GIRIBOY and Heize Were Absolutely Meant to Be
Photo: GIRIBOY and HEIZE’s Instagram
GIRIBOY (기리보이) and Heize (헤이즈) are back at it for the fifth time! The two solo artists have joined forces once again for a new collaboration—this time in the form of an EP titled Never Meant to Be, released on January 29.
The mini-album includes four songs: the title track, “Never Meant to Be” (안 될 사람), “Drop” (뚝), “Frozen Season” (멈춰버린 계절), and “Overlapping Acquaintances” (겹지인).
The title track, the original Korean title of which literally translates to “Someone Who Won’t Work Out”, is an R&B hip-hop ballad about the bittersweet allure of a love that was destined to fail—a relationship that felt real, but was never meant to last. Both artists co-wrote and composed this track, as well as most of the EP. Their soft voices blend into a smooth, effortless performance, showcasing the kind of chemistry you’d expect from two artists who enjoy working together time and time again.
GIRIBOY and Heize: A Musical Friendship
GIRIBOY and Heize have become what fans now call a “proven combination” in music. Their first collaboration was on GIRIBOY’s “Traffic Control” (교통정리) in June 2019, which became one of his most popular songs. Only a month later, Heize released “We Don't Talk Together (feat. GIRIBOY),” famously produced by BTS’s SUGA at Heize’s request, as she had been impressed by his production work.
Fast forward to October 2020, when listeners got to enjoy the moody “Smoke” by GIRIBOY featuring Heize. Then, as you might have guessed by now, with the two often trading feature roles, Heize released “I Don’t Lie (feat. GIRIBOY)” in her second full-length album, Undo. This latest EP marks their first co-led release, and it seems they’ve hit the mark once again.
One might then wonder: how did the two become such a perfectly matched pair? GIRIBOY and Heize recently shared insight into their well-known professional chemistry on a radio show. The two appeared as guests on SBS Power FM’s Ju Hyunyoung’s 12 O’Clock (12시엔 주현영) on January 22.
When the host asked about their apparent closeness, Heize turned the question to her co-star, asking: “We’re friends, right? At this level?” to which GIRIBOY replied: “We originally just knew of each other, but after I approached her for a feature a while back, we became acquaintances and gradually got closer.” Heize added: “Still, we’re more like close colleagues. Being the same age makes the emotional distance feel small, but we’re both so busy that we’re more like supportive friends.”
On the same show, Heize revealed that they had known of each other even before GIRIBOY requested her feature on “Traffic Control,” saying: “We were aware of each other even before that, but it’s been nearly 10 years since we first became aware of one another. Real interaction started during that song’s production. Once we broke the ice, I’d send him tracks I wanted to work on together. We’ve done quite a few songs like that.”
During the broadcast, the artists also first announced that they would be releasing new music together—the very EP that fans can now stream on all major platforms.
Have you hit play on Never Meant to Be yet?
Edited by Sandy Ou