It's always an exciting thing when your favourite artist drops a new song, but a little more magic comes into play when another creative mind gets involved.

Some of the hottest tracks are collabs. You can't deny the novelty that comes with them, especially when it's between two acts you never imagined would write music together. Sometimes, the weirder the better! These kinds of situations even help artists evolve whether they realize it or not, and it causes a butterfly effect on their listeners. So here's a little shout-out to all you aspiring artists—create and surround yourself with the people who'll help keep the fuse that is your creativity well-lit. 

Now, back to the Best of 2023. Here are the top collaborations that dropped in 2023 according to the Bandwagon team:

'いちごミルク (ichigo miruku)' - tomggg, ena mori

I listed this song as one of my top picks for the midyear and 6 months later, it remains in my Top 10 most-listened-to tracks according to my Apple Music Replay. While I love ena mori's signature pop sound, it's quite refreshing to hear her work with another artist (this is her first official collaboration) and sing and write in Japanese.

The pair painted a vivid picture with ena's lyrics and Tomggg's beats. I found myself hearing 'Ichigo Miruku' in my head and wishing I was wearing headphones and platforms as I passed by Nihonbashi station while in transit on the Tokyo Metro.  - Camille Castillo, Editorial Director

'トドメの一撃' - Vaundy feat. Cory Wong

When I got the press release about Vaundy and Cory Wong collaborating on a track, I froze for a few seconds. “Vaundy? And Cory Wong? Two acts I’ve had in rotation a lot in the past few years? And for an anime series, I am absolutely obsessed with? This can’t be real.” But it was real, and by the gods, I felt blessed to have something so joyful and pure to add to my playlist for 2023.

You can always rely on Cory Wong to deliver music that sparks joy. His funky guitar adds a unique touch to Vaundy’s signature smooth pop-rock, bringing life to an entire galaxy of feel-good, cosy feelings. It’s hard not to smile when listening to ‘トドメの一撃 (Todome no Ichigeki)’. - Kara Bodegon-Hikino, Writer

‘Snooze’ - Agust D (feat. Ryuichi Sakamoto 坂本 龍一 and WOOSUNG 우성 of The Rose)

In one indelible vignette from the Road to D-DAY documentary, Min Yoongi a.k.a. Suga visited the late legendary composer Ryuichi Sakamoto in Japan, letting him hear what would later become ‘Snooze’ for his latest Agust D project. The 先生 (sensei) – or to the BTS rapper-producer, his “선생님” (seonsaengnim) – was fighting cancer for the last time, and frail and gaunt as he might be, indulged the eager follower. The younger musician asked Sakamoto if he could play a little tune for him. He sheepishly but earnestly sat on the piano, launching into the familiar refrain of ‘Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence’, even shyly fumbling through a few missed notes. But no matter, the teacher still smiled on with pride and encouraged him to go on.

I still see ‘Snooze’ as a letter from a teacher to a pupil, whose turn has come to be the teacher to those who would dare to dream. To Suga, the song is also for those who toil toward their dreams and become disheartened when they see that the road ahead is laid with thorns. “I wanted this song to give [my juniors] some strength,” he says. “Like, ‘I know it’s hard, but it’s all gonna be okay.” (이 음악을 듣고 좀 힘을 좀 냈으면 좋겠다. 싶어가지고 이 힘들겠지만 다 괜찮아질 거고요.)

“While you’re dreaming while looking at me, I’ve always got your back so don’t worry too much,” he cries out in the song. “I’ll readily accept you if you’re afraid to fall so you don’t suffer like me.” (나를 보며 꿈을 꾸고 있는 당신의 등 뒤엔 항상 내가 있으니 너무 걱정은 말어 / 추락이 두렵다면 기꺼이 받아줄게 그러니 나처럼 괴로워하지 말어)

‘Snooze’ is one of Sakamoto’s final gifts to the world. But the letter isn’t finished. As the saying that the maestro once held to goes: ars longa, vita brevis – art is long, life is short. From the pioneer that brought you YMO and pages and pages of movie scores – to that kid from Daegu watching a rerun of Bernardo Bertolucci’s The Last Emperor, spurring him on to make beats with Sakamoto samples, and going on to become one of the biggest pop stars this world has ever known – to many more who seek to tread this treacherous but rewarding path. Agust D wrote a song for posterity’s sake, and I truly hope this tune will endure. It’s essential listening for dreamers to come. - Paolo Abad, Contributing Writer

'Amigos' - BIBI, Becky G

One of my first encounters with BIBI was through her 2022 track ‘BIBI Vengeance’, and I remember being entranced by the marriage between the South Korean singer’s sultry tone and the number’s reggaeton-inspired beat. It was something that I immediately craved more of. 

