EPIK HIGH x B.I's 'Acceptance Speech' Trends Worldwide + Tops Various Music Charts

Rapper B.I is finally home as he's back in the music scene as a featuring artist in one of EPIK HIGH's 10th full album track! If you haven't listened to the song yet, read on for more details!

On Jan. 18, Monday, EPIK HIGH's much-anticipated return in the music industry finally transpired with a new album, "Epik High Is Here" Part 1. Along with the title track "Rosario," the anticipation for K-Hip Hop legends' comeback is also meaningful as Hanbin, also known as B.I, participated in their B-side song, "Acceptance Speech," after taking a long break since withdrawal from iKON.

EPIK HIGH's "Acceptance Speech" feat. B.I Takes the Internet and Charts by Storm

Prior to its release, the news of B.I's participation in EPIK HIGH's album as a featured artist set fans abuzz. Given the fact that both acts excel in the K-Hip Hop genre, this is also the first-ever official project of B.I after a long break from the music industry since stepping down as the leader of iKON.

Thus, when EPIK HIGH confirmed that the singer is now back as Rapper B.I, fans rejoiced and anticipated his return.

"Acceptance Speech" finally dropped on Jan. 18 at 6:00 p.m. KST, and not long after claimed a slot on the top searches and music charts. On Twitter, alongside EpikHighIsHere, "ACCEPTANCE SPEECH FT BI" trended worldwide at No. 5 at 6:18 p.m KST, while the song peaked at No. 8 on Naver Search at 7:18 p.m. KST.

At 8:15 p.m. KST, the song secured the No. 1 spot on four countries -- the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia -- in iTunes' "Top 100 Songs."

In addition to this, the track lyrics, particularly the lines of B.I, garnered attention from music fans on the web. Excerpts from his lines include:

"I’m coming home If you won’t help me, let me go.[...] Reach your two hands out to the sky The show goes on and on and on..."

"Are dark clouds still clouds? When I think about it, they look like me. Is a bitter smile a smile? Because I live in a world where there's nothing to laugh about...I did it for you."

It also came to knowledge of fans that B.I participated both in writing and composing the song upon seeing the credits. The lyrics attracted fans for its profoundness, highlighting a sentimental feeling that can tap at anyone's emotion with B.I's soulful singing.

Meanwhile, on the afternoon of Jan. 18, an online showcase was also held to commemorate the release of "Epik High Is Here."

When asked about their collaboration with B.I, Tablo revealed, "When we choose a collaborative partner, we work hard to find people who will go with us to the place where the song is closest to completion. But I had no choice but to think about everything, not just featuring."

"There are a lot of options for making an album, but there are no options that can be taken lightly. Thus, I couldn't think of the pressure about the song with B.I either. Nevertheless, it is also true that B.I was the one who created a perfection that is impossible to give up on this song during the process," he explained.

Tukutz also said that he thought B.I would do the best with the melody and vocals of the song, so he listened to the album track and thought that the song must be included.

Listen to EPIK HIGH's "Acceptance Speech" feat. B.I below!

What's your favorite track from "Epik High Is Here"? Tell us in the comments!

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Written by Eunice Dawson