Listen, I’m the first person ot admit that I’m not too well-versed in the world of K-Pop. Not that I have anything against it, I’ve just never taken the time to dive into the music and the fan culture. However, I am a Silk Sonic fanatic — and once I saw that Anderson .Paak collaborated with a member of BTS… let’s just say that I’m about ready to become a K-Pop girlie once and for all.
On Dec. 2, BTS’ RM released his solo project, Indigo. The album features other Korean artists like TABLO and Kim Sawol, but RM also collaborated with American musicians such as Erykah Badu and (my favorite dude) Anderson .Paak. And while RM’s song with .Paak, “Still Life” is the first time that the two released an official song together, .Paak’s friendship with the BTS boys runs way deeper than just a collaboration. How can I get in on this friendship?
March 2022: .Paak’s Son Is a BTS stan.
Perhaps the only person I love more than .Paak is his son, Soul Rasheed. In March 2020, .Paak took to Instagram to post an adorable video of Soul dancing nd talking about BTS: “I am a Korean Army,” he says in the video. .Paak, who is half Korean himself, is married to Jae Lin, a Korean musician. Something about .Paak’s dad vibes in this video and Souls’ excitement to jam out to BTS makes my hear melt.
MARCH 2021: .PAAK TALKS TO Esquire About A Possible BTS collab.
In an interview with Esquire, .Paak states that he’s interested in a future collaboration with BTS: “I’m working on trying to get that plug, man,” he told Esquire. “If you know of any way, let me know, bro.”
November 2021: BTS & .Paak finally meet.
After being open with his superfan status, .Paak finally attends a BTS concert with his son and wife (Jae Lin), and gets to meet these musical icons in the flesh.
The group even had some time to form an inside joke about Lin’s crush on BTS member, Jin. Honestly, who could blame her.
June 2022: .Paak plays drums for a BTS live performance.
Looks like .Paak’s BTS collaboration manifestations worked! On June 13, 2022, .Paak was featured in a live performance of “Yet To Come” with BTS. In an interview with Billboard News, .Paak talks about how his son actually got him into K-Pop. “It was my son because he’s a big fan. He made me a fan and ever since I’ve been obsessed. I’ve been ARMY ever since.”
December 2022: .Paak Collaborates with RM on “Still Life”.
Finally, an official song! On RM’s track, “Still Life” .Paak has a few verses, and they’re nothing short of fire. Maybe it’s the Anderson .Paak effect, but I think I’m becoming a K-Pop stan based off of this song alone. Take a listen for yourself — but, warning, you might just become addicted.