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On March 10, 2023, it was officially announced that BTS' RM and Se So Neon's So Yoon have joined hands for a collaboration.
Featured on So Yoon's second album, Episode 1: Love, the song Smoke Sprite features RM and is slated for release on March 14, 2023, at 6 pm KST. While the collaboration was only recently revealed, fans had been speculating the same between the two since December.
A few months ago, So Yoon uploaded a picture of herself and RM seated in the recording studio. However, the picture was only a direct reference to Indigo, RM's first solo album that was then rolled out in its promotions.
In light of this collaboration, fans have discovered that the two Kpop idols have been friends for years.
BTS' RM and Se So Neon's So Yoon friendship timeline: From being fans of each other to working together
November 2017: BTS' RM recommends then-freshly debuted Se So Neon's song The Wave
It's no secret that BTS' RM has some of the most diverse songs piled up for recommendations. When the idol goes live with his fans, he often shares the songs that he loves. During one such live stream back in 2017, RM recommended Se So Neon's The Wave, when the band was still underground since they had just debuted.
"There's a band called Se So Neon. It's a band. I think they recently debuted. There's a song called, The Wave. I think I have to play the song now. I listen to this song all the time. I think this song and Earth, Wind, & Fire are my go-to songs."
Following this, RM played the song for his viewers and continued to vibe with the same before he ended the live stream. His recommendations garnered the band a lot of attention and, given their addictive music releases, their fanbase has only consistently increased.
February 2019: BTS and So Yoon officially meet at the Korean Music Awards
After BTS' RM's mention of the band, it took almost two years for their real-life interaction to come to fruition. During the 16th Korean Music Awards, Se So Neon's So Yoon, who was the presenter of the award show, presented BTS' Song of the Year award for Love Yourself album's lead single, Fake Love.
Though the interaction was brief, it definitely made an impact on So Yoon. She shared her experience of seeing BTS in real life and her interactions with BTS' RM on a talk show.
"RM of BTS, IU and some other celebrities recommended our song of social media and that helped us let more people know about our song. I couldn't let it show because I didn't want to brag about it but I was so excited in my heart."
She continued to share her experience of presenting the award to BTS:
"Just like the scene in the drama, Boys Over Flowers, the door opened and the members of BTS walked out on stage. I asked if they were the ones I would present the award to. The staff said yes. Then my heart was pounding like crazy. Since I'm a rock musician, I should always be cool, you know. I couldn't let other know I was excited. I was trying to remain calm. When I presented the award I couldn't say anything to them. I was so shy that I left the stage right after giving them the trophy."
May 2022: BTS' RM attends Se So Neon's performance at the Seoul Jazz Festival
The two being huge fans of each other only continued to grow in the next few years. Almost three years later, during the Seoul Jazz Festival that took place in 2022, BTS' RM was yet again spotted supporting the rock band.
Se So Neon was among the various artists that performed that night. The idol posted about his attendance at the music festival to watch their performance on Instagram (now deleted), and fans were delighted to learn that their interactions were consistently blooming.
December 14, 2022: BTS' RM reveals that he's been to Se So Neon's studio
During the promotion of his first solo album, BTS' RM was invited to the talk show, PSICK Show. Among the several conversations they had, RM casually shared that he's been to Se So Neon's studio.
"I've been to Se So Neon's studio. They said PSICK University is downstairs. Oh really? Can I see them?"
Following the same, So Yoon posted about his mentioning of her band on her Instagram story, captioned:
"Neighbourhood bro..."
December 2022: BTS RM gifts So Yoon his first solo album, Indigo
One of the most recent interactions that sparked rumors of a possible collaboration between BTS' RM and Se So Neon's So Yoon was the latter's Instagram story. In the picture she posted, the singer was holding a personally signed copy of RM's first solo album, Indigo, which was addressed to the band. In the background of the image, RM was also spotted seated in a corner.
While many of their interactions have been indirect and during official circumstances, fans went feral over the personal interaction that they revealed. Since both of them seemed to love each other's music, fans were sure that a collaboration was inevitably awaiting them. Soon after, their collaborative song, Smoke Spirit was announced.
March 2023: Smoke Sprite collaboration
Their minute interactions here and there have finally blossomed into a full-blown collaboration. Smoke Sprite, a song that features BTS' RM, is seated on So Yoon's second solo album, Episode 1: Love. The two artists have not only collaborated on the vocals but have also worked together to make the song from scratch. So Yoon revealed:
"I met with him naturally, we talked about our albums and listened to each other's albums. It was really fun writing the lyrics and making the chorus together."
With no more than a few days left until the official release of Smoke Sprite, fans eagerly await the same as they wonder what BTS' RM and Se So Neon's So Yoon have created together.
