Entertainment
All Of BTS' Collabs Prove They Can Tackle Any Genre & Leave You SHOOK

by Michele Mendez
Kevin Winter/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Nowadays, everyone wants to collaborate with BTS. They're the biggest boyband in the world and made of seven guys with unique vocals and music tastes perfect for any genre. Rap, R&B, EDM, country — you name it. They've touched every corner of the music world and all of BTS' collaboration songs prove it. It's no wonder so many artists are interested.

Despite being around since 2013, BTS didn't really begin experimenting with collabs until 2017. Shortly after winning Top Social Artist at the Billboard Music Awards that year, the group started working with foreign artists like Steve Aoki and The Chainsmokers. Since then, BTS has only made more friends across the global music industry, like Halsey, MAX, Lauv, and Ed Sheeran, just to name a few. They've even got along with a few stars so much they've teamed up with them again and again.

Now that BTS has so many more eyes on them after "Dynamite" snagged the No. 1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100, fans can probably expect more epic collabs in the future. (Fans are crossing their fingers they'll include Conan Gray, New Hope Club, and Ariana Grande.)

Until then, ARMYs can enjoy some of BTS' epic collaborations so far below.

March 2017: "Change" with Wale

In an October 2020 interview with Variety, RM explained that although BTS aren't political figures, everything can ultimately be political, even a pebble. In one of BTS' earliest collabs with a foreign artist, RM made it clear he and the boys weren't shy about delving into political issues in their lyrics. In "Change," he and Wale take turns rapping about society's biggest issues, like cyber bullying and racism.

September 2017: "Best of Me" with The Chainsmokers

During a September 2017 press conference for Love Yourself: Her, RM revealed BTS kept in touch with The Chainsmokers after meeting them at the BBMAs that year. They talked about working together one day, and that finally happened with the release of the EDM track "Best of Me." The song was a huge deal because it marked the first time BTS worked with an American artist on one of their albums.

November 2017: "MIC Drop" With Desiigner & Steve Aoki

BTS' original version of "MIC Drop" was already banger, but the remix produced by Steve Aoki that featured Desiigner made it even more epic. It also included new English lyrics from BTS.

December 2017: "Champion" With Fall Out Boy

Yet again, BTS dived into another genre in their collab with Fall Out Boy "Champion": pop-rock. "I’m not a total rock head, but I do listen to a lot of rock band songs so it was fun to work on it," RM shared in a January 2018 VLIVE. "The lyrics are about people who became champions of people who couldn’t become champions. I really liked how the lyrics were cynical and hopeful, so I wrote it like this right here."

May 2018: "The Truth Untold" With Steve Aoki

Since their remix of "MIC Drop" was a mash up of hip hop and EDM, BTS' second collab with Steve Aokie on "The Truth Untold" was a ballad, and it caught ARMYs by surprise.

August 2018: "MIC Drop" [Full Length Edition] With Steve Aoki

BTS' collaborations with Steve Aoki didn't stop at "The Truth Untold" because for their Love Yourself: Answer album, the group dropped another remix of "MIC Drop." This time, Desiigner wasn't featured on the track. Instead, Aoki kept J-Hope and Suga's verses and included BTS' original Korean lyrics. Aoki also added a few breaks in between each verse to accommodate BTS' live dance breaks.

September 2018: "IDOL" With Nicki Minaj

BTS and Nicki Minaj's "IDOL" remix was so good, it inspired a viral dance challenge on social media.

October 2018: "Waste It On Me" With Steve Aoki

Thought BTS was done with Steve Aoki? Wrong. They teamed up with the producer again on his track "Waste It On Me," marking their first all-English song. Although the group couldn't be in Aoki's music video for the song, ARMYs loved the visual because of its Asian representation.

April 2019: "Boy With Luv" With Halsey

Two years after meeting Halsey for the first time at the 2017 BBMAs, BTS finally worked with her for their Map of the Soul: Persona single, "Boy With Luv." Not only did Halsey learn BTS' Korean lyrics, but she also memorized the song's choreography for their music video and 2019 BBMAs performance. Talk about dedication.

April 2019: "Make It Right" With Ed Sheeran

Ed Sheeran's music always hits fans in their feels, so when BTS decided to record one of the songs he wrote, "Make It Right," ARMYs knew it was going to be something special. With BTS' special touch, the result was a romantic song perfect for weddings.

