It’s always super cool when an artist makes a call back to their previous songs or even the work of other artists in their track. It’s our secret weapon—our means of remembering them because we’re super fans.
Here are just a few K-pop songs with other references hidden inside that you might not have caught on the first listen:
1. iKON – BLING BLING
The iKON members are K-pop legends in their time, but it never hurts to acknowledge your roots. The members have cited BIGBANG as major inspirations in their work, and they paid tribute to their idols in “BLING BLING” by incorporating a line from the iconic into Yunhyeong’s rap section.
2. NCT DREAM – WE GROW UP
One of NCT’s many throwback references you may have missed come from NCT Dream’s “We Go Up.” In rapper Jeno’s line he references their debut track “Chewing Gum,” which is a sweet nod when you consider that “We Go Up” was their first comeback as a full group following member Jaemin’s hiatus for a back injury.
3. BLACKPINK – PINK VENOM
BLACKPINK’s latest comeback with “Pink Venom” makes a cross-genre reference to one of pop’s biggest icons – Rihanna. Oops, bet you didn’t know that!
Rapper Lisa’s verse includes a nod to the 2005 Rihanna song “Pon de Replay.” BLACKPINK and Rihanna make the perfect combo, and their combined star power quickly had both songs trending.
4. TWICE – TALK THAT TALK
TWICE makes a number of references to their previous title tracks in their newest song “Talk that Talk,” and at times it seems like you can find a new hidden snippet with every listen. From Sana’s line in “More & More” to Tzuyu’s reference to “YES or YES,” this song feels like an ode to TWICE’s legacy which we all love.
5. BTS – IDOL
ARMYs are basically professional detectives when it comes to song references, and BTS has definitely included a lot of them throughout their albums. However, one even seasoned fan may not have caught comes from their title track “IDOL.” In J-Hope’s rap section, he makes a cute reference to their B-side “Anpanman” in both the lyrics and the choreo. Cool, right?
6. RED VELVET – UMPAH UMPAH
Irene and Joy make references to several of Red Velvet’s most iconic tracks in the rap section for their song “Umpah Umpah” – including “Red Flavor,” “Dumb Dumb,” “Ice Cream Cake,” and even their debut track “Happiness”. They go by pretty quick, and then add a fun little bonus point to a great comeback.
7. JEON SOMI – XOXO
Jeon Somi is a soloist under The Black Label, which is a YG Entertainment subsidiary – the same group that represents legendary girl group BLACKPINK. Fans were excited to notice a reference to BLACKPINK member Jennie’s solo track “SOLO” in Somi’s “XOXO,” which shouldn’t come as a surprise considering that Somi, as far as we can remember is a BLINK herself.
