Lisa VMAs 2026: Best Pop Win and SaWaDiKa Performance

Lisa made VMA history on September 27. She won Best Pop for "Dream," featuring Japanese actor Kentaro Sakaguchi, and became the first Asian solo artist ever to win the award.

She beat Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Sabrina Carpenter, Olivia Rodrigo, Charli xcx and Tate McRae. Then she came back to the stage for the first TV performance of her new single, "SaWaDiKa." (Missed the show? Watch the highlights.)

Lisa's Best Pop Win at the VMAs 2026

LISA wins Best Pop for "Dream" at the 2026 VMAs.

Song: "Dream" (feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi), from her 2025 album Alter Ego
History: BTS won Best Pop as a group in 2020, but Lisa is the first Asian solo artist to win it. She's also the first solo act to win both Best Pop and Best K-Pop.
Her VMA total: 4 trophies, the most of any K-pop solo artist. Her first 3 were all Best K-Pop (2022, 2024, 2025).

Accepting the award in tears, she thanked her fans, the Lilies, and said: "All those late-night dreams brought me here today."

Not everyone agreed with the result. Some people online questioned the win, because "Dream" never made the Billboard Hot 100. It has still passed 100 million streams.

Watch the "Dream" Music Video

"Dream" feat. Kentaro Sakaguchi (Official Short Film MV).

The "Dream" video is a short film starring Lisa and Kentaro Sakaguchi. It has more than 68 million views.

Lisa's "SaWaDiKa" VMA Performance

Lisa turned the stage into a Bangkok fight night:

The look: a red, wrestling-style one-piece with "Lisa Worldwide" across the chest, knee-high black boots and a high ponytail.
The moves: choreography inspired by Muay Thai (Thai boxing), with staged fights against her dancers.
The set: red lights and visuals of the Bangkok skyline.
The big moment: she rapped her verse while spinning doughnuts in a life-size tuk-tuk, the three-wheeled taxis you see all over Thailand.

What Does "SaWaDiKa" Mean?

"Sawadika" (สวัสดีค่ะ) is how you say "hello" in Thai. The "ka" at the end makes it polite; it's the ending women use.

Lisa grew up in Thailand, and she says this new music is about "my journey from my roots to where I am now today." Before the song came out, billboards reading "Hello สวัสดีค่ะ" popped up in Bangkok, New York, Los Angeles and Mexico City.

Watch the "SaWaDiKa" Music Video

"SaWaDiKa" (Official Music Video) by LISA.

Where it was filmed: in Bangkok, including the historic Hua Lamphong train station.
Who directed it: Bang Jae Yeob, a Korean director known for K-pop videos.
The looks: a red cut-out leather bodysuit, boxing shorts with "SaWaDiKa" in rhinestones, a black feathered catsuit and a neon blue bikini.
The numbers: 73.3 million views in 24 hours, the biggest music video debut of 2026 and the 8th biggest of all time.

The song hit No. 1 in Singapore, No. 3 in Thailand and No. 23 on the Billboard Global 200. Thailand's tourism board even thanked her for showing off the country.

What the VMAs Mean for Lisa's Solo Career

Until now, Lisa's VMAs were all in the K-pop category. Best Pop puts her in the same race as the biggest pop stars in the world, and she won.

It also comes at a big moment for her:

She now runs her own company, LLOUD, instead of her old label YG.
Her first solo album, Alter Ego, came out in 2025.
She started acting in HBO's The White Lotus.
BLACKPINK finished their biggest tour ever in January 2026 and released the Deadline EP in February. All four members are now focused on solo work.

In short, Lisa isn't just "a BLACKPINK member with side projects" anymore. She's a solo star in her own right.

What's Next for Lisa

Press Play EP (October 23, 2026). 6 songs in English and Thai. Lisa calls it "like a movie. So you just press play." Each song plays a different character, and "SaWaDiKa" is the first single.
Viva La Lisa Las Vegas residency. 4 shows at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace on November 13, 14, 27 and 28. She's the first K-pop artist to headline a Vegas residency, and all 4 shows sold out in 10 minutes.
Netflix movie TYGO. An action movie in the Extraction universe, co-starring Don Lee. Filming wrapped in March 2026. There's no release date yet; fans hope for late 2026 or early 2027.
A Netflix romantic comedy. Still in development.