June 2019: "Dream Glow" With Charli XCX

BTS kicked off their summer of collaborations with "Dream Glow" featuring Charli XCX. On Twitter, the singer revealed it was originally supposed to be a love song, but BTS changed the meaning to be about chasing one's dreams. "I spread my shaking wings in the dark night. Keep on shining make it brighter than a spotlight," Jimin, Jungkook, and Jin sing on the track.

June 2019: "A Brand New Day" With Zara Larsson

Following the release of "Dream Glow," BTS' V and J-Hope dropped "A Brand New Day" with Zara Larsson. The song is about believing in yourself and seizing the moment.

June 2019: "All Night" With Juice WRLD

BTS' final collab as part of their BTS World soundtrack was RM and Suga's "All Night," featuring the late Juice WRLD. Its nostalgic sound is definitely reminiscent of '90s-era music.

July 2019: "Old Town Road" With Lil Nas X

Everyone remembers the summer of "Old Town Road" remixes, right? Well, BTS was featured on one of them. Dubbed "Seoul Town Road," RM's collab with Lil Nas X was totally iconic and featured tons of word play from the BTS leader.

September 2019: "Chicken Noodle Soup" With Becky G

ARMYs suspected J-Hope and Becky G were teaming up weeks before "Chicken Noodle Soup" even released, so when it finally came out, they were so happy they got it right. The track puts an interesting twist to the 2006 bop by DJ Webstar and Young B. In their version, J-Hope and Becky G rap about their individual backgrounds and how they overcame their personal struggles to reach success. This collab also inspired a viral dance challenge that had all of TikTok on their feet.

October 2019: "Make It Right" With Lauv

After Lauv attended BTS' London concert at Wembley Stadium in June 2019, and met them backstage, the group asked him to feature on a remix of "Make It Right." Of course, he couldn't turn down the opportunity.

"[BTS] wanted me to interpret [the meaning] in my own way and not necessarily stick to the lyrics that already existed in Korean," Lauv tells Elite Daily of their collab process. "It was really fun for me because I've never done anything like that. I always write candidly and whatever happens happens, but this was kind of a situation where I was relating to what the song originally was and finding my own way into it."

January 2020: "Suga's Interlude" With Halsey

Through the years, Halsey has become one of BTS' closest friends in the music industry, so when she released her third studio album, Manic, she had to ask Suga to be part of it. "[Suga] really fit the sentiment and the vibe of the album and what it’s about, so I felt like I really wanted to include him," she said during a Dec. 3, 2019 IG Live.

February 2020: "ON" With Sia

BTS' Map of the Soul: 7 truly delivered. Featuring a whopping 20 tracks, the record is jam-packed with bops, including the group's lead single, "ON." The song is a total power anthem because it's about having the strength to overcome anything. To further emphasize their message, BTS asked Sia to lend her powerhouse vocals for an alternate version of the track.

March 2020: "Who" With Lauv

Lauv's How I'm Feeling track "Who" features BTS vocalists Jimin and Jungkook. The track tells a sad love story about not knowing if the person you like feels the same way towards you. "Who are you?/ 'Cause something has changed, you're not the same, I hate it/ I'm sick of waiting for love, love/ I know that you're not the one, one," the trio sings.

May 2020: "Burn It" ft. MAX

MAX is a real one when it comes to being a card carrying member of the ARMY, so fans were thrilled when he quickly became friends with Suga, and a frequen collaborator. The pair first teamed up for a surprise song on Suga's mixtape called "Burn It," which explored how someone can either burn down a part of themselves, or light that part up so it burns like the sun.

September 2020: "Blueberry Eyes" With MAX

MAX and Suga's "Blueberry Eyes" is another song perfect for weddings because the lyrics are so romantic. "A ray of light that cut through my shadow/ You, who overturned my life that had been dark/ I, maybe, am nothing/ Before meeting you, I was nobody," Suga raps.

October 2020: "Savage Love" With JAWSH 685 & Jason Derulo

Jason Derulo and JAWSH 685's original "Savage Love" was already a massive hit on TikTok, so the remix featuring BTS only made it soar to new heights. Jungkook lent his vocals in the chorus, while J-Hope and Suga added their own lyrics in the second and third verses. What fans loved about BTS' take on the song was they changed their lyrics to be gender neutral. They also made the track hold a deeper meaning about love being as fragile as a sandcastle.

Those were just 20 of BTS' best collaborations because believe it or not, the group has so many more. Fans can't wait to see who the group works with next.