SB19, Olivia Rodrigo, And BTS Prove That It Is The Year Of Music Collaboration
Pop Culture

Rumor Or Not, SB19, Olivia Rodrigo, And BTS Prove That It Is The Year Of Music Collaboration

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Music gods, please let this be true.
BY Angelo De Cartagena
07.21.2021

Expanding the potential of songs and artists across many possibilities, music collaborations are the paradigm shift that keeps things fresh time after time.

Britney Spears and Madonna. Daft Punk, Nile Rogers, and Pharell. Dr. Dre and 2Pac. Eddie Van Halen and Michael Jackson. Mariah Carey and Boyz II Men. One cannot go through the rich history of music without touching on the unique coming together of forces that have truly shaken the status quo as we have known of it in different contexts. As with anything productive and progressive, collaboration is central to developing and eventually revealing the best of combined and cooperative efforts in whatever endeavor one seeks out. In music, the union of rhythm, lyrics, and points-of-view, which is of course bookended by artistic and commercial caveats, perfectly illustrate how collaboration is necessary to push not only the boundaries of sound, but of the general musical narrative as well.

Music collaborations are a special thing. While we’ve had a robust portfolio of duets, samples, and partnerships to leaf through, it still has maintained its premium over the course of time. Like astronomical events, these are rare occurrences that are almost always eagerly anticipated, if not left to fantasy. More often than not, these creative connections are unexpected, but despite that, it does everything from introduce artists to new audiences, leverage longevity, and well, shake the status quo.

Related: LISTEN CLOSELY, THEY HAVE A STORY TO TELL: SB19 REVEALS WHY “WHAT?” IS THEIR MOST PERSONAL TRACK TO DATE

Come Together Right Now

Keeping things fresh in music, collaborations have since risen to prominence in the recent years. Exacerbated by the saturation of the market and streaming services, artists have been compelled to seek out these paradigm shifts, evolving everything from their sound to the entertainment value as well. From featured spots and repetitions across a range of genres such as hip-hop, R&B, EDM, country, and latin music, the charm of collaborations has taken over other sonorous systems such as pop. Needless to say, and your playlists can prove this: just like the single-track culture, collaboration has become the name of the game.

Limited by the pandemic in so many ways, artists have looked through many ways to entertain and exercise sanity. While it proved to be very challenging, especially at the early onset of the global crisis, the creativity started to pulse through eventually, as encouraged by the dissonance of tradition. With the democracy taking charge in the digital landscape, where many have understandably taken refuge, more channels for collaboration were explored in animation, performance, and music production.

To say that last year was a great time for music collaborations is a severe understatement. It was glorious. With the likes of Beyonce and Megan Thee Stallion, Blackpink and Selena Gomez, and Lady Gaga and Ariana Grande among many, many, many others, the landscape was made even more dynamic with ballads, bops, and bangers, to either soundtrack or simply keep us company as we clocked in time after time in survival mode.

And by the looks of it, there is no slowing down on the front of music collaborations. With a lot already populating our playlists or those eagerly awaited it can definitely be said: music has brought us closer, in more ways than one.

Speaking of music collaborations, we list down some of these rumors and wishes that we hope will come true one day.

@stellajero16

big room + nice echo ??? ##heresyourperfect @jamiemillmusic @officialsb19 ##ppoprise

♬ original sound – Vester Ajero

Stell and Jamie Miller

After exploding on social media with his short cover of Here’s Your Perfect by Jamie Miller, which has already been circulating as a vocal challenge on TikTok, Stell has not only shown off his expansive range, but his reach as an artist as well. With an impressive 1.5 million views as of this writing, the SB19 member has earned a lot of praise online, but the one sung by Jamie Miller himself is the most special.

“Hey @stellajero_, would you want to jump on ‘Here’s Your Perfect’ the remix?” the singer asked on Twitter. Setting timelines ablaze with this interface, fans have been eagerly awaiting what will come of this exchange. “Yes, me and Stell have spoken! You guys just have to wait and see! Such a fan! And can’t wait for the future,” Miller writes, following up on the potential of this music collaboration inching closer to reality. Can we all agree that this such a powerhouse of a possibility?

SB19 and Dawin

It isn’t just Stell who has caught the eyes and ears of an international artist, because some time in June, American singer and songwriter, Dawin, posted on Twitter a thought bubble of wishful thinking. “Dawin x @SB19official I love that idea,” he wrote, much to the delight of the supporters of the band. To compound his interest and admiration for SB19, the artist known for the track, Dessert, tagged them on Facebook, saying, ““Kumusta SB19 [?] (How are you, SB19?) You guys have great voices. If you want, we can make a song and sing together. What do you say?”

Obviously overwhelmed with the attention and praise, the boys of SB19 have been very vocal that they are open to music collaborations with both local and international artists, for as long as they really further their sound, and wave the flag of OPM as well.

Olivia Rodrigo and Rosé of Blackpink

They’re in your area. After YG Entertainment confirmed that both Jennie and Rosé of Blackpink are in Los Angeles to work on new music, the rumor mill went on overdrive when eagle-eyed fans spotted Rosé and Olivia Rodrigo having dinner with Devon Carlson (stylist) and Petra Collins (photographer and director). While it did appear to be casual, one couldn’t help but draw out a fantasy of a music collaboration between the darlings of pop, especially since they are both represented by Interscope Records. While it should be said that this bit of information should be taken with a grain of salt, things could prove to be sweet if this indeed becomes truth. No sour notes here indeed.

Kang Daniel and Kiana V and Jess Connelly

In a conversation with ABS-CBN News, South Korean singer, Kang Daniel was very upfront about wanting to link up with local artists in a music collaboration. Through his artists and repertoire team, the K-pop idol found the smooth and sensual vocals of Kiana Valenciano and Jess Connelly to be striking. “I listened to their song once when our A&R team recommended their music and it was very memorable,” he said. “So if I am lucky, I guess I will be able to have chances to collaborate with such good artists.”