“Hello” became the title of a new beginning.
BLACKPINK’s LISA released her new single ‘SaWaDiKa’ on September 3 Pacific Time, or September 4 in Korea. The title comes from the Thai greeting sawatdee kha. ‘Kha’ is a polite ending commonly used by women. For LISA, it is the most natural first word with which to introduce home.
The music video moves quickly between Bangkok streets and a Muay Thai ring. The city is not borrowed as an exotic backdrop; it becomes central to LISA’s music and style. A Thai artist who began in a K-pop group is now offering her own language and city to a global audience.
The song opens the road to her new EP 《PRESS PLAY》, due October 23. This first greeting says something broader than pride in one’s hometown: a K-pop star’s identity no longer has to stay inside a single country.