Lisa is bringing her documentary and new music to fans on the same day.
Always Lalisa, director Sue Kim’s behind-the-scenes film about the 29-year-old rapper and singer, will begin streaming exclusively for YouTube Premium members on Nov. 18. Lisa will also release “Leave With Me,” a new single created for and featured in the documentary, that day.
The YouTube Premium release follows the Sony Music Vision documentary’s premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September and a limited theatrical run last month. The Hollywood Reporter first reported the streaming plans.
Lisa, who is a member of Blackpink, said YouTube’s role in connecting her with an international audience made the platform a natural destination for the film.
“YouTube has been such a big part of my journey from the beginning,” she said while speaking from rehearsals. “From sharing music videos, to my Coachella livestream it has helped me reach fans around the world so it felt right for me to share my documentary on YouTube.”
Lyor Cohen, YouTube’s head of global music, similarly pointed to the platform’s global focus when describing the decision to carry Always Lalisa as an obvious one.
Lisa Is Ready to Rewatch the Film at Home
Although the documentary has already appeared in theaters, its Nov. 18 streaming debut will give Lisa and her audience a way to watch it at home. The singer said she and her mother attended a theatrical screening together but were already looking forward to its online arrival.
“I’m excited,” Lisa said. “Me and my mom went to theater to see the movie, but we were also like, ‘Oh, we can’t wait for this movie to come up on YouTube so we can just nonstop watching it.’”
According to Lisa, the film has also revealed new sides of her to people who know her personally. Some of her closest friends told her they learned more about her through the documentary, including details about struggles she had faced. Lisa had maintained a strong presence around them, leaving some of those experiences less visible before the film.
The simultaneous release of “Leave With Me” adds a musical component to the streaming launch. Rather than being unrelated promotional material, the song was made specifically for Always Lalisa and appears in the documentary itself.
A Busy Run of New Music and Live Shows
The documentary and single are arriving amid several other projects for Lisa. She released the EP Press Play in October, with “SaWaDiKa” serving as its pre-release single.
She has also been preparing for a Las Vegas residency scheduled to begin Thursday, Nov. 12, at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. The engagement will make her the first K-pop star to hold a Las Vegas residency.
Lisa has expressed both excitement and some nervousness about the milestone, but she expects the shows to offer a celebratory atmosphere with an audience familiar with her catalog.
“It’s going to be so much fun,” she said. “Everybody’s going to be there for me, [and] all my fans know every single of my songs, so it’s going to be a fun night.”
The Colosseum holds just over 4,000 people, making the setting comparatively intimate for a performer accustomed to stadiums, arenas and festival crowds. Lisa said that smaller scale could create closer interaction between her and the audience.
“You can see everyone faces up close,” she said. “I know that they’re going to be so up close to me, so I hope that I can just [get] eye to eye with everyone.”
ShowBiz Take
The Nov. 18 rollout gives Always Lalisa a new chapter after its festival premiere and limited theatrical release, while keeping access restricted to YouTube Premium members. Pairing the documentary with “Leave With Me” also makes the release more than a simple move from theaters to streaming: audiences will receive both the film and a song created as part of its story.
The timing is especially significant because it places the documentary alongside a concentrated period of activity for Lisa, including October’s Press Play and her Las Vegas residency. Together, those developments present her work across recorded music, film and a more intimate live setting.
What Happens Next?
Lisa’s Las Vegas residency begins Nov. 12 at The Colosseum at Caesars Palace. Six days later, on Nov. 18, Always Lalisa will become available exclusively through YouTube Premium, with “Leave With Me” arriving the same day.