debut and Rise

On August 8, 2016, YG debuted BLACKPINK, with Lisa alongside Jennie, Jisoo and Rosé, with the double single Square One, featuring “Boombayah” and “Whistle”. The group was an immediate hit in South Korea, and Lisa was established as its main dancer, lead rapper and youngest member.

As BLACKPINK became a global phenomenon, Lisa became one of its most recognized faces. Her dancing and stage presence were widely admired, and her fan base in Thailand and across Southeast Asia was especially large. In 2018 she was a regular cast member on a Korean variety show and later served as a dance mentor on the Chinese reality competition Youth With You.

The group’s biggest hits included “Ddu-Du Ddu-Du”, “Kill This Love”, “How You Like That”, “Pink Venom” and “Shut Down”. In 2019, BLACKPINK became the first female K-pop group to perform at Coachella. The group’s 2020 debut studio album, The Album, featured collaborations with Selena Gomez and Cardi B. In 2022, Born Pink became the first album by a female K-pop group to reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200.

The Born Pink World Tour of 2022–2023 was the highest-grossing tour ever by a female K-pop group. In April 2023, BLACKPINK became the first Asian act to headline Coachella.

Lalisa: The First Solo Step

Lisa’s solo debut came in September 2021 with the single album Lalisa, which blended hip-hop with Thai culture. The title track’s video featured traditional Thai costume and architecture, and it set a YouTube record for most views in 24 hours for a solo artist. The album sold more than 736,000 copies in its first week in South Korea, the most ever by a female soloist at the time.

The B-side, “Money”, later became a much bigger hit through viral dance videos, reaching the top 10 of the Billboard Global 200 and becoming one of the longest-charting songs by a female K-pop soloist. In 2022, Lisa won Best K-Pop at the MTV Video Music Awards, the first solo K-pop artist to win the award.

Going Independent: LLOUD

After BLACKPINK’s contracts with YG came up for renewal in 2023, all four members renewed only for group activities while pursuing solo careers independently. In February 2024, Lisa launched her own company, LLOUD, to manage her solo work. She later partnered with RCA Records for her solo releases.

Her first release through LLOUD was “Rockstar”, released in June 2024. Its video, filmed in Bangkok’s Yaowarat (Chinatown) district, was another showcase of her Thai identity. The song topped the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. chart and peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard Global 200.

She followed with “New Woman” featuring Rosalía and “Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me)”, and she headlined the Global Citizen Festival in New York in September 2024. In October 2024, she performed at the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show.

The White Lotus and the Oscars

In early 2025, Lisa made her acting debut in the third season of HBO’s The White Lotus, set in Thailand. She played Mook, a health mentor at a luxury resort. Her casting drew huge global attention and helped introduce her to audiences who knew little about K-pop.

In March 2025, she performed at the Academy Awards as part of a James Bond tribute, singing “Live and Let Die”. In September 2025, she attended the Primetime Emmy Awards.

Alter Ego

Her debut solo album, Alter Ego, was released on February 28, 2025. It was built around five alter egos, Roxi, Kiki, Vixi, Sunni and Speedi, each representing a side of her personality. Guests included Doja Cat, RAYE, Rosalía, Megan Thee Stallion and Future.

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The album debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 with 45,500 equivalent units and at No. 1 on Top Album Sales. “Born Again” with Doja Cat and RAYE became her highest-charting song on the Billboard Hot 100 and her first No. 1 on the Official Thailand Chart. Critics gave the album mixed but generally positive reviews: many praised her versatility, while some said it lacked a clear identity.

In April 2025, she performed her first solo Coachella set.

The Deadline World Tour

While building her solo career, Lisa remained committed to BLACKPINK. The group reunited for the Deadline World Tour, its first all-stadium tour. It opened on July 5, 2025, in Goyang, South Korea, and ended on January 26, 2026, at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium, with stops in North America and Europe, including London’s Wembley Stadium.

At the opening show, BLACKPINK debuted the single “Jump”, which reached No. 28 on the Billboard Hot 100 and became a global hit. Their mini-album Deadline, released on February 27, 2026, reportedly sold more than 1.4 million copies on its first day, a record for a female K-pop act, and debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200. It was the group’s first new release since Born Pink in 2022.

