FIRST READ · MON 7 AM ETTHE WEEKEND LEXICON · SAT 9 AM ETLisa
- Stage name
- Lisa
- Birth name
- Lalisa Manobal
- Born
- March 27, 1997
- Hometown
- Born in Buriram, Thailand; raised in Bangkok, Thailand
- Position
- Rapper, singer, dancer (main dancer and lead rapper of BLACKPINK)
- Agency
- YG Entertainment
- Fandom
- BLINK
- Debut
- 2016
- Generation
- 3rd gen
Lisa is a Thai rapper, dancer and singer who is a member of BLACKPINK, one of the best-selling girl groups ever. She moved to Seoul as a young teen after winning a place at YG Entertainment, and the group debuted in 2016. Beyond the group she has built a solo career, with the 2021 single "Lalisa," the hit "Money," and the 2025 debut album "Alter Ego." She also made her acting debut in season three of HBO's "The White Lotus." In late summer 2026 she announced a new six-track set, "Press Play," with a first single titled "SaWaDiKa."
Where they grew up
Lisa was born in Buriram, Thailand, and her family later settled in Bangkok, where she was raised as an only child by her mother and her Swiss stepfather. She started dance lessons in kindergarten and entered dance competitions as a child, and she has said her mother and family saw how much she loved performing and encouraged her. She attended a Thai school through sixth grade, then moved to a school with an English-language program. At 14 she auditioned for YG Entertainment in Thailand and was the only one chosen from thousands of hopefuls. She then moved to Seoul on her own, without speaking Korean, and phoned her mother daily. She trained for about five years before debuting.
Birth details: biography.com
In their own words
“I respect everyone’s roles within Blackpink”
“I love photography, I want to try acting, and more.”
“I love being onstage. I love to express myself”
Timeline
- 2010Won a YG Entertainment audition
At 14, she was the only person accepted out of about 4,000 hopefuls in Thailand, then moved to Seoul to train.
- 2016Debuted with BLACKPINK
The group debuted on Aug. 8 after roughly five years of training for Lisa.
- 2021Solo debut with "Lalisa"
Her first solo single mixed rap, EDM, brass and traditional Thai instruments; the follow-up "Money" topped Billboard's Rap Digital Song Sales chart and later became the first K-pop solo song to pass one billion Spotify streams.
- 2023Became a free agent as a solo artist
She left YG for her solo work in fall 2023 and later launched her own company, LLOUD.
- 2024Released "Rockstar"
Her single kicked off the group's cycle of solo releases after leaving YG for individual work.
- 2025Acting debut in The White Lotus season 3
Her first screen role, billed under her full name.
- 2025Oscars performance of "Born Again"
Performed at the 97th Academy Awards with Doja Cat and Raye.
- 2025Debut album "Alter Ego"
It debuted at No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on Top Album Sales, with over 23.4 million first-day Spotify streams.
- 2025Coachella and BLACKPINK world tour
Played Coachella in April and rejoined BLACKPINK for a global stadium tour starting in July.
- 2026BLACKPINK "Deadline" EP and 10th anniversary
The group released the EP in February, which debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, and marked ten years since debut on Aug. 8.
Latest
- Announced new solo set "Press Play"
Six-track project due Oct. 23, 2026, with lead single "SaWaDiKa" due Sept. 3; the title plays on the Thai greeting, and the set is expected to draw on her Thai heritage and global performing life.
koreaherald.com - Revealed "Press Play" cover art and single date
Shared the cover art and the "SaWaDiKa" release date on social media on Aug. 24, hours apart from bandmate Jisoo's announcement.
billboard.com - Vanity Fair cover story and Las Vegas residencyvanityfair.com
Our coverage
YG's Operating Profit Falls 56.8% as Tour Costs Meet Last Year's High Bar
BIGBANG's tour costs and a high base from last year's touring hit the margin, while YG grew 22.7% from the prior quarter on concert and merch revenue.
BTS' 'Swim' Cracks Apple Music's 100-Song Best of 2026 as the Only K-Pop Entry
BigHit Music confirms the "Arirang" lead track made the platform's 100-song year-end list, a first for a Korean group.
Jennie's 'Dracula' Took a Record 58 Weeks to Reach the Hot 100 Top Three
The Tame Impala remix hits a new peak at No. 3 on the chart dated Nov. 14, matching Rosé's 'APT.' for the best Hot 100 rank by a female K-pop soloist.
Lisa Lands Second Solo Top 40 Album as 'PRESS PLAY' Opens at No. 35
The EP lands at No. 6 on Top Album Sales in the same week Jennie's Tame Impala collaboration returns to No. 5 on the Hot 100.
A2O LITE's 'NEON' Completes Inkigayo Triple Crown With 11th Music Show Win
The debut single took first place with 6,037 points on the November 8 episode, beating IVE and ILLIT, on a bill that also included BLACKPINK's Jisoo.
A2O LITE's 'NEON' Claims 10th Music Show Win as IVE and ILLIT Give Chase
A2O LITE beat IVE and ILLIT for the trophy with 6,593 points, while RESCENE held No. 1 in November's girl group brand reputation rankings.
Jennie and Tame Impala's 'Dracula' Ties Hot 100 Peak at No. 5
Lisa's Press Play opens at No. 35 on the Billboard 200, while Katseye, BTS, Cortis and Stray Kids also hold places on the albums chart.
Why Every K-pop Group Gives Its Fans a Name, From ARMY to FOHA
Our Lexicon entry on the fandom name: what it means, who picks it, and the wordplay behind CARAT, MOA, ONCE and hundreds more.
Why K-Pop Calls Every New Release a 'Comeback,' Even Three Months Later
Our Lexicon entry on the word that runs the K-pop calendar: what it means, why no hiatus is required, and how BTS's March return fit both definitions.
What a K-pop Music Show Win Really Means, and How the Trophy Is Scored
From 82MAJOR's first trophy to Show Champion's published formula, here's what the weekly Korean TV prize measures and what it doesn't.
BLACKPINK's Jisoo Goes Darker With 'Addicted,' Second Preview of Her First Full Album
The follow-up to September's 'Click' drops Friday, Oct. 30, after a weekend of teasers, and Jisoo plans to perform it on Korean TV music shows.
BLACKPINK's Lisa Faces 'Nicole Kidman' Comparisons Over New Single 'Tarantino'
The Quentin Tarantino-inspired track arrived October 23 with her EP Press Play, and critics on X are questioning both its sound and its ambitions.
- rollingstone.com: Blackpink's Lisa on Her Big Ambitions - Rolling Stone
- vanityfair.com: The Life of a K-Pop Showgirl
- billboard.com: BLACKPINK’s LISA & JISOO Announce New Solo Projects Hours Apart From Each Other
- vogue.com: The Business of Blackpink
- anothermag.com: “Everybody Has Different Sides”: Lisa & Hans Ulrich Obrist ...
- koreaherald.com: Blackpink shifts back to solo mode as Jennie, Jisoo, Lisa line up releases
- nolae.eu: Lisa (Blackpink) Profile
- timesofindia.indiatimes.com: BLACKPINK's Lisa shares an inspirational message
- yahoo.com: A Complete List of BLACKPINK’s Solo Projects (So Far)
- biography.com: The Year of Lisa: What’s Next For the Blackpink Rapper and ‘White Lotus’ Star
Fan sites
- Kpop Profiles: Lisa (Blackpink)Fan-run profile page with background facts
- Nolae: Lisa (Blackpink) ProfileProfile page from a K-pop retailer, read for facts only
Last researched Nov. 12, 2026