Collab Corner: aespa X Jacob Collier

Did you know that girl group aespa and English musician Jacob Collier have collaborated on a song? Even more wild, Chris Martin of Coldplay was on the track too. Whaaaat?

 

Back in January of 2024, Collier revealed the tracklist for the final installment in his DJESSE album series, DJESSE VOL. 4. Eagle-eyed fans quickly noticed the album was full of unusual and unexpected collaborations. Although there are a lot of other intriguing ideas and tracks that you should also check out, the one we’re focused on today was track 13, “Over You.”

 

 

Many K-pop fans might not be familiar with Collier’s past work. To many, he holds the title of “Mr. Music Theory” due to his immense love and understanding of the more technical aspects of music. He has earned a reputation for doing things with pop music that no one else does, such as intense cluster chords, half- or quarter-key changes, and wild polyrhythms. His music is often described as a fusion of pop, jazz, and electronic, though he rarely sticks to one sound at a time. There’s not much he can’t do, and he has also shown a knack for working with musicians from all over the genre spectrum, which gives him this unique, hard-to-pin-down style.

 

Fans of the girl group were excited to hear what the new song would sound like, as the three collaborators aren’t exactly known for having a similar sonic palette. That said, the surprise was a bit tempered, as aespa has been known to try new stuff out throughout their career. One commenter even pointed out that aespa seems to have a knack for showing up in the most random places.

 

 

The track itself is fairly straightforward pop, though it definitely sounds like Jacob Collier. The features from aespa and Chris Martin suit their voices quite well, and the whole piece is a rather enjoyable time. Give the track a listen below and let us know what you think!