What connects global superstars Bruno Mars, Ed Sheeran, and Charli XCX beyond their chart-topping hits? They've all contributed songs to K-pop artists. British R&B group FLO has now joined this exclusive club after their track "The Chase" became the debut single for SM Entertainment's rookie girl group Hearts2Hearts, transforming from an R&B love letter into a dreamy synth-pop sensation.
FLO, composed of members Jorja Douglas, Stella Quaresma, and Renee Downer, originally wrote "The Chase" with producer Lauren Faith early in their career. The trio, known for their 1990s-inspired melodies and collaborations with artists like Missy Elliott and GloRilla, never anticipated their song would find its way to the K-pop scene. "'The Chase' is a song we wrote with Lauren Faith very early on in our career. It's such a fun song and we loved creating it, but we weren't sure if it was the right song for us," Downer explained to The Korea Times. "We always hoped it'd find a home, and Hearts2Hearts definitely gave it a new life."
The transformation of "The Chase" from its original form to a K-pop hit showcases the genre's creative adaptability. Quaresma described the original song as being inspired by FLO's love for R&B and pop with "a noughties nostalgia and Fergie-esque vibe." However, with the help of longtime SM Entertainment producer Kenzie, the track evolved into dreamy synth-pop with imagery influenced by Lewis Carroll's classic "Alice in Wonderland." The Hearts2Hearts version maintained the expressive R&B qualities while incorporating the group's unique vocal identity and experimenting with non-traditional K-pop song structures, including an anti-drop and rap-inflected chorus.
According to an SM Entertainment official, the company's global approach to music sourcing made this collaboration possible. "We received a demo for 'The Chase' from Lauren Faith and felt that it perfectly matched the mysterious mood we envisioned for Hearts2Hearts' debut," the official stated. The company's International A&R team handled communication and arrangement revisions alongside Faith and FLO, while producer Kenzie developed the sound elements further to fit SM's signature style. This process reflects a broader trend of K-pop agencies actively seeking music from international sources.
Despite having limited knowledge of K-pop beyond global stars like BLACKPINK, FLO embraced seeing their creation take on new life. Douglas appreciated hearing the song's development, noting, "It was nice hearing how it had developed, and hearing it in a different language was cool. I was also happy they kept my original ad-libs." The experience taught the group about music's universal power to connect people across cultures and genres.
The success of Hearts2Hearts' version of "The Chase" has been remarkable, accumulating over 65 million streams on Spotify as of mid-August. This achievement exemplifies how cross-cultural collaborations can create something entirely new while respecting the original work's essence. "Something to take away from this experience is that music is universal! Genres don't necessarily define an artist or song," Downer observed. "From an R&B girl group to a K-pop girl group, if the song is a banger, it's a banger!"
The phenomenon extends beyond FLO's contribution, with major Western artists increasingly collaborating with K-pop acts. The most prominent example is "APT." by Bruno Mars and BLACKPINK's Rosé, which topped charts in over 50 countries and garnered more than 1.9 billion streams on Spotify. The song's global ubiquity demonstrated K-pop's massive reach and influence on international audiences.
These collaborations offer mutual benefits for all parties involved. For international artists, working with K-pop acts provides an outlet for songs that might not fit their own style while offering access to a massive global audience. For K-pop agencies, international writers bring versatility and genre fluency that enhances their artists' musical diversity. Rosé described how working with Bruno Mars influenced her songwriting approach, particularly his advice on her hit single "Number One Girl."
"I'd always feel like, 'It's my fault, I should have an idea by this time,' or, 'Maybe I'm just not good enough.' Bruno showed me that, as a creative, you have to listen to your intuition and your timing, and you're allowed to trust in it," the BLACKPINK member explained in an interview with The Cut. "I've become more confident in what feels right to me and in doing whatever it takes to have that come to life."
The success of these cross-cultural partnerships has opened doors for future collaborations. FLO expressed enthusiasm about potential future K-pop projects, with Quaresma stating, "Writing for us and working on our own music is always our priority, but this experience has been a fun surprise, and we're excited about what the future holds for us. We'd love to go to Asia soon and connect with local artists."
These borderless collaborations reflect how the music industry is evolving, with K-pop serving as a bridge between different cultures and musical styles. The genre's continued global expansion and its willingness to incorporate diverse influences suggest that such partnerships will become increasingly common, offering fans around the world fresh and innovative musical experiences that blend the best of different traditions and styles.
