BTS, Blackpink, Coldplay and Ed Sheeran lead a wave of K-pop collaborations with Western artists

More K-pop stars and their Western counterparts are working together as the East-meets-West trend gathers strength

English and Spanish singing stars are teaming up with hitmakers such as Blackpink, BTS and NCT 127

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BTS collaborated with British band Coldplay on a single, My Universe, which is out on September 24. Photo: Twitter

Published: 8:15pm, 16 Sep 2021

Pop music is having an East-meets-West love affair, as many of the biggest English- and Spanish-speaking pop stars team up with Korean counterparts.

This week, superstar South Korean septet BTS and popular British band Coldplay confirmed a long-rumoured upcoming release, My Universe, out on September 24.

The confirmation followed Puerto Rican hitmaker Ozuna dropping the surprise news, during Sunday’s MTV VMA awards show, that he had an upcoming release featuring Blackpink along with DJ Snake and American hip-hop artist Megan Thee Stallion.

That news followed the recent release of BTS’ Butter remix featuring Megan Thee Stallion.

These are just the latest collaborations between Western hitmakers and K-pop stars as music industries become more connected.

The past two years have seen Lady Gaga, Jason Derulo, Dua Lipa, Selena Gomez and others collaborate with Blackpink, BTS and NCT 127. Popular Latin American artists, including Guaynaa and Leslie Grace, have collaborated with Korean performers including Super Junior and Chungha.