The SB Mixtape, 10/15/2026: It Takes Two, Take Two

I recently realized that I’ve been making SB Mixtapes for over six years! That’s dozens of playlists, spanning from when I was just a baby K-pop fan to my present semi-veteran status (wild). To be honest, not all of these mixtapes linger in my mind — or playlist rotation — for long after they get posted. But I do have favorites that have ended up on-repeat. Near the top of that list is a 2020 mixtape I created around duets that I named “It Take Two.” It was one of the first playlists I really researched for, and that led to some fun new track discoveries. Duets have only ratcheted up in frequency and quality since then, so I was excited to revisit the concept here. This playlist shares some prominent names with the original “Take Two,” namely some of the masters of the duet genre in Korean music (like Zico, Tablo, and AKMU). But there are also new rising stars, such as Ten and Jennie, who are showing a real knack for collaboration. Last but not least, putting together highlighted three interesting duet trends that have changed since 2020. Firstly, the rise of same-gender duets, especially among two male artists. Secondly, the share of strictly romance-focused duets has dropped, mak...