Over the course of nine years, BTS has naturally released great heaps of music that have changed the course of the K-pop industry as it is known today. With over 15 studio and compilation albums, one soundtrack album, five solo mixtapes and albums, and numerous singles and solo projects, this group certainly has an extensive repertoire with a diverse genre of music. Having debuted in 2013, this seven-member group has worked ceaselessly to achieve all of these accomplishments, but credit is due to their immeasurable talent.
In recent years, BTS’ success has expanded all throughout the West, now topping the charts with every single release, however, this wasn’t always the case. Due to their hip-hop upbringing, BTS defied unspoken and unwritten rules in K-pop, opting for a much more modern and hip-hop sound, as opposed to the sound usually heard in this genre. This unique set of ideas by such an unknown group wasn’t well received by K-pop fans and higher-ups alike. However, with time, lots of training, and an incessant amount of hard work from the members, BTS achieved what no other group has ever dreamed to attain, completely shifting the narrative in this genre. Naturally, their popularity turned the heads of many Western artists who were curious to join in on the fame — not as though they needed it. Thankfully, BTS has been equally interested and thrilled to work with other artists, being open to adapting their style to any type of sound. Since then, over 15 collaborations have been made with Western artists alone, and here are all of their Western collaborations ranked.
16. “On” ft. Sia
“On” was the first single released from the 2020 album, Map Of The Soul 7. The song quickly became a huge hit, as it had been the first comeback since Love Yourself: Answer, their 2018 compilation album. “On” is a song that describes the members’ frantic schedule and lives, including all that they’ve had to sacrifice to achieve fame, wondering what is next for the group down the line. With the full release of the album, Sia’s participation in the song was also leaked, although not well received. Not adding much to the song itself, as Sia only sings during the chorus, this collaboration was deemed as rather unnecessary and fell flat among BTS fans, who had much higher expectations.
15. “MIC Drop” ft. Desiigner
Using Steve Aoki‘s remix and part of the 2017 Love Yourself: Her album, “MIC Drop” is a beloved song among ARMY (Adorable Representative M.C. for Youth). This song in, which the members gloat about their success and pilling awards, quickly became a fan-favorite due to its hip-hop-heavy roots and catchy beat. The theme of the song was also incredibly well-received as a result of the group’s transparent confidence, which is a theme that is oftentimes brought up in BTS songs. “MIC Drop,” featuring Desiigner, wasn’t viewed negatively, but the fans certainly didn’t find it out of this world, especially considering the lyrics didn’t match the rest of the song, making Desiigner’s verse a little out of place.
14. “The Truth Untold” ft. Steve Aoki
Steve Aoki and BTS have collaborated several times over the course of years, each time proving to be better than the last. However, the song “The Truth Untold,” from the 2018 Love Yourself: Tear album, received a Steve Aoki remix, and it wasn’t bad, nor was it great. This song narrates the story of an ugly man entangled in despair and misery due to his inability to love himself, and it is extremely cherished by the fans. Constituting only the vocal line, namely Jin, Jungkook, V, and Jimin, this song offers an intense and emotive song that performs beautifully live. The Steve Aoki remix adds a fun kick to the song, which may seem a bit oddly placed, since the song naturally carries a lot of intention behind its melodic sadness.
13. “Savage Love” ft BTS
The original song by Jason Derulo hit the charts immediately, as a consequence of its viral presence on the social media platform, Tik Tok. This funky song with a cheerful beat won over the hearts of the internet, to the point where viral dances were being made to this exact upbeat single. A while after its first release, “Savage Love” featuring BTS members Jungkook, Suga, and J-Hope, came out, immediately hitting #1 on the Billboard. This particular collaboration did exceptionally well, not only from the already existing popularity of the song, but also, of course, due to BTS’ notable presence.
12. “Bad Decisions” ft. Benny Blanco and Snoop Dog
BTS’ latest collaboration features the producer Benny Blanco, and the American rapper, Snoop Dog. In July, Benny Blanco announced the collaboration between the Western artists and the K-pop group, although speculation about a possible Snoop Dog collab had previously started among the fans. This fun and light-hearted pop song describes infatuation during relationships, in which people tend to make bad decisions in their lives in favor of spending time with their significant other. With a lively beat and catchy lyrics, “Bad Decisions” perfectly complements BTS’ most recent English titles, “Dynamite,” “Butter,” and “Permission to dance.”
11. “All Night” ft. JUICE WRLD
In 2019, BTS released BTS World: Original Soundtrack, a soundtrack album for the Netmarble mobile game of the same name. With quite a few features along the tracks, “All Night” featuring Juice WRLD was a popular release among ARMY. This contemporary R&B song offers an insight into BTS’ journey to success, overcoming all the obstacles thrown at them, and inviting fans to fasten up their seatbelts for their shared journey in music. The fun pop-rap beat, paired with the meaningful yet catchy lyrics, make for a rather successful collaboration.
