K-pop (song)

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"K-pop"
A red lollipop against a white-grey background
Single by Travis Scott, Bad Bunny and the Weeknd
from the album Utopia
ReleasedJuly 21, 2023 (2023-07-21)
Genre
Length3:05
Label
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Travis Scott singles chronology
"Ring Ring"
(2023)
"K-pop"
(2023)
"Delresto (Echoes)"
(2023)
Bad Bunny singles chronology
"Where She Goes"
(2023)
"K-pop"
(2023)
"Un Preview"
(2023)
The Weeknd singles chronology
"Popular"
(2023)
"K-pop"
(2023)
"Another One of Me"
(2023)
Music video
"K-pop" on YouTube

"K-pop" is a song by American rapper Travis Scott, Puerto Rican rapper Bad Bunny, and Canadian singer-songwriter the Weeknd. It was released through Cactus Jack and Epic Records as the lead single from the former's fourth studio album, Utopia, on July 21, 2023.[1] It was written alongside producers Illangelo, Bnyx, Boi-1da, and Jahaan Sweet, and co-producer DVLP.[2]

Background[edit]

Scott announced the collaboration on his social media accounts on July 19, 2023.[2] Both Bad Bunny and The Weeknd had previously been among artists named to appear on Utopia,[3] with Scott previewing an unreleased collaboration with Bad Bunny at a club in Monaco in May 2023. Bad Bunny said in an interview with Rolling Stone in its July/August 2023 issue that he and Scott "worked on that a while back".[4]

Composition[edit]

"K-pop" is a "bouncy" trap song,[5][6] with elements of Afrobeats and baile funk.[7] Billboard's Mackenzie Cummings-Grady argued that it is "the lightest song on Utopia", and felt that it was a "joyful" intermission that "gives Bad Bunny and the Weeknd the space to highlight their talents".[8] It is performed in the key of F Dorian in common time with a tempo of 122 beats per minute.

Critical reception[edit]

"K-pop" received mixed reviews from music critics. Mike DeStefano, Ben Felderstein, and Stefan Breskin of Complex deemed it as the weakest song from Utopia.[9] Pitchfork's Alphonse Pierre felt the song was "a diabolically stupid plan to create the most popular song in the world," criticizing its "sauceless" rhythm and title that "supposedly isn’t a reference to the Korean pop genre to game extra clicks."[10] Writing for HipHopDX, Vivian Medithi described "K-pop" as a "perfectly adequate" duet between Scott and Bad Bunny that was "appended with an interminable verse from the Weeknd, just to make sure the streaming numbers look as good as the inexplicably Japanese single cover."[11]

Mackenzie Cummings-Grady of Billboard placed "K-pop" at number 11 in her ranking of the songs from Utopia.[12]

Commercial performance[edit]

In the United States "K-pop" debuted at number seven on the Billboard Hot 100, becoming Scott's 12th top-ten single and his first as a lead artist since 2020 single's "Franchise". It also became Bad Bunny's second song in the top 10 in 2023 and the 11th in his career, as well as The Weeknd's third top 10 in 2023 and 17th overall. The song also reached number two on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, becoming Scott's 21st, Bad Bunny's second and The Weeknd's 24th song to appear on the top-ten of the chart.[13]

The song also peaked at number five on the Billboard Global 200, with 53.2 million streams and 14,000 copies sold worldwide in its first week.[14]

Music video[edit]

An accompanying music video for "K-pop", directed by Scott, was released on July 21, 2023. The video features Scott "getting his groove on" in an empty football stadium (OGC Nice's Allianz Riviera) that has been covered with Utopia branding. He teases a potential stadium tour in support of Utopia with signage that reads "Stadium Tour Rehearsal", while sharing a look at his upcoming sneaker collaboration with Air Jordan.[15] Bad Bunny is seen making his way through a nightclub, and the Weeknd is spotted enjoying a meal with Scott in a "unique" mansion surrounded by women. The visual features cameo appearances from Matthew Williams, Pharrell Williams, and SZA.[16][17]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Certifications for "K-pop"
Region Certification Certified units/sales
Brazil (Pro-Música Brasil)[55] Platinum 40,000
Italy (FIMI)[56] Gold 50,000
Mexico (AMPROFON)[57] Gold 70,000
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[58] Gold 10,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

Release history[edit]

