‘K-POPS!’ Album Out Now: Anderson .Paak Recruits G-DRAGON, aespa, and More
- Sarah Tan
- Jun 3
- 5 min read
Nine-time GRAMMY Award-winning rapper, singer, producer, drummer, and now first-time actor and director, Anderson .Paak announced what may be one of the best musical crossover events of the year. The Oxnard, California native and one-half of chart-topping R&B duo Silk Sonic, alongside Bruno Mars, known for their global hit “Leave The Door Open,” has released K-POPS! (Music from and Inspired by the K-POPS! Motion Picture), a 17-track album out now, while his feature film directorial debut is now streaming on Netflix.
The tracklist is nothing short of an Avengers-level lineup for global music fans. On the K-pop side alone, Anderson pulled together G-DRAGON, the genre-defying solo superstar and iconic BIGBANG leader. Then there’s aespa, SM Entertainment’s boundary-pushing girl group known for blending virtual and real-world concepts.
NMIXX, JYP Entertainment’s versatile and hard-hitting girl group, is on there too. And so is LNGSHOT, the four-member boy group consisting of leader OHYUL, RYUL, WOOJIN, and LOUIS, formed by Jay Park under his label MORE VISION, and known for their raw, self-produced hip-hop and R&B sound that’s redefining what K-pop can be.
On the Western and crossover side, JID, the Atlanta rapper and singer-songwriter known for his lightning-fast flows and intricate wordplay, brings the hip-hop energy alongside ALISSIA, a multi-talented bassist, producer, and longtime Anderson collaborator, and Corbyn Besson, the American singer-songwriter and former Why Don't We member with a dedicated global fanbase.
Also joining the project is Korean-American hip-hop veteran Jay Park, South Korean R&B artist Crush, solo K-pop force and I.O.I member CHUNG HA, J-pop boy group JO1, and Seoul-based alt-R&B artist DEAN, known for his moody and cinematic sound.
Filling out the rest of the lineup is KEVIN WOO, who fans will recognize as Mystery Saja from Netflix’s animated movie KPop Demon Hunters, JOSHUA of SEVENTEEN, HONGJOONG of ATEEZ, and SOYEON, the leader and producer of i-dle. Most personally of all, Anderson’s son, Soul Rasheed, makes his musical debut on the album.
Via @anderson._paak on Instagram
“I’m excited to finally share the K-POPS! movie and soundtrack with the world,” Anderson said. “The soundtrack blends genres and influences from across continents, and collaborating with so many talented artists made this project incredibly special. Every song comes from a real place, and together they tell the story of the film in a powerful way. I can’t wait for audiences to experience both the movie and the music.”
Fans got an early preview of the project’s sound through several advance releases. In February, Anderson teamed up with aespa for “Keychain,” a groove-heavy pop single that had fans instantly hooked. Then on May 8, he dropped “Aftertaste” with DEAN, a sleek alt-R&B track that showcases the best of both artists.
Both songs were produced by Dem Jointz, the hitmaker behind sessions for BLACKPINK’s JENNIE and Eminem, who also serves as executive producer across the K-POPS! album alongside additional production from Anderson and others.
The soundtrack also features a new version of “Too Bad,” Anderson’s 2025 collaboration with G-DRAGON that climbed into the top 30 on Billboard’s Global 200 and took home an award from the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA), one of Asia’s most prominent annual music awards ceremonies and the biggest night of the year for the global K-pop industry.
Via @anderson._paak on Instagram
As for the movie itself, K-POPS! was written and directed by Anderson. Set against the candy-colored backdrop of a fictional K-pop competition show in Seoul, South Korea, the film explores themes of generational connection and cultural exchange through music, a narrative close to his heart.
Anderson plays BJ, a washed-up musician who flies to South Korea to join the house band of a K-pop survival competition series called “Wildcard,” hoping to revive his career. There, he befriends a contestant named Tae Young, played by Soul Rasheed, who turns out to be his long-lost son with his past love, Yeji, portrayed by actress Jee Young Han. What begins as BJ trying to help his son win the competition for his own gain gradually becomes a second chance at fatherhood.
He stars alongside his real-life eldest son, Soul Rasheed, in a story the two developed together during the pandemic. Around that same time, the whole family became obsessed with K-pop.
Growing up mixed Black and Korean, Anderson noticed how much K-pop acts reminded him of the groups he loved as a kid, like TLC and New Edition. For him, the connection felt natural, given how deeply K-pop has always drawn from Black American music and culture.
He saw it as an opportunity to teach Soul about that connection, an idea that eventually turned into a script for KPOPS! about a father and son brought together by their two cultures and love of music.
After its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 7, 2024, and its U.S. theatrical release on February 27, 2026, K-POPS! is already Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, with praise from Forbes, Variety, Billboard, The Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and the NAACP, among others.
If you’re wondering whether Anderson has been slowing down while pulling all of this together, the answer is absolutely not. He celebrated his 40th birthday this year at his acclaimed West Hollywood restaurant and lounge, Andy’s, and received his 15th GRAMMY nomination for Best Dance/Electronic Recording alongside UK electronic duo Disclosure for their song “No Cap.”
He showed up at the Met Gala, appeared in publications, including Esquire and GQ, and was named one of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2026 in the “Artists” category, with Emmy-nominated actress, writer, and producer Natasha Lyonne writing his profile and calling him “the genuine, multihyphenate article.”
In the past month alone, he also appeared on songs with Argentine hip-hop duo CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso (“Ay Ay Ay”) and K-pop solo artist TAEYONG of NCT (“Rock Solid”). He’s currently on the road performing as his party-starting DJ alter-ego, DJ Pee .Wee, as part of Bruno Mars’ The Romantic Tour, playing stadiums across North America and Europe in one of his biggest global touring runs to date, reuniting the beloved Silk Sonic duo along the way.
Via @anderson._paak on Instagram
Check out the full K-POPS! tracklist below. The album is out now—stream K-POPS! on your preferred platform and explore every track with the film now streaming on Netflix.
K-POPS! (Music from and Inspired by K-POPS! Motion Picture) — Full Tracklist
Flashing Lights – Crush & Anderson .Paak
Caution – NMIXX & Anderson .Paak
Aftertaste – DEAN & Anderson .Paak
PITC (Party In The Corner) – HONGJOONG of ATEEZ, Jay Park & Anderson .Paak
Fire With Fire – LNGSHOT
Can’t Get Enough – ALISSIA & Anderson .Paak
Bet On U – CHUNG HA & Anderson .Paak
International – SOYEON of i-dle & Anderson .Paak
What About Us – JID & Anderson .Paak
Wanna Buy A Plant + Cost Me – JO1 & Anderson .Paak
Keychain – aespa & Anderson .Paak
One More Dance – JOSHUA of SEVENTEEN & Corbyn Besson
Wildcard – KEVIN WOO
Just One Bite – KEVIN WOO
Love Is Everywhere – Soul Rasheed
The Last – Anderson .Paak
Have you listened to the K-POPS! album yet? Which collab is your favorite? Are you watching the film on Netflix too? Let us know in the comments or reach out to us on Instagram or X.
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Edited by Batul Netterwala
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