Lisa is gearing up for her second solo era. The BLACKPINK member announced on August 24 that her new EP, “PRESS PLAY,” arrives October 23, 2026, led by a first single called “SaWaDiKa” dropping September 3.
FAQ
When does Lisa’s “PRESS PLAY” EP release?
October 23, 2026.
What’s the first single, and when does it drop?
“SaWaDiKa,” releasing September 3, 2026, ahead of the full EP.
How many tracks are on “PRESS PLAY”?
Six tracks in total.
The Rollout: Single First, Then the Full EP
Lisa’s team is spacing the release out over roughly seven weeks, putting “SaWaDiKa” out first in early September before the complete six-track “PRESS PLAY” EP follows in late October. That staggered rollout gives the lead single room to build its own momentum and chart run before the rest of the project arrives, a strategy that’s become increasingly common for solo K-pop releases competing for attention across a crowded comeback calendar.
What “SaWaDiKa” Signals
The title itself is a playful nod to “sawasdee,” the standard Thai greeting, a detail that fits Lisa’s history of weaving her Thai heritage into her solo work rather than setting it aside. It’s a continuation of an approach she’s leaned on since her debut solo material, using language and cultural references specific to her background as part of her artistic identity rather than a one-off gimmick.
Lisa’s Second Full Solo Era
“PRESS PLAY” will mark Lisa’s second full solo EP, following up on the era that first established her as a commercially independent force outside BLACKPINK. A six-track project is a meaningfully larger release than a single or a two-song drop, giving her more room to show range across the record rather than leaning on one obvious lead single to carry the entire era.
Part of a Busy Year for BLACKPINK’s Members
Lisa’s announcement lands in the middle of an unusually active stretch for BLACKPINK individually, with all four members juggling overlapping solo projects at once this year. Between Jennie‘s recent EP news, Jisoo‘s own upcoming single, and now Lisa’s “PRESS PLAY,” 2026 is shaping up as one of the busiest solo-era years the group has had since debut, even without a confirmed group comeback on the calendar yet.
Building On Her Acting Momentum Too
The music announcement also comes as Lisa continues to build a screen career alongside her music, having drawn attention for high-profile acting work in the past year. Running a solo music era alongside acting commitments has become increasingly common for top K-pop soloists, and Lisa’s schedule this year reflects that same dual-track approach, balancing a six-track EP rollout with whatever screen projects she has lined up around it.
How This EP Differs From Her Debut Era
Where Lisa’s first solo era leaned heavily on a handful of high-impact singles, a full six-track EP gives “PRESS PLAY” more room to explore different sounds across a single project rather than resting on one or two obvious hits. That structural shift, from single-driven moments to a more complete body of work, often signals an artist trying to establish a fuller creative identity beyond whichever song happens to become the viral moment of the era.
What to Expect Between Now and October
Expect a fairly standard K-pop rollout pattern between now and the EP’s release: a teaser campaign building toward “SaWaDiKa’s” September 3 drop, followed by additional previews, concept photos, and likely a tracklist reveal as October approaches. With two full releases now on the calendar just weeks apart, Lisa’s fall promotional schedule is set to be one of the busier individual pushes of any BLACKPINK member so far this year.
How Fans Are Reacting to the Announcement
The reveal of both a release date and a title track name in the same announcement gave fans more to dig into than a typical vague comeback teaser, and the Thai-language wordplay in “SaWaDiKa” was picked apart online almost immediately. That level of engagement with a single title, before any audio or visuals have even surfaced, reflects how closely BLACKPINK’s individual fanbases track even the smallest details of a member’s rollout.
September 3 is the next date to watch, with the complete picture of “PRESS PLAY” not fully clear until the EP itself arrives on October 23.
How This Era Compares to BLACKPINK’s Other Solo Runs
With Jennie, Jisoo, and now Lisa all running individual releases within a similar stretch of 2026, fans have increasingly compared each member’s rollout structure against the others, from single counts to release spacing to thematic direction. Lisa’s six-track EP, spread across a roughly seven-week campaign, sits on the more ambitious end of that comparison, giving her project more room to be judged as a fuller artistic statement rather than a single moment competing for attention against her groupmates’ own simultaneous releases.
Fans tracking every BLACKPINK member’s 2026 solo activity now have three separate release calendars to follow at once.
