If there was a way to properly define the songs at the top of the Billboard Singles Chart on Oct. 16, 2021, it would be ¡°a feast of collaboration.¡± Some 12 of the top 20 songs on the Billboard Singles Chart were either duets or songs featuring additional artists. The number one song ¡°Stay¡± by Kid LAROI and Justin Bieber and number two song ¡°Industry Baby¡± by Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow are collaborations that have become global sensations.

The Tremendous Power of Collaboration

This aspect of the hit chart shows the power of collaboration. The hit song ¡°My Universe¡± is an example of the tremendous power of collaboration. Even BTS¡¯s global fan club, ARMY, was surprised to hear that the boy band was going to collaborate with Coldplay. This is because it is rare for rock groups to collaborate with hip-hop artists. Even though there was a difference between the new and old, unity was achieved as both groups are world-class pop stars. In particular, Chris Martin, the leader of Coldplay, sympathized with BTS¡¯ music, saying that he could ¡°feel the agony as a human being after listening to [them].¡± Martin was very happy with the way the collaboration turned out.

When the song rocketed to the top of the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States, observers said the group that benefited most was actually Coldplay as the group had not reached the top of the Billboard Chart in 13 years. Although the influence of recent popular charts has declined, placing at the top of a Billboard chart is still a medal of achievement for an artist. BTS has become a top priority when it comes to groups with whom top Western stars want to collaborate. For Western pop singers, K-pop and BTS will remain unknown realms for a long time to come. Curiosity will continue to stimulate the desire to explore and collaborate even more.

Share the Value

More importantly, the hard work and perseverance that BTS has shown during the groups¡¯ growth has already had an influence on British and American artists. British and American artists are reaching out to BTS as they want to share the fact that they pursue the same values as BTS. BTS made their debut with a relatively small agency. As such, the group had to overcome a great deal of hardships. The value of their blood, sweat and tears has become a point of attraction for artists who have gone through a similar situation.

Most of the Western pop singers who have collaborated with BTS have faced and overcome adversity before reaching stardom. Artists such as hit singer Halsey who featured on BTS¡¯ song ¡°Boy with Luv,¡± Australian superstar Sia who was featured on the digital version of ¡°ON¡± and Ed Sheeran who wrote the group¡¯s song ¡°Permission to Dance¡± are all examples of this.

They all have one thing in common: they all went through a long period of obscurity before they became stars. BTS¡¯ 2019 song ¡°Make It Right¡± was written by Ed Sheeran after the singer reached out to BTS to suggest a collaboration as he resonated with the values of the group. The song is about loving someone who was there during difficult times.

BTS¡¯ public and commercial presence rose even higher after ¡°My Universe¡± hit number one on the charts. One can only assume that this will lead to even more inquiries about collaborations with BTS in the future.

Establishing a Position Through Collaboration

Not only BTS, but also other K-pop artists who dream of entering Western markets will need to actively focus on the next five years. This is because K-pop will still be a relatively unknown genre for most Western pop singers who will thus want to seek out collaborations. This global recognition can only help raise the prestige of K-pop. The synergy that comes from the merging of Western and Korean pop is also a source of energy for K-pop.

Collaborations proved effective at helping female K-pop group BLACKPINK successfully land in the U.S. market in 2020. The group¡¯s recognition spread rapidly as a result of a collaboration for Lady Gaga¡¯s album released in May 2020, the promotional single ¡°Sour Candy.¡± It was the first time a Korean girl group had ranked on the Billboard Singles Top 40. The song reached No. 8 in Australia and No. 17 in the U.K. The song charted at No. 1 in Malaysia and Singapore. It was only natural that the group would continue to break records when it came to YouTube view counts.

BLACKPINK has collaborated with even more artists. At the end of August, three months after their previous collaboration was released, the group released their second pre-release single ¡°Ice Cream,¡± a collaboration with popular singer Selena Gomez. The song peaked at No. 13 on the Billboard Hot 100, making it the high-est-ranking song ever for a Korean girl group.

PSY and MC Hammer shocked K-pop fans when they performed together at the 2012 American Music Awards.

PSY¡¯s global hit ¡°Gangnam Style¡± back in 2012 was a starting point. He formed his own collaboration by inviting famous American rapper Snoop Dogg to take part in his new song ¡°Hangover,¡± the follow-up single to ¡°Gangnam Style.¡± The song remained at number two on the Billboard charts for seven weeks. His next song ¡°Gentleman¡± also entered the top 10 chart.

Snoop Dogg is a major figure in the development of gangster rap and hip hop more broadly. When they heard the news of the collaboration, K-pop fans reacted with astonishment that Snoop Dogg was really doing a song with PSY.

In November 2012, PSY put on a joint performance with superstar hip artist MC Hammer at the American Music Awards. Koreans who saw the performance were unable to hide their pride as the land where pop music began started talking about K-pop. PSY¡¯s position in the Western music world was strengthened through collaborations with well-known artists.

Two Heads Better than One

The time has come for artists to join forces. K-pop has taken another leap forward as collaborations continue to emerge as the nucleus that penetrates the music world. The meaning of the traditional proverb ¡°two heads are better than one¡± has become even more relevant to the global dominance of K-pop. The success of ¡°My Universe¡± confirms once again that collaborations provide an advantageous situation for K-pop artists.

Korean girl group 2NE1 performs with Snoop Dogg.