K-pop has taken over the world charts little by little in these last few years. We are getting to see our favorite artists on western stages and talk shows now more than ever. And, with that, we are also getting the opportunity of seeing our favorite K-pop artists and western artists collaborating. Before the Korean and Western music market was more or less separated but with these collaborations happening everyone gets a little taste of both worlds. What more can a K-pop fan ask for? So Here in this article, we have made a list of the collaborations of some of our favorite K-pop and Western artists!
1. Rm And Wale - Change
In 2022, everyone has at least heard of BTS if they’re not a fan of the band themselves. The leader of the group, RM, collaborated with Wale to release a politically charged track, “Change”. The music video was released on 19 March 2017. The lyrics of the song describe the changes the two artists want to see in the world in hopes of making it better.
2. Blackpink And Lady Gaga- Sour Candy
BlackPink is one of the most popular girl groups globally as of now. The band consists of four members, each of whom has a blossoming solo career. On 28 May 2020, they released their song, “Sour Candy,” which featured American singer Lady Gaga. The song is an electro-pop dance track with elements of deep house. Since the song came out in 2020, amidst the ongoing covid-19 pandemic, there was no music video for it. Despite the setbacks, the track is still popular amongst fans of both artists.
3. Chanyeol With Far East Movement And Tinashe - Freal Love
This collaboration came as a surprise to all EXO fans all around the world. In 2016, Chanyeol from EXO released the song “Freal Luv” in collaboration with Far East Movement and Tinashe. The music video, filmed both in Shanghai and Seoul, was released on 14 October 2016. It gives off a futuristic yet psychedelic vibe with the video having a red filter. You can find the video on Spinning Records’ official YouTube channel.
4. G-Dragon And Missy Elliot - Niliria
G-dragon is one of the biggest stars in Asia with his hands in the music and fashion industry. He is the first Asian star to become the global ambassador of ‘Channel’. His music is heavily influenced by old-school hip-hop icons like Wu-Tang Clan and Pharrell Williams. G-dragon decided to collaborate with Missy Elliot since he has always been a fan of her work for this song. “Niliria” was a part of his second solo studio album titled “Coup D’etat”. The track mixes elements of hip-hop with samples from a Korean folk song called “Nililiya”.
5. B.I With Destiny Rogers And Tyla Yaweh - Got It Like That
B.I has started his solo career after departing from his ventures with IKON under YG entertainment. He released his first studio album last year titled, “Waterfall”. But that’s not all he did in 2021. B.I also dropped the collaboration track, “Got it Like that” which features Destiny Rogers and Tyler Yaweh. It was released on 14 May 2021. The music video is simple so that fans can focus on the lyrics more this time. The song talks about the subtle art of letting things go, which is a crucial lesson for getting through life if you ask me.
6. 2NE1 And Black Eyed Peas - Take The World On
2NE1 was and remains one of the most renowned girl groups to ever come out of Korea. The girls recently did a reunion performance of their hit song, “I am the Best” at Coachella this year which was trending on Twitter. They are the first girl group to fully own the Girl Crush concept. Back in 2011, the girls were recording a lot of music with Will.i.am of the Black Eyes Peas as the producer. “Take the World on” was released on 14 March 2013. Once you listen to the track, it will become very obvious that it’s produced by Will.i.am.
7. Psy And Snoop Dogg - Hangover
Psy is undoubtedly the most loved Korean solo singer inside and outside of Korea who has achieved this much success in album sales. “Hangover” was his third single that took over the world charts after “Gangnam Style” and “Gentleman”. “Hangover” is a hip-hop track with an electronic dance beat blasting in the back. The song does a good enough job of showcasing Snoop Dogg’s easy-going rap with Psy’s over-the-top antics. We also get cameos from Korean singers G-dragon and CL in the music video.
8. BTS Ft. Halsey - Boy With Luv
BTS is the biggest boy band in the world right now with them performing at the Grammies recently. Their fame is risen gradually with each of their albums gathering more and more fans. “Boy with Luv” featuring Halsey was part of their Map of the Soul: Persona album released on 12 April 2019. The Korean name for the song is “A Poem for Small Things”. The track talks about how one can find true happiness and love by enjoying the little things life has to offer. It is a parallel to their previous song, “Boy in Luv” released in 2014.
9. CL And GD With Skrillex And Diplo - Dirty Vibe
American DJs and producers Skrillex and Diplo released their track “Dirty Vibe” on 15 December 2014 which featured raps by G-dragon (Bigbang) and Cl from 2ne1. The song was the fourth single from Skrillex’s debut album “Recess”. It features high-energy beats that are typical Skrillex fashion and some risqué lyrics from G-dragon and CL. The single charted at number 19 on Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs. The music video was released later on YouTube.
10. LAY, NCT 127, And Jason Derulo - Let’s Shut Up And Dance
“Let’s Shut Up and Dance” was a tribute song made to honor the late pop sensation, Michael Jackson. The song has vocals from American pop singer Jason Derulo, Chinese idol Lay from EXO, and South Korean boy band NCT 127. 7six9 Entertainment released the track as a single on 22 February 2019. The song mixes up genres like R&B, soul, and Dance-pop. All in all, it’s the perfect song to dance to.
