Throwback Thursday: Best Collaborations
It is not often that K-Pop gets a lot of collaboration units, especially when it comes to co-ed groups. Despite KARD gaining so much popularity for not only their catchy music but also their status as a co-ed group, it's hard to believe there aren't many collaborations between male and female artists. This week’s Throwback Thursdays is looking back at some of the best collaborations in K-Pop! Can you spot some of your favorites this week?
“Lollipop” - BIGBANG & 2NE1
Prior to the official debut of 2NE1 with “Fire,” the group made their first splash into the music industry with BIGBANG with “Lollipop.” As the first ever girl group to debut under YG Entertainment, there was a lot of excitement and hype as to what exactly YG had planned for his girl group and essentially the sister group to BIGBANG. What better way to bring in more anticipation and excitement than by having 2NE1 collaborate with their older brother group, BIGBANG? “Lollipop” is a fun and catchy song and features all the members of 2NE1 and BIGBANG sporting bright and eclectic styles (which were trendy during their time). This is the music video that also gave birth to Dara’s iconic “pineapple” hair look and really put 2NE1 on the map as one of the groups to look forward to. Since its release in 2009, the music video has garnered over 72 million views on YouTube and continues to be one of the most iconic collaborations in K-Pop. There has not been a return of the two groups collaborating aside from YG Family concerts, as 2NE1 has since disbanded earlier in 2017 and the BIGBANG members are all doing their own solo activities, but there is hope that one day the two iconic K-Pop groups will come together and collaborate once again.
"Trouble Maker” - Trouble Maker
Considerably the sexiest and most talked about collaboration amongst K-Pop idols, Trouble Maker makes the list of some of the best K-Pop collaborations. Trouble Maker is a duo made up of former 4minute member HyunA and former BEAST member Hyunseung. While both artists have now moved on with their own solo careers, the two Cube Entertainment artists debuted together as Trouble Maker and released their self-titled track in 2011. This particular collaboration is one of the most talked about in the K-Pop scene as it brings together two very attractive artists, who brought one of the hottest songs and music videos. Why is it so talked about, you may wonder? Prior to the debut of Trouble Maker, at the 2011 Mnet Asian Music Awards, the two artists had teased their collaboration unit for a special stage that caused quite the stir with a steamy kiss on stage. Upon the release, this was one collaboration that everyone was talking about due to its sexy, intense plot and very risqué choreography. The song itself has a great balance between the two artists and showcased their great chemistry. Trouble Maker did end up making a name for themselves and even had a comeback with an even sexier album (which further fueled the speculations of whether HyunA and Hyunseung were dating). Fans to this day are still waiting for when HyunA and Hyunseung would come together again as Trouble Maker and top their previous releases.
“썸 (Some)” - Soyu x Junggigo featuring Lil Boi of Geeks
In need of another catchy and lighthearted song to add to your library? Or need a song that best fits having a crush on someone and feeling unsure whether the feelings are reciprocated? “Some” by Soyu and Junggigo is the perfect song to describe that feeling. “Some” is another highly talked about song and collaboration as it is a song that many people could relate to. Upon its release, this song won several music awards and could be heard on many variety shows as it became an anthem for budding relationships and general love lines on South Korean TV. This song is particularly best suited for the spring season as relationships and love happen to occur more around the season. What makes this song one of the best collaborations is the chemistry between Soyu and Junggigo (which caused many fans to romantically ship the two singers together after the release) and how well their vocals complement each other. Be prepared to get this song stuck in your head, because it is guaranteed that you’ll be singing it at some point after listening to it. It is also a great song to throw a big hint at your crush as well.
Bonus: The music video features SISTAR member Dasom and B1A4’s Baro as the main leads!
There are many more iconic collaborations and duets that have occurred in K-Pop, and this surely isn’t going to be the last time that the Best Collaborations will be highlighted for The Kraze’s Throwback Thursday. Stay tuned for next week’s Throwback Thursday as we bring you more music! Who knows? You may see one of your favorites appear next time!