When BIBI first revealed that she would be teaming up with Becky G for her single, ‘Amigos’, about a year later, I already had an inkling that my wish was about to come true, especially since the American artist is known for being behind reggaeton hits such as ‘Sin Pijama’, ‘Mayores’, and ‘MAMII’. While collaborations between South Korean acts and Latin pop stars are by no means new, this particular one stands out because of how naturally the vocal colours of BIBI and Becky G and the Korean, Spanish, and English lyrics come together. A successful fusion of cultures in art is one that all communities involved can enjoy, and ‘Amigos’ is a shining example of this.

What’s also great about the song is that each artist is given a fair amount of time in the spotlight. This means that ‘Amigos’ feels like it’s shared equally between the two rather than a BIBI number that features Becky G. In the opening verse, the latter sings of a dangerous romantic entanglement with all of the swagger that we’ve come to expect from her before handing the baton to the former. Alternating between Korean and English, BIBI delivers a sensual second verse and leans towards the listener’s ear to whisper the pre-chorus lines “I could be your playground / So you can come and we play house”. By the end of the two-and-a-half-minute song, you will be left feeling thankful that this collaboration came sooner rather than later. - Brandon Raeburn, Staff Writer

'Do It Like That' - TOMORROW X TOGETHER, Jonas Brothers

When I first heard 'Do It Like That,' I thought to myself, "This sounds like a summer song." I mean, this was in July and that's monsoon season where I'm from, but whenever I play this surprising collab by TOMORROW X TOGETHER and the Jonas Brothers, it feels like it's warm and sunny and I need to go to a pool party. With its catchy hooks and infectious melodies, the Ryan Tedder-penned track should definitely be on every summer road trip playlist. - Camille Castillo, Editorial Director

‘WORLD STOP TURNING’ - 1999 WRITE THE FUTURE, Rich Brian, Zion.T, Warren Hue

Even after all these years, 88rising is still dishing out brilliant bangers with notable collaborations. This time, under its new media and artist collective 1999 WRITE THE FUTURE, Indonesian rappers Rich Brian and Warren Hue and South Korean hip-hop act Zion.T joined forces for ‘WORLD STOP TURNING’. 

In this R&B masterpiece, the track reflects on past relationships and scorned partners who won’t matter when time comes to a standstill. Saturated with lush and cozy melodies, Warren Hue carries the first half of the track in a laidback delivery of his verses against a consistent tempo before transitioning into a gentle patter of the keyboard, and finally into Rich Brian and Zion.T’s signature hip-hop finesse accompanied by heart-thumping drums. 

As we live in an atmosphere that’s moving at breakneck speed, it’s rather refreshing to see the trio ease back into the 1990s as they cruise along their neighbourhood in a 1996 Honda Civic Hatchback in this track. Also a nod to the Asian-American culture, the music video features elements like backyard mahjong games and pickup basketball that make up the trio’s childhood and how they would spend their Sunday afternoon. With a combination of modern soundscapes and nostalgic sentiments, these 88rising stars have brought us a timeless gem that will most likely be remembered even when the world stops turning. - Adlina Adam, Writer

‘Screen Time’ - Epik High (feat. HOSHI of SEVENTEEN)

It all started with apple mango. Then apple pie. And then it became Epik High.

If you pore through Epik High’s extensive catalogue, you’d be hard-pressed to find just one standout collab – there have been dozens of stellar ones in the K-HipHop trio’s 20-year history. With ‘Screen Time’ though, them linking up with SEVENTEEN’s Hoshi (a.k.a. BSS’s Kwon Soonyoung 권순영) kind of came out of left field – but it has also been a long time coming. Case in point: the iconic abovementioned Going Seventeen moment, which naturally hasn’t escaped Tablo, DJ Tukutz and Mithra Jin’s attention.

