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BTS’ youngest member, Jungkook, revealed how nervous he was to record in front of Chris Martin. Even Martin was “a little nervous” because he’s never met BTS before. Here’s what we know about these artists and their latest collaboration for the chart-topping single, “My Universe.”

Chris Martin of Coldplay performs during pre-taping of the Macy's 4th of July Firework Show
Chris Martin of Coldplay performs during pre-taping of the Macy’s 4th of July Firework Show | James Devaney/GC Images

BTS and Coldplay collaborated on the song ‘My Universe’

BTS is one of the world’s most popular bands, earning their first Grammy nomination last year for “Dynamite.” They’ve collaborated with artists like Sia, Halsey, and Charli XCX. 2021 brought their first collaboration with Martin of the award-winning band Coldplay. 

To make this experience more intimate, Martin traveled to South Korea to record with Jin, Suga, J-Hope, RM, Jimin, V, and Jungkook in person. 

As fans of Coldplay, some of the BTS members shared that they were nervous about meeting the “Lovers in Japan” singer, especially Jungkook. According to one video with Martin, the feeling was mutual.

Chris Martin traveled to South Korea to create ‘My Universe’ 

During Sept. 2021, BangtanTV posted a “My Universe” documentary to YouTube. 

In it, fans saw Martin and the K-pop group members meet for the first time, embracing and later collaborating on their original song. Martin shared how special the occasion was, especially because of coronavirus (COVID-19) related safety concerns. 

“We’ve been very lucky with people allowing us to come in just to record, and it was quite a stressful journey,” Martin said. “And I was a little nervous here. I’ve never met BTS before.”

Of course, the artists became fast friends, with Martin complimenting Jungkook’s singing and even recording with all seven members simultaneously. 

“My Universe” itself is about how love “transcends all things,” whether it’s gender, borders, or sexuality. Since its debut on Spotify, this song has earned over 35 million plays. 

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BTS previously shared their love for Chris Martin and Coldplay, even releasing a live version of ‘Fix You’

As of February 2021, the K-pop group had not met Martin and Coldplay’s other members. However, the idols often shared their love for the band. During one live stream from 2017, RM answered a question, stating, “Do you like Coldplay? I like Coldplay, Warmplay, Hotplay, Coolplay…”

In 2020, BTS’ oldest member added “Fix You” to his playlist titled “Jin’s Favorite Tracks,” which currently has over seven thousand followers. When BTS performed on MTV Unplugged, they surprised fans with a performance of “Fix You,” a song originally written by Coldplay. 

“This song gave us comfort, so we wanted to prepare this cover to comfort you as well,” Jimin said. Of course, this song choice was very appropriate for the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, uplifting fans across the globe.

Music by BTS, including their recently released album, Map of the Soul: 7, is available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music, and most major platforms.

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