Dynamic Duo, one of Korea’s top hip-hop acts, teamed up with a popular K-pop idol on their latest single. “Nosedive,” which was released Monday (Jan. 23), features EXO’s Chen, one of the boy band’s most talented vocalists.
Never ones to shy away from compelling lyrics, Dynamic Duo brought their typical wordplay to “Nosedive.” The pair — Gaeko and Choiza — wrote the lyrics for the collaborative track, blending an uplifting message with the minimalist hip-hop melody. The threesome’s expressive vocal performance drives home the point of the motivational lyrics, which gives permission to listeners to let their emotions show during hardships (“You can cry if it’s hard”). Chen’s sweet vocals contrast and balance the Duo’s heavier raps, adding an uplifting tone to the single overall.
None of the three artists are featured in the accompanying music video, which instead features an elderly man wearily walking through a lush field. The video alternatively shows the man running and mulling over the scenery, before ending with him casually tapping out a beat on a pair of bongos. The video matches the simple yet poignant message of “Nosedive.”
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The collaboration between the EXO member and Dynamic Duo is the first from Amoeba Culture’s upcoming Mixxxture project, a multidimensional undertaking that will feature artists from different agencies alongside those signed to the hip-hop label. Amoeba Culture was founded by Dynamic Duo in 2006 and houses several successful Korean artists, including Primary and Crush.
“Nosedive” is the first single released by Dynamic Duo since their 2015 album Grand Carnival. The single was written by Gaeko and Philtre, who is signed to Amoeba Culture as part of the EDM group Project Shiver, while the lyrics were co-written by both Choiza and Gaeko.
A member of one of the most popular K-pop boy bands, Chen has increasingly become known as a soloist in South Korea, where he’s a favored featured artist on television show soundtracks. In October, the EXO vocalist was featured on remixed version of DJ Alesso’s “Years.”