10 Best K-Pop And Western Artist Collaborations: G-Dragon, BTS, Blackpink, NCT & More

South Korean and Western music collabs have been on the rise, with collaborations between famous Western artists and K-Pop bands becoming increasingly popular. Among the great examples include BTS teaming up with Halsey for the song "Boy With Luv" in 2019 and Blackpink featuring Dua Lipa on the single "Kiss and Make Up" in 2018.

South Korea has become a major player in the global music industry, with its stars becoming some of the biggest names in popular culture. Here we listed some of the most notable collaborations between South Korean and American artists:

10.

"WHO DO U LOVE?" - Monsta X Ft. French Montana

Monsta X's "WHO DO U LOVE?" was their first song released under the U.S. label Epic Records. It featured their label mate Frech Montana.

This song is surprisingly easy to jam to; its calm tone and beautiful chorus will surely leave a lasting impact on your ears. The suave voices and falsetto of the members once again captivated Monbebes' (Monsta X's fans) hearts. The song was their second English-language collaboration – "Play It Cool" with Steve Aoki was the first to be released.

9.

"Change" – RM And Wale

BTS leader RM collaborated with Wale in 2017. The two had their first interaction via Twitter. It was when Wale reportedly tweeted at RM, inviting him and asking if he wanted to collaborate after finding out through a fan's tweet that RM previously performed a freestyle over Wale's "Illest B--ch."

"Change" has been part of controversies for a while due to the political and cultural issues included in their verses. The song is about making a change and having hope for the future. This collaboration is unique, mixing hip-hop with RM's signature rap style.

8.

"_World" - SEVENTEEN Ft. Anne-Marie

"_World" is SEVENTEEN's 2022 title track during the release of their fourth repackaged album, "SECTOR 17."

Carats (SEVENTEENS's fandom) around the world enjoyed this urban R&B song incorporated with a funky rhythm and candied melody. "_WORLD" was made available in several video versions; there's an eye contact version, a live band session, and a lyric video featuring the English singer-songwriter Anne-Marie.

The collaboration between SEVENTEEN and Anne-Marie was a truly unexpected combination, but they worked it out beautifully. The mellow voice of the "2002" singer fits perfectly in SEVENTEEN's genre.

7.

"Physical" - Dua Lipa Ft. Hwasa

This collaboration is the meeting of two different yet the same individuals; MOOMOOs (MAMAMOO fans) out there will relate to this. The British singer and songwriter Dua Lipa and the South Korean idol MAMAMOO's member Hwasa released a remix of the former's single "Physical."

This was not their first performance collaboration since Hwasa and Dua Lipa performed together during the 2019 Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA).

"Physical" (remix) was a part of the Albanian singer's second studio album, "Future Nostalgia," released in 2020. Hwasa's ever-seductive voice can be heard at the start of the song. Her range greatly blended with Dua Lipa's strong vocals during the chorus.

6.

"Written In The Stars" - John Legend And Wendy

In 2018, Red Velvet's Wendy and EGOT winner John Legend collaborated on a heartfelt single entitled "Written In The Stars." It was among SM Entertainment's Station XO collaboration projects.

The song was praised for its moving lyrics and the duo's stunning vocals. Wendy reportedly went to Los Angeles to record with the "All of Me" singer.

Wendy told Vogue she could not believe the project and everything that happened. "I just couldn't believe it that I would be working with an artist that I had always listened to growing up. It still feels unreal that a song will be released with both my voice and his together."

5.

"Let's Shut Up & Dance" - Jason Derulo, Lay Zhang, NCT 127

One of the most surprising team-ups during 2019 – the collaboration of three artists from three different countries. American "Swalla" singer and songwriter Jason Derulo joined hands with the Chinese native and EXO member Lay Zhang, together with the Korean boy group NCT 127. All of them also worked on the song's music video, which currently has almost 65 million views on YouTube.

"Let's Shut Up and Dance" was the first tribute project for Michael Jackson's 60th birthday. It aimed to commemorate the contributions of the King of Pop to the entire world of dance and his support of diversity and inclusivity through his artistic endeavors. The tribute project was organized by former MJJ Music president Jerry Greenberg. The song was co-written by Derulo, Ant Clemons, and Bong Bytheway.

3.

"Niliria" - G-Dragon and Missy Elliott

Big Bang leader, rapper, and songwriter G-Dragon made a notable collaboration with Missy Elliott in 2013. Not just VIPs (Big Bang's fandom) but almost all K-Pop fans were immensely surprised and amazed by one of the first-ever East meets West collabs.

Missy Elliot made a live appearance on G-Dragon's KCON stage in Los Angeles. The duo did the debut performance of their much-awaited duet, "Niliria," which was part of G-Dragon's "Coup d'Etat" album. Both showed their powerful rap lines and on-stage presence, hyping the entire dome filled with fans. The song has a nice mix of hip-hop beats and a snappy, soulful melody. It was also praised for combining rap verses from both G-Dragon and Missy Elliott.

3.

"Angel Pt. 1" – BTS Jimin, Jvke, Kodak Black, Muni Long, And NLE Choppa

The participation of Jimin in the "Fast and Furious" movie franchise soundtrack was recently confirmed, making him the first Korean singer to be featured in an original soundtrack of the film. It is also Jimin's first-ever collaboration with American rapper Kodak Black, NLE Choppa, JVKE, and Muni Long.

The full video of the song will release this week. Meanwhile, the movie "Fast X" opens in Korea on May 17 and in the United Arab Emirates on May 18.

Jimin previously dominated the top ranking on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart with his lead track "Like Crazy" from his solo debut album "Face."

2.

"My Universe" - Coldplay And BTS

The collaboration between Coldplay and BTS, titled "My Universe," has been met with great enthusiasm by fans of both groups. With lyrics that explore the complexities of love and unity, this track symbolizes how music can bring together people from all walks of life.

Led by Chris Martin's emotive vocals, the song is a unique blend of the two groups' distinct sounds. "My Universe" official video currently has over 268 million views. They also released an accompanying lyric video, solidifying the impact of this partnership between Coldplay and BTS.

1.

"Ice Cream" - Blackpink And Selena Gomez

Blackpink achieved international success with their catchy multilingual songs and choreographed music videos. Their popularity reached new heights when they released their single "Ice Cream" featuring Selena Gomez, which gained tremendous attention. "Ice Cream" continues to be popular among fans as it accumulated over 842 million views on YouTube thus far.

There are tons of captivating hooks within the song. Its simple melody also made it more addictive. The music video is quite fun to watch; the bubbly sides of all the girls added to the refreshing vibe of the entire video.