LISA once imagined a very different future before BLACKPINK, global fame and sold-out solo shows entered the picture. During a new appearance on In Your Dreams With Owen Thiele, the K-Pop idol revealed that she initially wanted to become a dance teacher — and, before that, dreamed of working at Disneyland.
Asked whether she had always dreamed of becoming a singer, LISA immediately offered a different answer. “Actually no, I wanted to become a dance teacher but before that I wanted work at Disneyland,” she said, looking back on the ambitions she had as a child in Thailand.
Her path toward music began through dance. LISA explained that her mother noticed she was naturally drawn to performing and enrolled her in dance classes, where she quickly became involved with a dance crew. A teacher eventually recognized something beyond her dancing ability and encouraged her to explore singing.
“I think when I was little, my mom saw me dancing. I was never shy,” LISA recalled. “She sent me to a dance class, and then I started to do a dance crew.” That experience ultimately introduced her to the possibility of becoming an artist rather than simply pursuing dance professionally.
The turning point came when her teacher told her, “I think you should try and go singing.” LISA began taking singing lessons and eventually auditioned for YG Entertainment, the South Korean company that would launch her career.
She was only 13 when she successfully auditioned for YG, setting her on the path toward becoming a K-pop trainee. LISA also remembered making the difficult decision to leave Thailand and pursue the opportunity in South Korea, despite knowing how much her life would change.
“I was ready to go, I don’t want to be regret if I don’t go,” she said. That decision placed her inside the demanding trainee system for years before she eventually debuted as a member of BLACKPINK in 2016.
The revelation arrives less than 24 hours after LISA opened her next solo chapter with “SaWaDiKa.” The new song, released September 3, serves as the first single from her upcoming six-track EP PRESS PLAY, due October 23 through RCA Records under exclusive license from Lloud Co.
“SaWaDiKa” draws directly from LISA’s Thai identity, taking its title from “Sawatdee ka,” the traditional Thai greeting. Its bass-heavy hip-hop and trap production pairs rapid-fire rap verses with a chant-driven hook, while the accompanying music video incorporates Muay Thai, tuk-tuks, Thai-inspired styling and urban imagery.
The timing gives LISA’s childhood story added resonance. PRESS PLAY has been presented as a celebration of how far she has traveled from her beginnings in Thailand to becoming a global solo artist, and “SaWaDiKa” places that origin story directly into the music.
Her solo career has already produced a Billboard 200 Top 10 album. Alter Ego, released in February 2025, debuted at No. 7 and included “Rockstar,” “New Woman” featuring Rosalía and “Born Again” with Doja Cat and RAYE.
Photo: In Your Dreams With Owen Thiele/ YouTube
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