Why LISA Is Winning 2026: New Music, Trading Cards, Nike Collabs, and More

The BLACKPINK star has been non-stop this year, dropping movies, music, apparel, and a brand new trading card pack.

October 20, 2026

A woman with long brown hair smiles, wearing a light blue cap and a dark hoodie, against a white brick wall. — Amber Asaly

Key Takeaways

LISA spent 2026 building well beyond BLACKPINK: she guest designed for Kith Women, signed a long-term deal with Nike, and starred in NikeSKIMS' Spring 2026 campaign.
Her six-track EP PRESS PLAY arrives October 23, led by "SaWaDiKa," whose video hit 100 million YouTube views in about two days, the fastest of 2026.
"Viva La Lisa" makes her the first K-pop artist with a Las Vegas residency. The original four shows sold out in under 10 minutes, and the run grew to six nights.
LISA’s ESCO trading card pack, and LLOUD x Von Dutch Hollywood collection are now available on Complex.

Spanning the worlds of music, movies, fashion, and collectibles, LISA has truly been everywhere in 2026. Just weeks after debuting the LLOUD x Von Dutch Hollywood collaboration at ComplexCon, LISA is gearing up to release her new six-song EP, PRESS PLAY, this Friday. In celebration of the new release, she has also teamed up with ESCO to release an exclusive trading card set, which is available now for pre-order.

It's a fitting moment for a year that has rarely slowed down. Before she reached ComplexCon, LISA guest designed a Kith Women collection, signed with Nike, opened the FIFA World Cup, premiered her first documentary at TIFF, and took home Best Pop at the VMAs. Here's a look back at every major LISA moment of 2026 so far, in order.

January 16, 2026: LISA Guest Designs Kith Women's Spring 2026 Collection

LISA opened the year by moving from the front of the campaign to the design table. Kith named her the guest designer of its Kith Women Spring 2026 collection, her first time designing clothes rather than modeling them.

Shop LLOUD on Complex

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Kith CEO and creative director Ronnie Fieg first worked with LISA in 2024, when she starred in the brand's campaign after being connected through her manager, Alice Kang. "She's very detail-oriented and very particular about what she likes and why she likes certain things," Fieg told Vogue. The collection arrived in February.

January 20, 2026: LISA Signs a Long-Term Endorsement Deal With Nike

Four days later, Nike signed LISA to a long-term endorsement deal, confirmed by both sides on social media. She announced it head to toe in Nike, including the "Pink Foam" Air Max 95 Big Bubble.

"I want to encourage women everywhere to embrace self-expression and be confident in who they are and through what they wear," LISA said. The deal made her the latest BLACKPINK member with a solo sportswear partner, after the group's earlier run with Adidas.

February 2, 2026: Kim Kardashian Calls LISA Her "Dream Person" for NikeSKIMS

The Nike deal paid off quickly. On Complex's Sneaker Shopping, Kim Kardashian revealed that LISA was her first choice to front NikeSKIMS' ballet-inspired Spring '26 campaign. "We got my dream person, which is Lisa from BLACKPINK," Kardashian said.

LISA kept it practical. "When I'm performing, it's all about looking great while still being able to move and dance," she said of the collection.

March 7, 2026: LISA Visits Punch the Monkey at Ichikawa City Zoo

Not every big moment this year was a business move. During a trip to Japan, LISA visited Punch, the baby macaque who went viral after he was abandoned by his mother and attached himself to an IKEA stuffed orangutan. LISA brought her own orangutan plush and held it up for Punch to see, then posted the photos to Instagram.

March 30, 2026: LISA Announces 'Viva La Lisa,' the First Las Vegas Residency by a K-Pop Artist

LISA announced Viva La Lisa, a residency at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace that makes her the first K-pop artist to headline in Las Vegas. The original run was set for two weekends: November 13 and 14, then November 27 and 28.

June 12, 2026: LISA Performs 'Goals' at the FIFA World Cup Opening Ceremony

LISA, Anitta, and Rema released "Goals" in May as part of the Official FIFA World Cup 2026 Album, then performed it live for the first time at the tournament's opening ceremony at SoFi Stadium. The trio took the stage ahead of the opening match between the United States and Paraguay.

August 24, 2026: LISA Announces 'PRESS PLAY,' Her Six-Track EP

Unbranded red billboards reading "HELLO สวัสดีค่ะ" popped up in Bangkok, New York, Los Angeles, and Mexico City before LISA revealed what they were for. PRESS PLAY, a six-track EP, arrives October 23 through LLOUD Co. and RCA Records, led by the single "SaWaDiKa."

September 3, 2026: LISA Releases 'SaWaDiKa,' the Lead Single From 'PRESS PLAY'

"SaWaDiKa" takes its name from the Thai greeting "sawatdee ka," and LISA leaned all the way into it. Produced by Thom Bridges and Ojivolta, the track marks a return to her rap roots, and its Bangkok-shot video features Muay Thai references, boxing shorts with "SaWaDiKa" in rhinestones, and tuk-tuks.

