It’s happening: fans are getting the Justin Bieber/BTS collab we need and deserve

K-pop superstars BTS have made no secret of their love for Canadian singer Justin Bieber. The South Korean boy band have proved themselves Beliebers on several occasions, with Jungkook citing the star as one of his major musical influences (for the record, RM calls Toronto’s own Drake one of his). Now, if the rumours are true, a collaboration between the seven-member sensation and Justin could be in the works.

Page Six spoke with a source that says the collab “could be part of a deluxe release of [Bieber’s recently released album] ‘Justice’ to keep the album on the charts.” That album’s already dropped a special re-release, the ‘Triple Chucks Deluxe’ version. Call the collab yet another album-selling marketing tool if you want to, but considering that the BTS ARMYs could probably boost sales of suitcases during a lockdown, it’s definitely a smart move.

That said, it’s unlikely that the two musical megaforces are going to just slap together a song as a sales strategy alone. “They are taking their time on it and going to make sure it is released right,” said Page Six’s source. The site also points out that the potential partnership might have stemmed from a record company merger that saw BTS’ label Hybe shell out a billion bucks for Scooter Braun’s company, Ithaca Holdings. Braun has been managing Bieber since he discovered the singer on YouTube when Justin was just 12 years old.

As for BTS, the band is set to drop their second English-language single (after "Dynamite") next month. Earlier this week, they released an hour-long “trailer” for the track. The video consisted of a slow-melting cartoon pat of butter and almost nothing else. It’s been viewed 13 million times since it was uploaded on April 26. 

“If anyone knows how to make history, it’s BTS,” said Bieber recording a voiceover for E! News back in 2020. “The K-pop group has been shattering records across the global music industry. From ringing in the new year in Times Square to Carpool Karaoke with James Corden, they performed in Grand Central Station for The Tonight Show and wowed at this year’s virtual VMAs.”

But before Bieber and BTS can become collaborators, they’ll be running against each other as competitors. Both have just been announced as finalists in the same category at the 2021 Billboard Music Awards. 

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