10. “Waste It On Me” ft. BTS
As part of the 2018 Neon Future III album, Steve Aoki released “Waste It On Me” featuring BTS members RM and Jungkook. “Waste It On Me” is an ambient EDM song that tells the story of two lovers who have fairly different views when it comes to love, one having a pessimist outlook and considering love to be a waste of time, whereas the other person believes true love is worth fighting for. Featuring several Asian American artists in the music video, Steve Aoki brings a rather new sound to BTS’ repertoire, although neither of the members appear in the video itself.
9. “Dream Glow” ft. Charli XCX
A fan-favorite collab is definitely “Dream Glow,” featuring Charli XCX for the BTS World: Original Soundtrack album. This song was particularly popular among ARMY for several reasons, from the raspy tone in Charli’s voice to the inspiring lyrics. This EDM song urges people not to allow any setbacks from not achieving their goals and dreams, and to always aim to radiate the glow that comes with feeling content.
8. “A Brand New Day” ft. Zara Larsson
“A Brand New Day” is the third collaboration in the BTS World: Original Soundtrack album, featuring Swedish singer, Zara Larsson. Written by Zara and BTS rapper J-Hope, and featuring V, A Brand New Day is a self-empowerment song, advocating for chasing your goals. This is a particularly personal song, as V, Zara and J-Hope all mention struggles they’ve had as artists, trying to overcome their fears and doubts, and to keep moving forward.
7. “Idol” ft. Nicki Minaj
In 2018, BTS released Love Yourself: Answer, and in it, there are two versions of their song, “Idol.” One of the versions only includes BTS members, whereas the other version features the one and only, Nicki Minaj. In this song, BTS talks about the notion of being idols, and how the industry disregards their artistry, all while boasting about being proud of their achievements in spite of all the resentment they’ve gotten along the way. Minaj’s verse perfectly complements the song, mentioning how she’s been at the height of her career from the start.
6. “Who” ft. BTS
Released by Lauv in 2020, “Who” is a song that features BTS vocalists Jimin and Jungkook. From the How I’m Feeling Album, this is the second collab between Lauv and BTS, even if it only features two out of the seven members. In this song, Lauv describes what it’s like to fall out of love with someone, unrecognizing the person before them that they once knew and loved. This song was also particularly successful as it had been BTS’ second single released fully in English, only second to “Waste it On Me,” which was released in 2018.
5. “Make it Right” ft. Lauv
The first collab between Lauv and BTS was made through “Make It Right,” a song from the 2019 album, Map Of The Soul: Persona. Coincidentally, it also marks the first behind-the-scenes collaboration between BTS and Ed Sheeran, who co-wrote the song alongside members RM, J-Hope, and Suga. This soulful contemporary R&B song has incredibly heartwarming lyrics, in which the artists show their appreciation for the group of fans supporting them along their journey.
4. “Butter” ft. Megan Thee Stallion
In 2021, the collab between BTS and Megan Thee Stallion reached record-breaking numbers, reaching #1 in several countries, and for over 10 weeks in a row, it reached first place in the Hot 100 Charts. In a remix of their original song, “Butter,” BTS decided to collaborate with Megan Thee Stallion during one of their trips to the US. Fighting tooth and nail for the collab to come out, as Stallion’s label didn’t want to release the song, the singer took the label to court, backed up by HYBE, which resulted in the song being released just a few days after. It proved to be a huge success in the charts and among the fans.
3. “MIC Drop” ft. Steve Aoki
As one of the biggest from the Love Yourself: Answer, “MIC Drop,” remixed by Steve Aoki, brought a completely new shift to the already popular song. In this remix, BTS also opted to sing the chorus fully in English, attracting several international fans, who were thrilled by the powerful English lyrics paired with the iconic choreography from the music video. “MIC Drop” is yet another powerful feature among these two artists, solidifying, even more, their joint portfolio.
2. “Boy With Luv” ft. Halsey
As one of the songs that cemented BTS’ popularity in the West, “Boy With Luv” is by far one of the most brilliant and successful collaborations in the group’s resumé. This song includes fun lyrics that elude loving the small things in life, in the grand scheme of things. “Boy With Luv” is also particularly meaningful due to BTS and Halsey’s genuine friendship and admiration for one another, as members even consider the 27-year-old singer as a confidant whenever they struggle with feeling alienated during their trips to the USA. Halsey has also collaborated with SUGA in “Suga’s Interlude,” a song on her 2020 album, Maniac.
1. “My Universe” ft. Coldplay
Released in 2021, Coldplay and BTS agreed to collab with each other, in spite of the circumstances lived during the pandemic. As an ode to friendship and love, “My Universe” has incredibly powerful and meaningful lyrics, alluding to these feelings transcending all things, including borders, race, and gender. Both groups joined hands on two completely divergent sides of the globe, bringing a sense of unity and hope when the world most needed it. This song was also the instigator of the close friendship between the groups.
Although incredibly difficult to conclude, here are all of BTS’ collaborations ranked. Needless to say, their solo resumé is equally as impressive, with several songs that have made it into millions of playlists on streaming services. As a group, BTS’ dynamic and powerful presence truly makes this powerhouse shine regardless of who they collab with.