BLACKPINK's LISA Brings Thailand to the VMAs With 'SaWaDiKa' Performance

BLACKPINK's LISA brought a taste of Thailand to the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards with the first televised performance of her new single "SaWaDiKa."

Taking the stage at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles on Sept. 27, LISA performed against a backdrop resembling a Thai city at night. The biggest visual came when a tuk-tuk rolled onto the stage, carrying over one of the most recognizable elements from the song's Bangkok-set music video. LISA later climbed on top of the vehicle and continued performing above her dancers.

The performance kept its energy high from there. Backed by a large group of dancers, LISA moved through sharp choreography while delivering the song's rap and vocal parts live.

The energy peaked toward the end with a hard-hitting dance break. It quickly became one of the most talked-about parts of the performance among fans, alongside the tuk-tuk and LISA's live delivery.

Those details also made the Thai influence difficult to miss. Rather than limiting it to the backdrop, the performance brought a familiar piece of Bangkok street culture directly onto the VMAs stage, matching the identity already established by the song and its music video.

"SaWaDiKa," which takes its name from the Thai greeting, is the lead single from LISA's upcoming EP "PRESS PLAY," set for release Oct. 23. The performance came on a big night for LISA, who also won Best Pop for "Dream" featuring Kentaro Sakaguchi.

For its television debut, "SaWaDiKa" worked best when LISA was simply performing: rapping into the mic, dancing at full force and ending with a dance break that pushed the energy up another level.