Zico, widely credited as the originator of today’s K-pop “dance challenge” culture, is back with a new kind of mischief -- this time opening up “applications” for someone to join him for a duet over his latest beat.
On a short clip posted across his social media accounts on Tuesday night, the rapper and producer is seen in the studio vibing to what appears to be one of his latest beats. In the video, he pauses the track and says, "But wait. I haven't found anybody to collaborate on this with yet," to which someone off-camera casually suggests, "Just post it on your Instagram story." The clip then shows Zico turning immediately to his phone and typing away.
Zico, whose real name is Woo Ji-ho, has emerged as one of the most influential figures on the K-pop scene in recent years, creating viral moments and hit collaborations, while working with major artists and releasing songs that dominate the charts and social media.
In 2020, his single "Any Song" became a major viral hit after short clips of celebrities dancing with him as part of a prerelease promotion quickly gained traction, sparking the "Any Song" challenge and evolving into what is now considered a standard promotional method for almost every K-pop act.
In 2024, a brief behind-the-scenes clip of Zico and Blackpink’s Jennie together in a studio working on their collaboration “Spot!” generated significant online buzz, with over 38 million views on Instagram and 29.8 million views on TikTok.
tammy@heraldcorp.com
