YouTube has responded to speculation surrounding the promotion of BLACKPINK member Lisa‘s latest music video, “SaWaDiKa.” The discussion began online as the video approached 100 million views less than 48 hours after its release on September 3, 2026. Some users questioned whether Lisa’s team had paid for advertising to make the clip pop up frequently on people’s YouTube homepages and recommendation feeds.
Read YouTube’s explanation below:
The official @TeamYouTube account addressed the questions, explaining that appearing prominently in recommendations does not necessarily mean a video is being promoted through paid advertising. YouTube said its recommendation system uses different signals to personalize content for each user, including watch history, searches, likes and dislikes, and activity across YouTube and Google. This means users who have watched Lisa, BLACKPINK, or other K-pop content are more likely to have “SaWaDiKa” recommended to them.
The speculation comes after Lisa’s latest music video debuted with record-making numbers. “SaWaDiKa” received 70.8 million views in its first 24 hours, making it the biggest music video debut on YouTube in 2026 and the second-largest debut by a solo artist in the platform’s history. The record holder is also Lisa, whose “LALISA” music video took YouTube by storm with 73.6 million views. “SaWaDiKa” will be featured in Lisa’s upcoming EP “PRESS PLAY,” scheduled for release on October 23, 2026.
