We love a superstar who knows how to act and sound like a superstar. And LISA has never been one to think small. With Press Play, the Thai-born artist doubles down on the qualities that made her a global pop force while pushing her sound further into rap territory. Six tracks, one clear vision: she’s the main character in her own movie.
Conceived as six scenes from the same film, Press Play is a frenetic, high-energy project that knows exactly what it wants to be. It invites listeners to sit back and let the show unfold. But beyond the spectacle, there’s a clear ambition at work: LISA isn’t simply looking to maintain her place in the global pop conversation. She wants to define the terms of it.
SaWaDiKa opens the reel with a nod to LISA’s Thai roots: the title draws on ‘sawatdi kha’, the polite Thai greeting traditionally used by women. But the track is more than a cultural calling card. “If you know it then you know, I’m that bitch on your TV” makes her statement crystal clear from the beginning. V12 keeps the engine running, with the line “They don’t make ’em like this no more” working as a double entendre: a boast about the car, perhaps, but also about LISA herself. They really don’t make divas like this anymore. Then comes Cobra, an immediate invitation to dance that channels the cheeky energy of early-2000s club bangers. Together, these tracks establish the character at the centre of the film: confident, commanding, and seemingly unwilling to take her foot off the accelerator.
At the centre of the film sits Tarantino, the EP’s defining moment and its clearest expression of cinematic ambition. Its accompanying music video follows LISA through a hotel on a mission to deliver a note to her favourite director, fighting her way past anyone who stands between her and her destination. The references are unmistakable: black suit, gold chain, bold lipstick, and oversized nails evoke a weapon-ready heroine, while every frame reinforces the image of LISA as the boss in control. Because here, the character is as important as the music itself.
The Kill Bill universe continues into Cut U Off, which opens with Elle Driver’s iconic whistle from Kill Bill: Vol. 1. It’s a clever touch that immediately sets a sinister tone, paving the way for a sharp blend of aggressive rap and polished pop. After all the action, Sweat brings the EP to an unexpected close. Its laid-back production incorporates stretching cues and breathing instructions, turning the track into an atmospheric, almost meditative cooldown.
With Press Play, LISA makes her ambitions difficult to ignore. She knows how to turn confidence into a selling point, and she’s increasingly comfortable placing rap at the forefront of her musical identity. Not every scene hits with the same force, but the vision is unmistakable: LISA is building a world where music, visuals, and persona serve the same narrative. She has the vision, the attitude, and, apparently, the Ferrari. All that is left is to press play.