Release history for "K-pop"
Region Date Format Version(s) Label Ref.
Various July 21, 2023 Original [4]
July 25, 2023
  • Digital download
  • streaming
4-track "chopped and screwed" EP [59]
United States Contemporary hit radio Original [60]
Rhythmic contemporary radio [61]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Harrison, Scoop (July 19, 2023). "Travis Scott Announces New Single "KPOP" Featuring Bad Bunny and The Weeknd". Consequence. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Corcoran, Nina (July 19, 2023). "Travis Scott, Bad Bunny, the Weeknd Announce New Song 'Kpop'". Pitchfork. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  3. ^ Caraan, Sophie (July 19, 2023). "Travis Scott Announces New Single "Kpop" With Bad Bunny and The Weeknd". Hypebeast. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  4. ^ a b Armstrong, Megan (July 19, 2023). "Travis Scott Will Launch The Utopia Era With His 'KPop' Single With The Weeknd And Bad Bunny". Uproxx. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  5. ^ Garcia, Thania (July 21, 2023). "Travis Scott Recruits Bad Bunny and the Weeknd for First 'Utopia' Single". Variety. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  6. ^ Haddad, Hanan (July 24, 2023). "Travis Scott's Latest Song Titled 'K-pop' Featuring The Weeknd Angers Netizens". L'Officiel USA. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  7. ^ Breihan, Tom (July 28, 2023). "Premature Evaluation: Travis Scott 'Utopia'". Stereogum. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  8. ^ Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (July 28, 2023). "Travis Scott's 'Utopia' Album: All 19 Songs Ranked". Billboard. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  9. ^ Mckinney, Jessica; Luzmila Caraballo, Ecleen; Skelton, Eric; Rose, Jordan; Breskin, Stefan; DeStefano, Mike; Felderstein, Ben (July 28, 2023). "First Impressions Of Travis Scott's New Album 'Utopia'". Complex. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  10. ^ Pierre, Alphonse (July 31, 2023). "Travis Scott: UTOPIA". Pitchfork. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  11. ^ Medithi, Vivian (July 30, 2023). "'Utopia' Is More Boring Than Travis Scott". HipHopDX. Retrieved July 31, 2023.
  12. ^ Cummings-Grady, Mackenzie (July 28, 2023). "Travis Scott's 'Utopia' Album: All 19 Songs Ranked". Billboard. Retrieved August 16, 2023.
  13. ^ Anderson, Trevor (August 3, 2023). "Travis Scott, Bad Bunny & The Weeknd's 'K-POP' Bursts Onto Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Chart". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
  14. ^ Trust, Gary (July 31, 2023). "Jung Kook's 'Seven' Spends Second Week Atop Global Charts, 'Barbie' Songs Soar". Billboard. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
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  34. ^ "OLT20 – Combined Chart – Week of Sunday September 3rd, 2023". The Official Lebanese Top 20. September 4, 2023. Retrieved September 9, 2023.
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  37. ^ "The Official Mena Chart — This Week's Official MENA Chart Top 20 from 21/07/2023 to 27/07/2023". theofficialmenachart.com. International Federation of the Phonographic Industry. Archived from the original on August 1, 2023. Retrieved August 1, 2023.
  38. ^ "Travis Scott, Bad Bunny & The Weeknd – K-pop" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
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  43. ^ "OLiS – oficjalna lista sprzedaży – single w streamie" (Select week 21.07.2023–27.07.2023.) (in Polish). OLiS. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
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  45. ^ "ČNS IFPI" (in Slovak). Hitparáda – Singles Digital Top 100 Oficiálna. IFPI Czech Republic. Note: Select SINGLES DIGITAL - TOP 100 and insert 202331 into search. Retrieved August 7, 2023.
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  47. ^ "Travis Scott, Bad Bunny & The Weeknd – K-pop". Singles Top 100. Retrieved August 4, 2023.
  48. ^ "Travis Scott, Bad Bunny & The Weeknd – K-Pop". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved July 30, 2023.
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  51. ^ "Travis Scott Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
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  53. ^ "Travis Scott Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved September 10, 2023.
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  55. ^ "Brazilian single certifications – Travis Scott, Bad Bunny & the Weeknd – K-pop" (in Portuguese). Pro-Música Brasil. Retrieved January 3, 2024.
  56. ^ "Italian single certifications – Travis Scott, Bad Bunny & the Weeknd – K-pop" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  57. ^ "Certificaciones" (in Spanish). Asociación Mexicana de Productores de Fonogramas y Videogramas. Retrieved November 13, 2023. Type Travis Scott, Bad Bunny & the Weeknd in the box under the ARTISTA column heading and K-pop in the box under the TÍTULO column heading.
  58. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards ('K-pop')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
  59. ^ "K-POP (Chopped & Screwed) - EP by Travis Scott & The Weeknd". July 18, 2023. Retrieved December 10, 2023 – via music.apple.com.
  60. ^ "Top 40/M Future Releases". AllAccess. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.
  61. ^ "Top 40/Rhythmic Future Releases". AllAccess. Archived from the original on July 21, 2023. Retrieved July 21, 2023.