When two record labels join forces

Both YG Entertainment and JYP Entertainment are unstoppable forces to be reckoned with! Some argue that the founders of each label Yang Hyun Suk (YG) and J.Y. Park (JYP) are frenemies, but others tend to say they are close friends and just friendly rivals. 

Avid watchers of the television competition show K-PopStar frequently show the two bantering back and forth and ganging up on poor Yoo Heeyeol! Both record labels focus on different aspects when developing up-and-coming artists or maintaining pre-existing idol careers, but both have their strengths and weaknesses.

But what happens when we combine these forces to create collaborations? Which artists would be a perfect fit for a cross-label track or performance?

What does each label look for?

The CEOs of each label have made it apparent that the aspects in character and skill vary from person to person and that to fit into their label, they are looking for people with a specific feel and talent set. 

J.Y. Park himself stated that he had a tendency to value a bright demeanor and good health as the most important factor to finding idols. He places a heavy influence on the overall feeling of the trainee rather than their skill set. In contrast, Yang Hyun Suk has the tendency to place a trainee's worth in their talent. Only then does he look at their work ethic and overall kindness. 

Even the way these two choose their idol group leaders is different. JYP tends to value seniority, wherein those who have spent the longest time training become the leaders of their group. This is apparent in groups like Wonder Girls (now disbanded), miss A, TWICE, and 2PM. YG, on the other hand, likes to choose a strong personality who is of median age to serve as the group's leader. Yang Hyun Suk believes that due to the median age of a member, it may cause them to feel much like a 'middle child', so giving them a sense of responsibility allows them to feel more comfortable with their place in the group. This is apparent in groups like Big Bang, 2NE1 (now disbanded), and iKON.

Collaborations that shook us

In the past, there have been a few cross-label collaborations between JYP and YG, but not as many as we would like! But, some of these collaborations marked definitive periods in K-Pop history; an example being YG's Big Bang and JYP's Wonder Girl collaboration.

What netizens affectionately refer to as the WonderBang performance of a very old KBS Music Bank, included a collaborative performance of both group's singles. 

Other songs that have been a result of YG and JYP collaborations are Se7en's 'When I Can't Sing'. 

Se7en is former YG artist, but this track was produced by J.Y. Park himself when Se7en was still with YG! A rare occurrence that indicates the two are in good relations. It seems that they rely on each other for financial reasons and good standing in the industry. A very wise business decision!

At the 2016 SBS Gayo Daejun, 10cm (Avex Taiwan/Magic Strawberry Sound), Twice's Jihyo (JYP), EXO's Chanyeol (SM), and BLACKPINK's Rose (YG) joined forces for a big three plus indie artist acoustic cover of BLACKPINK's 'Whistle' and Twice's song 'TT'. 

This special stage marked a definitive moment where multiple artists from different labels honored each other's artistic abilities and skills. 

So what's next for JYP and YG collabs?

It's uncertain what the CEOs and artists have planned and hidden up their sleeves! But, we as netizens can certainly play a huge part in letting the label know what artists we like and want to see! 

From doing some quantitative research regarding latest netizen lists on the top 10 JYP artists and top 10 YG artists people want to see a collab with other artists, the list is as follows:

JYP:

1) Yeeun (Wonder Girls) She has left JYP

2) Baek A Yeon

3) Jimin (15&)

4) Suzy (miss A)

6) Sunmi (Wonder Girls) She has left JYP

7) Chaeyoung (Twice)

8) Jeongyeon (Twice)

9) Jackson (GOT7)

10) Yerin (15&)

YG:

1) Rose (Blackpink)

2) G-Dragon (Big Bang)

3) Lee-Hi

4) Lisa (Blackpink)

5) Suhyun (AKMU)

6) Taeyang (Big Bang)

7) Tablo (Epik High)

8) Mino (WINNER)

9) Jisoo (Blackpink)

10) T.O.P. (Big Bang)

Collabs We Want To See

At the top of our list of collaborations between the labels we would love to see is a new generation version of the WonderBang collaboration! So a Black Pink-GOT7 collaboration or a TWICE - WINNER collaboration would be amazing! Since the Wonder Girls-Big Bang original collaboration was so iconic, we'd love to experience another performance a decade later with the new generation groups from both respective agencies. Please make this happen!

Another collaboration we want to see is Jun.K of 2PM (JYP) and Taeyang of Big Bang (YG)! This is a collab of K-pop veterans and since both are absolute vocal powerhouses, perhaps a ballad would be the best to showcase both singer's wide array of talent.

Baek Yerin and Park Jimin of 15& (JYP) are both out-of-this-world vocalists, but the one thing they are sometimes missing is a rough vocal that balances out their sweet sound. That's why we think Tablo of Epik High (YG) would make an awesome song! With Tablo's creative genius at work, they would create a masterpiece.

Lastly, we think Lee Hi (YG) and Jackson (JYP) would create an amazing R&B/Rap hit that would leave us wanting more! Lee Hi's powerhouse vocals combined with the mass appeal of Jackson would bring in a ton of attention and interest. Honorable Mention: A Baek A Yeon and Lee Hi collab would also be amazing.