2026: A Global Year

Lisa’s 2026 was one of the busiest years of her career. She was part of the host committee for the 2026 Met Gala and appeared on the cover of Vanity Fair’s summer issue. In May, she released “Goals” with Anitta and Rema for the official FIFA World Cup 2026 album, and she performed it at the World Cup’s opening ceremony. She was the first K-pop artist and the first Thai artist to perform at a World Cup opening ceremony.

In August 2026, BLACKPINK celebrated its 10th anniversary. In an Instagram message, Lisa thanked fans and called her bandmates her “ride or die” members.

Always Lalisa

A documentary about her solo year, Always Lalisa, directed by Sue Kim, follows her through 2025 as she stepped away from BLACKPINK for the first time since childhood. It covers her work on Alter Ego, her White Lotus role, her Coachella performance and the pressure of building a solo career.

The film premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, 2026, and is scheduled to open in cinemas and IMAX worldwide on October 12, 2026, before streaming on YouTube Premium. In the trailer, Lisa describes her BLACKPINK bandmates as her “soul mates”.

“SaWaDiKa” and Press Play

On September 3, 2026, she released “SaWaDiKa”, the lead single from her upcoming EP, Press Play. The song was produced by Thom Bridges and the duo Ojivolta and marks a return to hard-hitting rap and hip-hop after the more pop-leaning Alter Ego. It was promoted with a “Hello Sawadika” campaign, with “hello” displayed in 11 languages and billboards across Bangkok.

The video, directed by Bang Jae-yeob, was filmed at locations across Bangkok. It features high-energy choreography and looks including a red leather bodysuit and boxing shorts with “SaWaDiKa” written in rhinestones.

Press Play, a six-track EP described as a more personal project reflecting her Thai roots, is scheduled for release on October 23, 2026, through LLOUD and RCA.

Viva La Lisa

In November 2026, Lisa will stage Viva La Lisa at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, the first Las Vegas residency by a K-pop artist. The four shows, on November 13, 14, 27 and 28, reportedly sold out within ten minutes.

Style, Influence and Legacy

Lisa is one of the most influential fashion figures in K-pop. She has been a global ambassador for Celine and Bulgari and a major figure for other brands. She is also one of the most-followed people on Instagram, and she has consistently been among the most-followed K-pop artists on social media.

Her cultural importance in Thailand and Southeast Asia is significant. She has become a symbol of Thai success on the global stage, and she has repeatedly made Thai culture part of her work, from the “Lalisa” video to “Rockstar” to “SaWaDiKa”. Her success has also helped open K-pop to more foreign-born members.

As a performer, she is best known for her dancing, which combines precision and charisma, and for her rapping, which “SaWaDiKa” puts back at the center of her work.

At 29, Lisa is a member of one of the most successful girl groups in history, a solo artist with her own company, an actress and a global fashion figure. Her documentary, new EP and Las Vegas residency make late 2026 an important moment in her career.

Quick Facts

Detail	Information
Birth name	Pranpriya Manobal (later Lalisa Manobal)
Born	March 27, 1997, Buriram, Thailand
Age	29 (as of September 2026)
Group	BLACKPINK (debuted August 8, 2016)
Group role	Main dancer, lead rapper, youngest member
Solo company	LLOUD (founded 2024), with RCA Records
Solo releases	Lalisa (2021), Alter Ego (2025), Press Play (EP, October 23, 2026)
Latest single	“SaWaDiKa” (September 3, 2026)
Acting debut	The White Lotus, Season 3 (2025)
Documentary	Always Lalisa (TIFF 2026; theaters October 12, 2026)
Residency	Viva La Lisa, Caesars Palace, Las Vegas (November 2026)
Notable firsts	First solo K-pop VMA winner; first K-pop act with a Las Vegas residency; first Thai and K-pop artist at a World Cup opening ceremony

Lisa (BLACKPINK) Biography: Early Life, BLACKPINK, Alter Ego, “SaWaDiKa”, Always Lalisa and Viva La Lisa (2026)