The melancholic tune, with that Epik High lo-fi sound distinctive to their more downtempo fare, conveys a metaphor for loneliness, as Tablo explained: “A long time ago, somebody said to me that if you use your phone all day and your screen time... goes over like five hours, or goes over 10 hours, you are super lonely.”  

‘Screen Time’ deftly captures that image of you by your lonesome, zoning out and into the simulacrum – as a habit, or as a conscious distraction from some sort of hurt or crisis... Whatever it is; you’re the ‘This is fine’ dog here. Sure, there’s an air of gloom around it, but somehow, it’s also soothing – almost as if it validates our coping mechanisms, especially “[staring] at my phone till the world is asleep.” I’d also give Hoshi a lot of credit for the solace I’m getting from the tune, because that voice of his is so sweet, and his refrains meld oh-so slickly into the trio’s bars and rhythm.

SEVENTEEN’s ace dancer and choreographer admitted there haven’t been many opportunities like this outside of his group. His ballad covers (see: DAY6’s ‘아픈 길’ or Rain’s [비] ‘나쁜 남자’), however, are a reminder of how well-rounded Hoshi is as an idol, and often spotlight that exceptional honeyed timbre of his. “Something about his voice is so pure,” Tablo remarked in a featurette, and then elaborated in a Vogue Arabia interview: “I heard some of the songs that he did as covers. I love SEVENTEEN’s music, I love BSS’ music, but he also has a side to his voice that he hasn’t really explored a lot.” - Paolo Abad, Contributing Writer

'Catwalk' H 3 F feat. Phum Viphurit

The backstory behind 'Catwalk' is probably one of the reasons why it's such a solid track. For this song, Thai band H 3 F roped in singer-songwriter Phum Viphurit, jamming and writing together in the studio – a rare occurrence these days, when a lot of collaborations are made online and remotely. 

"Whatever you want, whatever you need" were the first lyrics that Phum blurted out on their first day of working together, and vocalist and guitarist Gong was determined to use those lines and decided to form the narrative around it. Going with the flow lyrically and sonically, they eventually ended up with a subtle social commentary on how society strives for public approval with likes and followers nestled between funky basslines and playful guitar grooves. "Don't judge me now, I know it's all for show... I'm ready to feed my ego, Just gotta feed my soul." - Camille Castillo, Editorial Director

RASEN in OKINAWA (Prod. Diego Ave) - Awich, 唾奇 (Tsubaki), OZworld, CHICO CARLITO

Part of Red Bull’s RASEN series, which brings together members of the Japanese hip-hop world for cyphers, ‘RASEN in OKINAWA’ is a phenomenal team-up between four of the brightest talents from Okinawa today — Awich, 唾奇 (Tsubaki), OZworld, CHICO CARLITO.

Each artist here possesses a unique vocal colour and delivery style, and when they are mixed together, the result is a mouth-watering musical cocktail that you just cannot get enough of. But it is the one thing that binds these otherwise different rappers together — their pride of representing their home — that forms the beating heart of ‘RASEN in OKINAWA’. In their joint love letter to Okinawa, the four declare the Japanese prefecture’s greatness and pay tribute to its inhabitants with emphatically delivered lines such as “we Okinawans do what no one else can”, “the starting place is our southern island”, and “Zamami Ocean looking like Christian Lassen”. 

What makes this collaboration even better is that its artists do not forget to have fun even when they are bragging about their birthplace. Take Awich’s opening verse, for instance. Opting for a slightly unorthodox approach, the 37-year-old recounts how ‘RASEN in OKINAWA’ came together in her first lines, even adding producer Diego Ave’s explicit reaction to the Okinawan music she’d shared with him for inspiration. Later in the song, CHICO CARLITO namedrops Japanese pop culture sensations Pokémon and Doraemon before cheekily comparing his tongue to Japanese footballer Kaoru Mitoma, who’s known for his dribbling abilities.

