Dream (Lisa song)

"Dream"
Poster for the short film
Song by Lisa
from the album Alter Ego
ReleasedFebruary 28, 2025 (2025-02-28)
GenreBallad
Length3:43
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
  • Shintaro Yasuda
  • her0ism
Short film
"Dream" on YouTube

"Dream" is a song by Thai rapper and singer Lisa. It was released through Lloud and RCA Records on February 28, 2025, as a track on Lisa's debut studio album Alter Ego (2025). An accompanying short film starring Lisa and Japanese actor Kentaro Sakaguchi was directed by Ojun Kwon and premiered on August 13.

Background and release

After departing from her label YG Entertainment for solo activities, Lisa founded her own artist management company called Lloud in February 2024.[1] She subsequently signed with RCA Records in April to release solo music in partnership with Lloud.[2] On November 19, Lisa announced her debut studio album Alter Ego (2025).[3] She posted the album's tracklist on February 21, 2025, which included "Dream" as the album's thirteenth track.[4] The song was released alongside the album on February 28, 2025.[5] On August 1, Lisa posted a scenic photo using "Dream" as the background music.[6] On August 4, a photo was posted on Lloud's social media of Lisa appearing to bite someone’s arm while surrounded by a production team, also including audio from the song.[7] Days later on August 6, Japanese actor Kentaro Sakaguchi shared a similar photo of scenery on his Instagram Stories with the same song playing. The next day, Lisa posted a behind-the-scenes still from a music video shoot showing two hands exchanging rings.[6] On August 11, she officially announced the premiere of a short film for "Dream" starring Lisa and Sakaguchi for release on August 13 with a first look showing the two in a black-and-white embrace.[8]

Composition and lyrics

"Dream" was written by Lisa with the song's producers Shintaro Yasuda and her0ism as well as Felicia Ferraro and Ali Tamposi.[9] The lone ballad on Alter Ego, the song's vulnerable lyrics, soft vocals, and "lullaby-esque" production stands out for showing a rare glimpse of the real Lisa outside of her alter egos.[10] She sings candidly about a past heartbreak that she misses deeply and how she hopes for a future where they can reconnect, even just as friends.[11] Over a "sparse but sparkling keyboard", Lisa sings a series of questions to her ex in the first chorus: "Are you happy? Are you sad? / Are you always gonna hate me for that night in Tokyo?" She explains that at the time of the split she "hoped that it’d be open-ended," but in fact was firmly closed. In a "lush chorus filled with heavenly synths", Lisa wistfully reminisces and shares that she has "Been drowning in dreams lately / Like it’s 2019, baby," adding a timestamp to the relationship. However, she realizes her dreams are an impossible fantasy in the chorus' final line, singing "If all that we were is all that we’ll ever be / It’s bittersweet / At least a girl can dream." A "snapping beat" drops in the second verse as Lisa desperately attempts to glean anything from her ex's friends. In the bridge, she accepts that the dreamed reunion is "only in my mind" but can't help but pretend, putting "makeup on just to fall asleep" and "playin’ three nights on the stereo," speculated to be a reference to "3 Nights" by Dominic Fike. Lisa understands by the final chorus that she can't live in her dreams and ends with the heartbreaking question "Can we be friends at least?"[10]

Critical reception

Writing for Billboard, Eunbo Shim ranked "Dream" as the tenth-best song on the album, praising how it highlights "Lisa's raw, emotive vocals" and closes Alter Ego on a vulnerable, yet hauntingly tender note."[12] Likewise, Gabriel Saulog wrote for Billboard Philippines that the song impressed lyrically and sonically compared to earlier tracks and showed Lisa's "vocal capabilities shining more so than we’ve ever heard them before."[13] Benjamin Lassy of The Daily Campus called it a "beautiful track" with breaks in the mix that "give the song time to breathe and carefully beckon Lisa’s vocals to flow in with wonderful delivery," adding that "albums rarely end on a note as sublime as this."[14] On the other hand, Shaad D'Souza of The Guardian found the song to be "laughably out of character" following an album of hard-hitting raps and felt that it demonstrated Lisa's "blunt" and "out of date" viewpoint of genre, solely using ballads for soft emotions and rap for aggression.[15] Pitchfork's Joshua Minsoo Kim similarly negatively reviewed "Dream" as a "shallow ballad that can’t help but feel flimsy, rushing through lines to eschew any meaningful pathos."[16]

Short film

An accompanying short film for "Dream" was directed by Ojun Kwon and premiered on August 13, 2025 at 11 PM EDT.[8] Running for five minutes in length,[17] the film stars Lisa and Japanese actor Kentaro Sakaguchi in an "emotional, beautiful story".[18] Before its release, the artist shared a short teaser clip of the film on August 12.[19]

Synopsis

The short film opens with a scene of Lisa in mourning as she approaches the casket of her dead lover, whom she sees seemingly walking through the door. Lisa and her lover then embark on a road trip before taking a midnight stop at a gas station, where the latter hands over the car keys for Lisa to drive. A black-and-white montage of the couple's happier days plays, showcasing them laughing and dancing together. During another stop, Lisa walks over to the passenger side of the car, revealing a metallic urn in place of her dead lover. As she rows out alone with the urn to the middle of a lake, she recalls a conversation where she asks her lover about his dreams for the next life, only for her lover to ask her the question in return. When she responds that she would want to be a tree, her lover answers that he would want to be a lake that would reflect the tree's beauty. Hugging the urn in grief, Lisa finally spreads a handful of her lover's ashes onto the water.[20][21]

