Korean artist ZICO has released a new single titled DUET, featuring Japanese musician Lilas, best known as the vocalist ikura from the band YOASOBI. The collaboration brings together two artists from different musical and cultural backgrounds, marking a notable cross-border project between Korean hip-hop and Japan’s contemporary band scene.
With DUET, he partners with Lilas, whose work with YOASOBI has been closely associated with melodic pop-rock and narrative-driven songwriting. The pairing stands out due to the contrast in their vocal textures and artistic approaches.
According to information shared with the release, the song originated from a conceptual question about what a duet between two contrasting artists might sound like. While ZICO’s delivery leans toward rhythmic rap and spoken flow, Lilas contributes expressive, melodic vocals. The track combines these elements into a single composition rather than dividing them into separate sections, resulting in a blended structure where both voices interact throughout.
The production team involved in ZICO’s previous release SPOT! (feat. JENNIE) also participated in this project, contributing to the overall sound design. Musically, DUET maintains a balanced arrangement that allows both artists to remain distinct while functioning within the same sonic framework.
Lyrically, the song features both Korean and Japanese verses. Each artist wrote their own parts, allowing individual perspectives and linguistic styles to remain intact. The bilingual format is presented without translation cues, treating both languages as equal components of the song rather than positioning one as secondary.
The accompanying music video was filmed in Japan and focuses on everyday environments rather than stylized sets. Scenes take place in locations such as classrooms, offices, and public streets. Throughout the video, ZICO and Lilas are shown moving through these spaces as spontaneous dance movements gradually spread to people around them. The visual concept emphasizes ordinary settings transformed through shared motion, rather than performance-driven choreography.
With DUET, ZICO continues a pattern of exploring collaborative projects beyond national and genre boundaries. The release reflects an ongoing trend in East Asian pop and hip-hop music, where artists increasingly engage in cross-market collaborations without altering their core identities.