The numbers followed. The video pulled 70.8 million YouTube views in its first 24 hours and passed 100 million in about two days, the fastest any music video hit that mark in 2026. Only her own "LALISA" has done it faster as a solo artist. The song also debuted at No. 69 on the Billboard Hot 100.

September 11, 2026: 'Always Lalisa' Premieres at the Toronto International Film Festival

Sue Kim's documentary Always Lalisa had its world premiere at TIFF. The film follows LISA through a year away from BLACKPINK as she launched her solo career, and it was produced in part by her own company, LLOUD CO., alongside Sony Music Vision and RCA Records.

It also delivered one of the year's most talked-about reveals: LISA explains that "Dream" drew from a secret romance. The film opened in IMAX and theaters worldwide on October 12 before its streaming on YouTube Premium.

September 27, 2026: LISA Wins Best Pop and Debuts 'SaWaDiKa' Live at the VMAs

LISA took the first award of the night at the VMAs, winning Best Pop for "Dream" featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi over Ariana Grande, Olivia Rodrigo, and Taylor Swift. She's the first K-pop soloist to win the category. "All those late night dreams brought me here today, so thank you for the inspiration," she said through tears.

Later that night, she gave "SaWaDiKa" its first TV performance, finishing on top of a life-sized tuk-tuk.

September 29, 2026: 'Viva La Lisa' Expands to Six Nights

The original four residency dates sold out in under 10 minutes, so LISA added two more: November 12 and November 29. The run now stands as two three-night stands at Caesars Palace, with general on-sale for the new dates opening September 30.

October 1, 2026: LISA Stars in Nike Sportswear Moon Shoe Campaign

Nike put LISA at the center of its latest Moon Shoe campaign, built around the "Tough Red" colorway. The shoe features a burgundy nylon upper, a white leather Swoosh, and a gum waffle outsole, and it's available now for $105 at Nike.com and select retailers.

October 2, 2026: Preorders Open for the LISA Limited Edition PlayStation DualSense Controller

LISA's partnership with PlayStation turned into a product of her own. The DualSense Wireless Controller LISA Limited Edition comes in a Chroma Pearl finish she picked herself, with preorders opening October 2 for $84.99 ahead of an October 30 release.

October 3, 2026: LLOUD x Von Dutch Hollywood Debuts at ComplexCon

LISA ended the stretch on her own terms. Her brand, LLOUD, partnered with Von Dutch Hollywood, the sister label to Von Dutch, on a capsule that debuted exclusively at ComplexCon in Los Angeles on October 3 and 4. It's the first collaboration Von Dutch Hollywood has ever done.

The capsule includes T-shirts, hoodies, trucker hats, and keychains. Standouts include a cropped tee with a back graphic of a leather-clad rider against a palm-lined skyline and a heavyweight hoodie carrying both brands' logos. Shop LLOUD on Complex.

October 14, 2026: LISA Teases 'Tarantino,' the Second Single From 'PRESS PLAY'

LISA kept the PRESS PLAY rollout moving with a preview of “Tarantino,” the EP’s second single after “SaWaDiKa.” She shared the track’s artwork and an audio teaser, pairing hard-hitting percussion with a cinematic theme that nods to director Quentin Tarantino. The cover shows her hiding her face behind a red envelope. She had already hinted at the song during a September appearance on The Tonight Show, where she described the EP’s songs as distinct characters that come together like a movie. “Tarantino” arrives October 23 alongside the full six-track project.

October 15, 2026: LISA and heytea Launch Mango Coconut Sticky Rice Collaboration

A casual drink order turned into an official partnership. Fifteen months after LISA posted a photo with a heytea matcha drink in Beverly Hills, she and the brand launched their first collaboration: Mango Coconut Sticky Rice, a limited-edition drink inspired by her Thai roots.

The drink combines freshly cooked Thai sticky rice, fresh-cut mango, and a coconut milk-based slush. It launched at 48 U.S. locations, excluding the New York teabar, for a three-month run. LISA x heytea stickers, collectible pins, and keychains followed on October 16.

October 19, 2026: ESCO x LISA Trading Cards Launch With an Exclusive Complex Presale

LISA added collectibles to the PRESS PLAY rollout when she teamed up with ESCO on a limited-edition trading card pack celebrating the new EP, with an exclusive 48-hour presale opening on Complex on October 19 ahead of the worldwide retail release on October 23. The set features 50 different card subjects, including PRESS PLAY and Alter Ego-themed subsets. Each pack contains nine trading cards and one foil card, with hand-signed LISA autograph cards randomly inserted throughout the release. Packs hit Target, Hot Topic, GameStop, and other retailers on the same day as the EP.