Nicki Minaj recently dropped her latest album Queen two weeks ago, but she still had another surprise up her sleeves for fans of her own and of Korean group, BTS. A new song called “IDOL” released today from the group on their brand new album, Love Yourself: Answer, features the rapper on the track. The feature caught many off-guard, but many fans are raving about the song already, even giving praise for how natural Nicki sounds on the track.
The lyrics of “IDOL” speaks about the band members being very comfortable with themselves no matter what kind of label you put on them, or nonsense haters say. The message is understandable, as a foreign band making huge waves in the United States, with the general public overall unfamiliar with Asian faces in the mainstream and music predominantly in Korean, with some Japanese songs in their discography. There are some that would immediately turn their nose up at listening to music in a language they don’t understand, or seeing well-groomed and fashionable Asian men dancing on a prestigious stage. However “IDOL” proves that no matter what, “you can’t stop [them] from loving [themselves].”
The music video and song is full of homages to Korean culture, from the instruments used in production, to their fashion in traditional Korean dress, and much more. They mix in South African-style beats with Korean traditional beats to create a fresh dance track and even incorporate an African dance move called the gwara gwarato their intense choreography. The rich and vivid video and song can be seen as a bold move from the band, showing no intention of conforming to Western expectations, while still succeeding in the the market.
With the new release, the band is poised to top the Billboard 200 album chart of the new tracking week. If the explosive success of the music video is anything to go by, we would not be surprised by the feat. If the achievement is made, it will make them one of a handful of artists to have two albums top the Billboard 200 chart in the same year. You can listen to the new album on Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and most other major music streaming services. Watch their vibrant music video here or below.