As K-pop becomes more global, more Western artist are reaching out to idol groups to collaborate. That gives birth to numerous bops featuring artists from South Korea and from the West. Here are some of the most iconic K-pop collabs with Western musicians.
1. BTS - "Boy with Luv" (feat. Halsey)
"Boy With Luv" was released in 2019 and is the title ttrack of the BTS's extended play "Map of the Soul: Persona". The song was named as one of the 20 best K-pop songs of that year by Dazed Magazine, and was included in South China Morning Post's list for the 10 best k-pop songs of 2019. The song was praised for being energetic, addictive, and joyful.
Upon the music video's debut, it garnered 74.6 million views on YouTube within the first 24 hours of its release. It has been certified platinum by the RIAA. The song also holds the record for the most music show wins in South Korean music shows after the 2000s with 21 wins.
2. Dua Lipa - "Kiss and Make Up" (feat. BLACKPINK)
"Kiss and Make Up" was released in 2018 and was included in Dua Lipa's deluxe edition of her debut studio album, "Dua Lipa: Complete Edition". This song marked BLACKPINK's first ever collaboration with a Western artist. The song sold 11,000 copies within its first week, debuting at number 93 on the US Billboard Hot 100. The track has been certified platinum in Australia, certified gold in Italy, and certified silver in the United Kingdom.
3. EXO Lay, NCT 127, Jason Derulo - "Let's Shut Up and Dance"
Talk about a mega feature! Not only does Jason Derulo have EXO's Lay, he also has the whole NCT 127. The song "Let's Shut Up & Dance" was reelased in 2019 under 7SIX9 Entertainment. When talking about the collaboration with Billboard, Jason Derulo said he was so excited for it, since they come from such different worlds. He praised Lay and NCT 127 for their talents.
4. Diplo, Ellie Goulding - "Close to Me (Red Velvet Remix)"
The Red Velvet remix for "Close to Me" was released in 2019. This versin of the song removed Swae Lee's verson and instead featured the girls of Red Velvet, singing a verse in Korean and singing their own version of the chorus in Korean. The lyrics for the chorus were written by members Wendy and Yeri. This version of "Close to Me" won "Choice Electronic / Dance Song" at the 2019 Teen Choice Awards.
5. BLACKPINK - "ICE CREAM" (feat. Selena Gomez)
"Ice Cream" was released in August 28, 2020, as BLACKPINK's second pre-release single to their upcoming first studio album "The Album". The song is fully recorded in English, except for some of Lisa's raps that sprinkled in a little bit of Korean there.
RELATED : BLACKPINK x Selena Gomez Release "Ice Cream" + Initially Reaches 1.8 Million Streams on Premiere
YG Entertainment hyped this single up when they first released the teasers in July 2020, where they revealed a surprise featured artist would work with the group. Many speculated Ariana Grande or Charlie Puth, but were surprised to heard it would be Selena Gomez. The song is a sweet, summer song that could melt away all your worries!
6. MONSTA X - "WHO DO U LOVE?" (feat. French Montana)
"WHO DO U LOVE?" is MONSTA X's second all-English single and was released in June 2019. They also released a remix version of the track in September with will.i.am. The song talks about a girl who is torn between two lovers and the impact it has on one of the guys. MONSTA X sings in the song, whle French Montana raps.
7. PSY - "HANGOVER" (feat. Snoop Dogg)
"HANGOVER" was released in 2014. As of April 2018, the video has garnered over 310 millions views on YouTube. The song was used in the 2019 Marvel film "Black Panther" during the Busan casino clip. TIME Magazine described the music video as "delightful", while Spin Magazine claimed it was a song highly unlikely to ease a hangover, but that it was still rather enjoyable.
8. Lady Gaga - "Sour Candy" (feat. BLACKPINK)
"Sour Candy" was released in 2020 and is the first of two collaborations released in BLACKPINK this year. It is included in Lady Gaga's sixth studio album "Chromatica". Upon release, the song hit number one in Malaysia and Singapore and reached the top ten in Australia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, and Lithuania. Many praised this track for being an epic collaboration between the two artists and how it beautifully blends the styles of the two artists.
9. Far East Movement x Marshmella - "Freal Luv" (feat. EXO Chanyeol & Tinashe)
"Freal Luv" was released in 2016 and part of Far East Movement's "Identity" album. Chanyeol is one of many Korean artists featured on the album, but his song definitely recevied the most popularity. The album itself is distinctly Asian-American, as Far East Movement originated from Koreatown in he United States. It shows off the group's root and pride in their Asian heritage.
Which is your favorite collab?
