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JYJ & Kanye West, Wonder Girls & Akon: Did you know these 6 KPop X Western collabs existed?
Boy With Luv and Ice Cream must have been on everybody’s story and broken records. But there are other K-Pop x West collabs you should know about! Check them out here.
BTS x Halsey, BLACKPINK x Lady Gaga and Selena Gomez are all global chart-topping songs. But years before these too, there were K-Pop stars who collaborated with Western artists. Even though we feel that the Hallyu wave just recently took over the world, Hallyu stars were making their mark and collaborating with big names in the western industry even before this.
It did take the world too long to recognise K-Pop’s talent, but some people in the music industry did know about it already. So while people went gaga over BLACKPINK and Lady Gaga’s Sour Candy or their most recent collab Ice Cream with Selena Gomez, did you know they had already collaborated with Dua Lipa in 2018 for ‘Kiss and Make Up’? Yes, that did happen! So today, we’re taking a detour from the most popular collabs that idols had with western artists and bringing to you songs that you might have not known about!
Let’s start!
I’m Not Sorry by Dean ft. Eric Bellinger (2014)
Dean is an R&B singer, rapper and songwriter whose interest in American hip hop started in high school. Now one of the many famous artists, Dean has had multiple American collaborations. One of them is ‘I’m Not Sorry’ with the singer-songwriter and vocal producer Eric Bellinger. The catchy ‘I’m Sorry / No, I’m Not Sorry’ will have you singing the verse over and over again!
Dirty Vibe by G-Dragon, CL with Diplo and Skrillex
A collab that surely should be considered iconic is Dirty Vibe. Featuring South Korea’s biggest idols with America’s top producers - what’s there to not fall in love with? Legendary boy band’s G-Dragon and stunning soloist CL worked with Skrillex and Diplo back in 2014. With the classic Skrillex intense beats mixed with Diplo’s music and the idols’ rap, this song should definitely be on your energy or workout playlist!
Like Money by Wonder Girls and Akon
One of the most prominent girl groups that spread K-Pop across the boundaries, was Wonder Girls. With their successful hits like ‘Nobody’, they ended up collaborating with the top American singer, songwriter and producer Akon! ‘Like Money’ is a song entirely in English, set in a futuristic world. The song is definitely catchy with the girls’ vocals and Akon’s rap!
Take The World On by 2NE1 and Black Eyed Peas’ Will.i.am
‘Take The World On’ is a fun disco track by the iconic girl group 2NE1 and the renowned singer, rapper and songwriter will.i.am. This track also marked 2NE1’s English debut and according to reports, will.i.am was the one to approach the girls first for the collab! Released in 2014, this song will take you back to the good old times of blurry cameras, 200s America and much more!
Body by Eric Nam and Timbaland
The famous soloist Eric Nam collaborated with the hit songwriter and singer Timbaland back in 2016 for a soft, seductive track called Body. The song was first unveiled at MAMA 2016 when Eric Nam performed it live with Timbaland. Although you might already be in love with the singer, this will help you fall in love with him more!
Ayyy Girl by JYJ, Kanye West and Malik
While many K-Pop groups have dreams today of collaborating with the super hit rapper Kanye West, JYJ already did it back in 2010. JYJ was a group started by TVXQ’s Kim Jaejoong with his teammates Kim Junsoo and Park Yu Chun. The group was featured in the Guinness World records in 2009 for being the most photographed celebrities on the planet. ‘Ayy Girl’ was the lead single of their first English-only album ‘The Beginning’. The production and vocal arrangement was done by Kanye West, and the record agency had to halt the pre-orders due to the over demand for the album!
Bonus:
Vente Pa’ Ca by Red Velvet and Ricky Martin
One is considered amongst the famous K-Pop girl groups and the other is considered ‘The King of Latin Pop’. What happens when the two worlds collide? The world is blessed with a song called Vente Pa’ Ca. Not a KPop-West crossover per se, but the song is too soothing and romantic to not be featured in the list!
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Which is your favourite K-Pop X Western collabs that you think went under the radar? Let us know in the comments below!
