Kpop Meets Jpop: Who Should Collab? Part 2

This is a two-part post where I mention a Korean and a Japanese artist and why I think they should collaborate. This two-part series was inspired after I heard Arashi’s Whenever You Call, an English track produced by Bruno Mars.

I’m really liking Arashi’s latest stuff lately, especially their remakes of their older tracks like One Love: Reborn and Love So Sweet: Reborn. These tracks are half Japanese and half English, and I’m living for the amped-up vibe.

Anyway, on with the post!

ONE OK ROCK & Day6

I love ONE OK ROCK and Day6, but this one is more out of curiosity.

ONE OK ROCK is a Japanese rock band, but their songs have so much meaning. Going off on a tangent, but this is one thing that really makes me interested in an artist.

ONE OK ROCK have amazing vocals and productions.

Day6 is a South Korean rock band under JYP Entertainment. A band in the Kpop industry is uncommon. But Day6 also has amazing vocals and production, which isn’t surprising since they are from JYP.

If I’m not wrong, they also write some if not most of their songs. YoungK, a member of Day6, is also a singer-songwriter who wrote the lyrics for other Kpop artists like Eric Nam.

If ONE OK ROCK and Day6 came together, I wonder what track they would produce. I would love to see a happy and bouncy track like Time of Our Life. If they made an epic anime opening, my heart would be full, haha.

But I wouldn’t complain at all if it was a ballad or a sombre track. I would love it if both groups oversee the entire song and video production. The world wouldn’t be able to handle the talent.

Kana Nishino & Changmo

Kana Nishino is a Japanese singer-songwriter, and she is on indefinite hiatus because she married her former manager. She’s 31, but she looks like she’s 21. Regardless, I think she’s incredibly pretty.

Kana Nishino’s voice is soft and clear, and she sang many tracks for Japanese dramas, including one of my favorites, “The Memorandum of Kyoko Okitegami”. If you’re looking for a J-drama to binge over the weekend, this. is. the. one. The track below is a soundtrack from that drama.

Changmo is a South Korean rapper and producer who collaborated with popular Kpop artists like Chungha, Jamie, and Hyolyn. He also worked on a song produced by Suga from BTS.

I’m not usually into rap songs, but Changmo is an exception. He has incredible flow and his songs aren’t too in-your-face like some rap tracks. His features in other artists’ songs are also so natural.

I’d imagine a collaboration between Kana Nishino and Changmo would be like IU and Suga’s Eight.

AAA & Taeyeon

AAA is a co-ed Japanese group with great vocalists. I heard a few of their pop tracks, but I prefer their mellow tracks that showcase more of their vocals. But their song ‘New’ is totally dance-worthy. AAA really shine as a co-ed group.

Side note: Nissy, the main vocalist, is my favorite.

Taeyeon is the leader and the main vocalist of Girls’ Generation. She came out with many solo albums, and she quickly became one of my solo artists of all time.

Her vocal range is insane, and I would love to see these two come together to create a mind-blowing song filled with incredible vocals regardless if it’s a ballad or a pop song.

Could you imagine a song with Taeyeon and Nissy together? Two legendary main vocalists together. Yes, please.

Riri & Blackpink

Riri is a Japanese singer-songwriter whose songs are a little more on the funky side. But she also has slower songs that showcase her vocal talent. She is heavily influenced by American artists like Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, and Beyonce.

Her funkier tracks have a Western undertone to them, and she collaborated with Korean-American rapper. A variety of artists produced Luv Luv, so it’s pretty cool to see the final product of all these talented people.

Blackpink is a South Korean Kpop group under YG Entertainment. Nowadays, it’s impossible to not have at least heard of these girls. Blackpink usually has a girl-crush vibe with upbeat tracks, but they do tone it down in some other songs.

I think Blackpink and Riri would mesh well together with a track similar to Playing With Fire or Maybe One Day.

Arashi & Super Junior

Since Arashi inspired this two-part post, it should naturally end with an Arashi collaboration.

Arashi is a Japanese boy group that debuted in 1999, and they are still together putting out songs. That’s an amazing feat. I’ve been listening to Arashi for a long time, but not consistently.

They are, however, the first to get me into Jpop. Their songs will never get old.

And, of course, who could forget their latest single, Whenever You Call.

Super Junior is a South Korean Kpop group under SM Entertainment. They debuted in 2005; they are one of the longest-running Kpop groups with iconic songs.

I would love to see a fun pop track by Arashi and Super Junior. Regardless if it’s a sexy or summer vibe, it would be legendary.

Final Thoughts

Are there any collaborations you’d like to see? Let me know in the comments.