Fortnite’s new season and chapter begin this weekend, and a new edition of the music mode Fortnite Festival along with it. And it’s gotten a tremendous headliner for players to invest in.
The reactions to the announcement of LISA being this season’s headliner have been across the spectrum. For every excited fan in the know there’s been another person who genuinely wasn’t aware of who she was, and then sadly some others who like to wear their sexism or xenophobia proudly.
I wasn’t fully aware of who LISA was either, before this year. I knew of her vaguely. And then the social media algorithm put her front and center and put me in an absolute chokehold that’s sent me on a wild new adventure when it comes to fandom and music enjoyment.
If it wasn’t clips of her Hot Ones interview or her song with Doja Cat and Raye, it was her acting debut on HBO. LISA was everywhere. And so, finally, I gave in. I saw that her group Blackpink was coming to my area at the end of July and so I started listening to her and the group’s music. I took my girlfriend to the show that summer, and was absolutely blown away by her and the group, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Over the past five or so months, I have become a LISA fan (we’re called Lilies) and Blackpink fan (we’re called Blinks), and so when I saw the Fortnite announcement this weekend, I just about screamed. But then I saw the negativity surrounding the news (wholly unsurprising), and it annoyed me. Within the noise, though, there were many people who genuinely and earnestly were not in the know about who she is or why she is so relevant.
That’s why I’m here today, to give a quick crash course on who LISA is and why she’s a perfect pick for Fortnite Festival.
Who is LISA? Fortnite Festival headliner
To put it simply, the Thailand-born LISA is one of the most influential celebrities in the entire world in 2025. She is one of the members of the most popular K-pop girl group in the world, Blackpink, and a solo musician as well. Even if you haven’t heard of LISA, you’ve likely heard of Blackpink.
Since debuting in 2016, Blackpink has grown massively in popularity and global superstardom. They are the most-streamed female group on Spotify, and most-viewed music group channel on YouTube where the foursome has over 99 million subscribers. As a group and individual acts they have won many awards and accolades, and are some of the most successful musicians in the world in recent years.
Over the past year or so, LISA has begun to branch out into a solo career, as have her groupmates Rosé (of three-time Grammy-nominated song “APT” fame with Bruno Mars), Jennie, and Jisoo. Now at 28 years old, LISA is ready to supplement her Blackpink success with a solo endeavor that’s just getting started.
She launched her first solo album, Alter Ego, in February, and a new Blackpink song “JUMP” in July. The group has been selling out stadiums on its DEADLINE world tour since July, across North America, Europe, and Asia (all four girls play some of their solo songs as part of the setlists). And now, she’s bringing her talents and influence to Fortnite Festival.
Boasting over 140 million followers on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube combined, when LISA posts about something, people are guaranteed to pay attention. It’s reported that with her following, LISA earns upwards of $1.6 million per post on IG, and around $750,000 per IG story, because she just has that big of an influence on those who follow her. Her audience is massive.
You know that whole Labubu craze that’s taken hold over the past year or so? A lot of the hype and popularity can be traced back to LISA who was an early adopter of the funny-looking POP MART dolls. She even dressed up as a Labubu for one of Blackpink’s London concerts this summer.
A few months ago, LISA posted a photo of a matcha drink from a chain called Heytea, and demand for the beverage skyrocketed. The chain even crafted a special drink in her honor. Whatever she does or posts about online is influential and carries a lot of weight and consumer potential.
Epic Games knows this. LISA’s Fortnite Festival pass and store bundles will sell very well, because she is one of the most marketable and lucrative names and faces in all of music and entertainment right now, whether you knew her before today or not.
LISA’s reach previously stemmed from mostly Asia, as the Thailand-born rapper/singer/dancer debuted with Blackpink in South Korea. But since then, she and the group have gone global, and she’s not just restricting herself to music either. Earlier this year, she made her acting debut in season three of The White Lotus on HBO, and I and many others felt enamored with her in every scene she appeared in.
LISA is soon to be a worldwide household name with how hard she’s worked and how big she has become, and she’s not stopping any time soon. She recently signed with WME for acting representation and Wasserman Music for solo touring representation. She’s been connected to numerous future acting projects, including a potential new Netflix film. She still has Blackpink DEADLINE tour dates on the calendar.
And now she’s in Fortnite, which may be the biggest fame indicator there is. This weekend, she’ll join the Fortnite Festival headliner ranks of such superstars as Lady Gaga, Billie Eilish, Bruno Mars, The Weeknd, Sabrina Carpenter, Snoop Dogg, Karol G, Metallica, Hatsune Miku, and Gorillaz as the only acts to take center stage in the mode. That’s good company, and she more than deserves it.
Whether you like her inclusion in the game or not is irrelevant. She’s coming for the crown in all forms of entertainment, and I and other Lilies will be cheering her on along the way.
