Thai pop superstar Lalisa “Lisa” Manobal is “pressing play” on the next chapter of her glittering career as she prepares to release an EP this fall.
Press Play, to be released on Oct 23, will be Lisa’s second studio project following her 2025 debut album Alter Ego. The six-track EP is being billed as a more personal release, celebrating how far the 29-year-old singer has travelled while looking back to where it all began.
That beginning, this time, is distinctly Thai.
The lead single from the EP, SaWaDiKa, is scheduled for release on Sept 3. Its title immediately nods to the Thai greeting “sawatdee ka”, signalling that Lisa’s home country will be more than a footnote in this new era.
According to an announcement about the release, Press Play will honour Lisa’s Thai roots alongside her rise as a global pop figure.
For years, she has carried elements of Thai culture into a career that began with the K-pop group Blackpink and expanded into fashion, film and solo music. Her solo track LaLisa made her name the centrepiece of a global pop release, while her music videos have repeatedly incorporated Thai visual references and styling.
Her Thai identity reached an even wider audience last year through her acting debut as Mook in the third season of the HBO hit series The White Lotus, which was filmed in Thailand and brought the country’s landscapes, hotels and culture to an international television audience.
The timing of Press Play also places Lisa in an unusually crowded Blackpink solo season. Fellow member Jennie is releasing her EP Fallen Angel on Aug 28, while Jisoo is preparing her new single CLICK for Sept 4, a day after Lisa’s SaWaDiKa drops.
Fans can pre-order and pre-save Press Play along with other merchandise through the artist’s official website today.