Live performances

Lisa performed "Dream" live for the first time at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 11 and 18, 2025.[22]

Credits and personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Alter Ego.[23]

Recording

Personnel

References

  1. ^ Ziwei, Puah (February 8, 2024). "BLACKPINK's Lisa launches her own management company, LLOUD". NME. Archived from the original on February 8, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  2. ^ Aswad, Jem (April 10, 2024). "Blackpink's Lisa and Her Company Lloud Co. Partner With RCA Records". Variety. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  3. ^ Richardson, Kalia (November 19, 2024). "Blackpink's Lisa Embraces New Aura in 'Alter Ego' Debut Album Teaser". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on November 19, 2024. Retrieved November 19, 2024.
  4. ^ Mier, Thomás (February 21, 2025). "Lisa Will Feature Tyla, Future, and Megan Thee Stallion on 'Alter Ego'". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on February 22, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  5. ^ Pilley, Max (February 22, 2025). "Megan Thee Stallion, Future and Tyla to feature on debut album by BLACKPINK's Lisa". NME. Archived from the original on March 3, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Negi, Shrishti (August 8, 2025). "Is BLACKPINK's Lisa Dating Japanese Actor Sakaguchi Kentaro? Fans Think So". News18. Archived from the original on August 11, 2025. Retrieved August 8, 2025.
  7. ^ "BLACKPINK's Lisa sparks music video rumors with viral photo involving Japanese actor Sakaguchi Kentaro". The Express Tribune. August 6, 2025. Archived from the original on August 11, 2025. Retrieved August 6, 2025.
  8. ^ a b Imam, Zeena; Peng, Chelsea (August 11, 2025). "Lisa Is Back Onscreen". Nylon. Archived from the original on August 11, 2025. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  9. ^ "Alter Ego / LISA / Credits". February 28, 2025. Archived from the original on February 28, 2025. Retrieved February 28, 2025 – via Tidal.
  10. ^ a b Mlnarik, Carson (February 28, 2025). "Lisa's "Dream" Lyrics, Explained". Nylon. Archived from the original on March 17, 2025. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  11. ^ Bailey, Alyssa (February 28, 2025). "Lisa's 'Dream' Lyrics Detail a Haunting 2019 Breakup". Elle. Archived from the original on March 2, 2025. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  12. ^ Shim, Eunbo (March 4, 2025). "LISA's 'Alter Ego': Every Song Ranked". Billboard. Archived from the original on March 5, 2025. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  13. ^ Saulog, Gabriel (February 28, 2025). "With 'ALTER EGO', LISA Makes A Strong Statement Of Her Sonic Identity – Review". Billboard Philippines. Archived from the original on March 3, 2025. Retrieved February 28, 2025.
  14. ^ Lassy, Benjamin (March 3, 2025). "Does LISA's 'Alter Ego' disappoint? Yes and no". The Daily Campus. Archived from the original on March 5, 2025. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  15. ^ D'Souza, Shaad (March 1, 2025). "Lisa: Alter Ego review – a focus group-tested attempt at megastar success". The Guardian. Archived from the original on March 2, 2025. Retrieved March 1, 2025.
  16. ^ Minsoo Kim, Joshua (March 5, 2025). "Lisa: Alter Ego Album Review". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on March 5, 2025. Retrieved March 5, 2025.
  17. ^ Singh, Surej (August 14, 2025). "Watch Lisa's cinematic new short film for 'Dream'". NME. Archived from the original on August 14, 2025. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  18. ^ Saenz, Rome (August 11, 2025). "BLACKPINK's LISA To Premiere 'Dream' Short Film Starring Kentaro Sakaguchi". Billboard Philippines. Archived from the original on August 11, 2025. Retrieved August 11, 2025.
  19. ^ Wee, Jared (August 15, 2025). "Lisa releases 'Dream' MV with Kentaro Sakaguchi". Prestige Hong Kong. Archived from the original on August 16, 2025. Retrieved August 15, 2025.
  20. ^ Kaufman, Gil (August 14, 2025). "Lisa Mourns the Loss of a Perfect Love in Cinematic 'Dreams' Video". Billboard. Archived from the original on August 14, 2025. Retrieved August 14, 2025.
  21. ^ Imam, Zeena (August 13, 2025). "Lisa's "Dream" Short Film Will Break Your Heart". Nylon. Archived from the original on August 14, 2025. Retrieved August 13, 2025.
  22. ^ Lutkin, Aimée (April 12, 2025). "Lisa's Insane Coachella Set Attended By Rosé, Jennie, and 2 'White Lotus' Co-Stars". Elle. Archived from the original on April 12, 2025. Retrieved April 12, 2025.
  23. ^ Lisa (2025). Alter Ego (liner notes). Lloud/RCA Records. 19802-85482-2.
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