[Edaily Starin KIM HYUNSIK Reporter] Collaboration tracks released by the groups Epik High and Davichi, as well as singers Crush and IU, are all performing strongly on the music charts. The collaboration between artists with solid musical talent and widespread public recognition appears to be creating a synergistic effect. They are drawing even more attention through active collaboration that goes beyond simply recording the tracks to include the production of video content, such as music videos.

Epik High and Davichi released their collaboration track “Mise-en-scène” on the 13th. As of the 26th, the song ranks third on YouTube Music’s “Trending” chart. On the YouTube Weekly Popular Songs chart, which covers the period from the 16th to the 22nd, it climbed seven spots from the previous week to rank fourth. The song has been steadily gaining popularity for about two weeks since its release.
“Mise-en-scène” is a song that unfolds the emotions of the moment one faces a breakup and the story within it, much like a movie. Kim Han-ju of the band Silica Gel participated in the lyrics, composition, and arrangement. It is characterized by the blend of Epik High’s signature emotional rap and Davichi’s soulful vocals.
This marks the first time Epic High and Davichi—who debuted in 2003 and 2008, respectively—have released a collaborative track. The collaboration was sparked by Davichi’s appearance on Epic High’s official YouTube channel, “Epic Kase,” last October. The video, in which the two groups showcased their witty banter and friendly chemistry, garnered over 4 million views and became a hit.
The two groups also appeared together in the music video for this new song. Following the song’s release, they unveiled new collaborative content on their respective YouTube channels. Davichi’s Kang Min-kyung posted a video documenting the music production process on her YouTube channel, while Epik High’s channel featured footage of the two groups visiting a nail salon together. In this way, they continued their joint activities even after the new song’s release, ramping up their promotional efforts.

◇A Meeting of Music Powerhouses: Making Their Mark on the Charts
Crush and IU are also achieving strong results with their collaborative track. On the 21st, Crush released his new song “Pigdeok,” featuring IU. The song depicts the clumsy and rocky journey of love, with Crush personally participating in both the lyrics and composition.
This marks the first time Crush and IU have officially released a collaborative track. The two have maintained a connection through music—appearing as guests at each other’s solo concerts in 2019 and, in 2022, when Crush appeared on IU’s music talk show “IU’s Palette.” With this new song, they have turned their long-standing friendship into an actual musical collaboration.
Through his agency, P-Nation, Crush stated, “While working on the track, I felt that IU’s voice was the only one that would suit this song perfectly, so I proposed it to her, and she gladly accepted.” He added, “I was curious to see how our two voices, each with their own distinct colors, would harmonize in the song, and I was surprised by how well they blended,” expressing his satisfaction.
“Pigdeok” is currently ranked No. 2 on YouTube Music’s “Trending” chart. It also made its debut at No. 25 on YouTube’s weekly “Trending” chart, which covers the period from the 16th to the 22nd. On Melon’s Top 100 and Hot 100 charts, it reached its highest positions at No. 14 and No. 2, respectively.
Crush and IU co-starred in a music video with a romantic yet dreamlike atmosphere, visually capturing the song’s emotional essence. Since its release, the music video briefly topped YouTube’s Daily Trending Music Videos chart, and its view count has now surpassed 6.75 million.
The two also appeared together in a live clip, showcasing their chemistry. Prior to the song’s release, they raised fans’ anticipation by releasing a teaser video showing them immersed in their musical collaboration in the recording studio.
While many recently released collaborative tracks were produced remotely by exchanging recorded audio files, these two collaborations drew significant attention because the artists met in person to work on the music and shared the entire process with the public. Furthermore, they continued to generate buzz by collaborating on the production of music videos and various other video content.
A music industry insider commented, “It seems that not simply relying on the artists’ star power, but putting in as much effort as they would for their solo tracks, played a positive role in achieving these good results,” adding, “This collaborative approach can unite each artist’s fan base while also broadening their reach to the general public.”