The Unlikely, Unexpected, and Unusual: Exploring the World of K-pop Mashups

Mashups, taking two or more songs and combining their elements together to make a new track, have been a staple of music for decades at this point. However, with the rise of easily accessible music production software and avenues for sharing music like YouTube, Soundcloud, and TikTok, the mashup as an art form has taken on a new life and almost anyone can share their wildest ideas. Mashups are fun because you get to hear an alternate universe where your favorite artist made music in a different style or two of your favorite bands collaborated on an alternate version of a great song.

 

The phenomenon isn’t limited to pop or electronic music either, as there are numerous mashups of every genre, including (you guessed it) K-pop. So today we’re looking at ten of the most exciting, interesting, unique, and downright weird mashups involving K-pop tracks. (Note: mashups with dozens of songs, like those meant to celebrate the end of a year are their own incredible feat and will be investigated later.)

 

Boy With Luv x Let’s Groove (BTS x Earth, Wind, and Fire)

 

“Boy With Luv” is already groovy, but are you ready to hear it as disco? Probably not.

 

Unlock It x Ditto (Charli XCX x NewJeans)

 

This track takes the smooth flow of NewJeans’ instrumentals and adds Charli XCX’s lovestruck vocals on top, making for a very uniquely laid-back and melancholic love song.

 

Feel Special x Fancy x Breakthrough x TT x YES or YES x Likey (TWICE mega-mashup)

 

Ever wanted to listen to TWICE’s greatest hits in four minutes? Well we’ve got you covered. Good luck keeping your head from spinning.

 

Ice Cream x The Reason (BLACKPINK x Hoobastank)

 

One of the weirder entries here, this track turns the Selena Gomez collaboration into a track that feels like you’re sad about ice cream. Maybe the sweet treat reminds you of an ex?

 

BLACK SWAN x FAKE LOVE (BTS x BTS)

 

Ok, admit it, you’ve thought these songs sound at least a bit similar to each other. The vocals and instrumentation fit almost perfectly together. Finally, we have more BTS per BTS.

 

SCREAM x HORIZON (DREAMCATCHER x ATEEZ)

 

Ok, so we knew that both these groups pull off dark concepts incredibly well, but now we absolutely NEED a collaboration song between these two behemoths.

 

Pink Venom x Bulls On Parade (BLACKPINK x Rage Against the Machine)

 

What if BLACKPINK were an alternative hard rock band? Well now we know it would go hard. End of story.

 

EVERYTIME x BAD BOY (Ariana Grande x Red Velvet)

 

This mashup is just perfect. Absolutely perfect. It’s like these two songs were meant to be together.

 

How You Like That x Rasputin (BLACKPINK x Boney M.)

 

Another one of the weirder mashes here, this was created by an AI mashup website. (Not the kind that steals people’s art; the kind that just looks for patterns and matches them). It’s by machine, so not perfect, but there is no reason this should work so well. What on earth,

 

Attention x Remember the Time (NewJeans x Michael Jackson)

 

 

Another track where the NewJeans smooth grooves absolutely take the track to a smooth, incredibly satisfying place. And adding the King of Pop only takes boosts the absolute flow.