In an interview with Red Bull, Awich shared that the goal was not to make the track “a buzz around the world”, but rather, to showcase her and her collaborators’ unique “colours”. But if you look at how far ‘RASEN in OKINAWA’ has come — it’s also featured on the soundtrack of football game EA Sports FC 24 — it’s safe to say these Okinawan natives have done both. - Brandon Raeburn, Staff Writer

'Seven' - BTS' Jungkook feat. Latto

I distinctly remember where I was when Jungkook's 'Seven' came out – in line to board a plane headed for Thailand. His solo debut was something I had been looking forward to, I always knew he'd be the next-level popstar he is today. I was wearing my earphones and tuned in for the noon drop and remember gasping out loud as the song unravelled. Before I went inside the plane, I made sure to download the song on my phone to add to my playlist.

At first listen, I thought Latto's verse was a little jarring, but the more I listened to it, the more the collaboration made sense. I just wish they had a little more interaction within the track, but Latto jumping in provided a definitive context for what Jungkook was playfully singing about (if you need it to be more straightforward, surprise! There's an Explicit Version.). Catchy and easy to listen to (I was pleasantly surprised that Jungkook decided to go in this direction for his debut), it was the perfect first single from Jungkook as he entered his solo popstar era.

I ended up listening to it for the entire flight (it takes 3 1/2 hours from Manila to Bangkok), and each time I was in transit for the duration of my weeklong holiday overseas, alternating with Craig David's 2000s hit, '7 Days'. Now, whenever I hear the days of the week, the 'Seven' chorus automatically plays in my head. - Camille Castillo, Editorial Director

‘Oral’ - Björk & Rosalía

I think very few artists in the world can match Björk’s wavelength, much less be in harmony with such a singular, once-in-a-century voice. But to join forces with someone – and to be kindred spirits at that, as women who are producers – feels breathtakingly serendipitous. Enter Rosalía, “lifelong student of flamenco” and envelope-pushing maker of hits such as ‘DESPECHÁ’ and ‘Con Altura’, who took this time capsule out of the vaults with Björk.

Once thought lost, ‘Oral’ was written around the time of landmark records Homogenic (1997) and Vespertine (2001). It was supposedly a dancehall-inspired tune deemed too “poppy” for its time. “It is not me at my most experimental,” Björk told The Guardian. She tapped Rosalía, whose last record MOTOMAMI felt to her like a sonic kin to this artefact she had just unearthed and would like to refresh (later, with the help of Sega Bodega). What Rosalía brought to the table astounded even Björk herself: she was a keen collaborator, with an intimate knowledge of the other’s stylings – especially since she had always considered the Icelandic symbol a trailblazer for her very own path.

Just as it was being dusted off a bit, a report on Norwegian salmon farms threatening to wreak havoc on Iceland’s prized fjords – home to not only (the genetically distinct) local wild salmon but to other native wildlife as well, from whales, birds, foxes, to seals – caught the Icelandic musician’s attention. A similar problem has plagued Argentina and Chile as well, and having Rosalía on board, Björk thought, might rally Spanish-speaking people to the cause, too. Lines like “Let me introduce one to the other / The dream and the real / Get them acquainted” might remind of – or outright echo big slogans like “Be realistic, demand the impossible.” ‘Oral’ became their rallying cry, despite not having been specifically written for this advocacy (even any other cause) – with proceeds to be used to pursue legal action against the fish factories. In contrast to more politically outspoken cuts like Volta’s (2007) ‘Declare Independence’, “This song is not like that at all,” Björk told Pitchfork. “I like the fact that it’s happy. We are focusing on the solutions, to give people a voice.”

While cautious (“Just because she can” / “Is that the right thing to do?”), there’s a grounded optimism in the flights of desire and fancy. “It’s totally that moment when you’ve met someone, and you don’t know if it’s friendship or something more,” Björk explained the song to Rolling Stone. “So you become, I guess, aroused. And you become very aware of your lips. That’s maybe why I called the song ‘Oral.’” - Paolo Abad, Contributing Writer

Bandwagon's Best of 2023 series continues on 27 December with Top Music Videos of 2023: Bandwagon Picks. Check out the rest of our year-end lists here.