Lisa’s “Dream” Reveals Rare Glimpse Into Past Heartbreak
The closing track of Lisa’s latest album Alter Ego, titled Dream, offers a strikingly intimate portrait of the K-pop star’s past emotional wounds. The song stands out as one of the most vulnerable moments in the collection, with Lisa reflecting on someone deeply important to her and imagining a future where they might reconnect, even if only as friends.
In the opening verse, she ponders the other person’s feelings, wondering, «Are you happy? Are you sad? Are you always gonna hate me for that night in Tokyo?» She recalls hoping their parting might leave space for reconciliation, only to realise, «You can’t hold on to something once you let it go.» The chorus adds a sense of time and nostalgia: «Been drowning in dreams lately / Like it’s 2019, baby.»
Fans speculate about song’s muse
Lisa’s private life in 2019 remained closely guarded. While rumours swirled, she never confirmed a relationship. After Dream’s release, some fans revisited speculation that she had been linked to fellow YG Entertainment artist Jung Jaewon, known as One, who left the label in July 2019. Theories remain unverified, and only Lisa and her co-writers – Ali Tamposi, Feli Ferraro, Shintaro Yasuda and Her0ism – know the true inspiration behind the song.
In August 2025, Lisa revealed plans for a short film inspired by Dream, that has already premiered on August 13. The project co-stars Japanese actor Kentaro Sakaguchi, with the pair portraying a married couple. The trailer hints at themes of grief, underscored by Lisa’s Instagram caption, «All good things must come to an end.»
Whatever its origins, one thing is certain – the track is not about her current reported partner, LVMH Watches CEO Frédéric Arnault. Their romance rumours emerged only in 2022, with fans speculating that another Alter Ego song, Moonlit Floor (Kiss Me), is about him. When pressed by Billboard about that song’s muse, Lisa replied simply, «I didn’t write that.»
Both Dream and Moonlit Floor reveal glimpses of Lisa’s inner life, but Dream resonates as a particularly moving account of a cherished yet lost relationship – a theme the upcoming short film is set to intensify.
Kursiv also reports that Golden, the standout song from Netflix’s animated hit KPop Demon Hunters, has soared to the number one position on the Billboard Hot 100.
