Who saw this one coming? Zayn Malik, the British-Pakistani pop sensation, and Jisoo, the Korean superstar from BLACKPINK, just pulled off a major shocker: a chilled-out yet explosive duet titled “Eyes Closed.” Nobody leaked a teaser. No cryptic social hints. The drop moment? Full-on internet earthquake.
Music fans woke up and scrolled, jaws on the floor. The news flew across continents, London, Seoul, New York, Mumbai, Paris, all hyped in real time. One song, two mega-stars, zero borders.
Share this with that friend who wanted a BLACKPINK x One Direction crossover since 2018. They deserve this.
The Collab Heard Around the World
Zayn and Jisoo aren’t just chart regulars. They are musical icons who broke every rule already. A decade after Zayn left One Direction, he’s still the king of cool R&B hooks. Jisoo? Born global. BLACKPINK’s “Kill This Love” had 2.1 billion views. Her solo, “Flower,” basically invented its own TikTok challenge.
Combine them, and expectations shoot through the roof. Is it English? Korean? Both? Do we get ballad Jisoo or power-vocal Zayn or both? “Eyes Closed” answers with one word: yes, all of it.
Their Voices Are Perfect Together
The first listen delivers. Zayn’s velvet vocals open softly, then Jisoo glides in, sweet but strong. You pause. Rewind. Replay. Half of TikTok does the same. It’s like coffee and cream, fireworks and rain, comfort and thrill.
Musically, the track rides a mid-tempo groove, with acoustic guitar licks and trap percussion, but the production is surprisingly simple. Zayn leads with English verses, Jisoo drops a Korean pre-chorus, and then they hit the English chorus in perfect harmony.
Not just a mash-up, but a moment that makes you shake your head and go, “How has this not happened before?”
Songwriting: Layers Under the Hits
“Eyes Closed” isn’t built on auto-pilot pop. Zayn co-wrote the song with a UK team behind recent R&B hits, plus K-pop writers known for blending genres. Jisoo added her own verse, working with YG’s in-house lyric team. The lyrics? Yearning, hope, a little heartbreak, classic pop nostalgia, universally catchy lines like:
With my eyes closed, I still see you,
From London lights to Seoul nights, it’s always true…
Fans are already tattooing this in comment sections. Don’t miss out. Try this new trend before everyone else does.
The Music Video Is a Global Mood Board
When the video dropped, so did collective jaws. It’s a city-hopping fever dream: Zayn leaning on a rainy London bridge, Jisoo walking neon-lit Seoul streets, both looking lost, both singing to shadows. Scenes flip past: a window seat on a plane, rooftop sunsets, empty city squares. When they finally appear together in a surreal, dreamlike room lit with pulsing blue, everything feels both real and unreal.
Fashion watchers know this is key. Jisoo’s vintage Chanel jacket, Zayn’s oversized bomber and perfectly-mussed hair? Insta stories couldn’t post fast enough.
Social Media Breaks: #EyesClosedChallenge
Within hours of the release, the hashtag #EyesClosedChallenge trends in over 25 countries. TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Insta Reels, they’re everywhere. Edits of Zayn and Jisoo “switching places” in fan-made split-screen duets flood feeds. Fans try translating lines, covering both vocal styles, and debating whose harmony “won” the chorus.
Numbers back the hysteria:
- YouTube: 10 million+ views in under 12 hours
- Instagram: 4.4 million posts tagged with #EyesClosedChallenge
- Spotify: Top 5 debut in more than 20 countries
Share this with someone who claims to know every viral trend. Let them prove it here.
The BLINK and Zquad Reaction: All-Caps, All Love
Fans are LOUD. BLINKs, Jisoo’s BLACKPINK army, and the Zquad, Zayn’s multi-continent fanbase, actually trended together for the first time. Stan accounts from Korea, India, UK, and Brazil swapped memes and lyric breakdowns. Fan art, fancams, deep-dive reviews, and heavily filtered selfie collages with “Eyes Closed” overlays sparked dueling viral threads.
- “Did I manifest this or is it a fever dream?”
- “Zisun or Jisooyn? Help, I can’t choose a ship name.”
- “This is better than coffee in the morning.”
The internet knows: when fandoms unite, trends break.
Why This Matters: Bridging Pop Worlds
Try and recall the last time two such big global acts, both with ethnic roots outside of mainstream US-UK pop, combined forces like this. It’s rare. It means something. Zayn, who often merges his R&B sound with South Asian instruments and moods, and Jisoo, who brought Korean storytelling to international chart-toppers, blend more than language. They blend worlds.
This is the new normal. Pop is officially countryless. Streaming made it real. Cultural fusion isn’t a trend, it’s the rule for tomorrow.
The Story Behind the Scenes
Insiders say the collaboration started over Zoom in mid-2024, weeks after Zayn publicly praised Jisoo’s solo work. Their teams sent demo tracks; Jisoo chose “Eyes Closed” for its dreamy, global sound. Initial vocals bounced back and forth for months through Seoul and London. They met in Paris for the final recording, neutral ground, instant paparazzi storm.
Producers reveal they kept the arrangement simple “to let the emotion through.” There was no plan for a major dance break, just pure voice, guitar, longing, and a little magic.
Streams, Stats, and Records
By the end of the first 24 hours, “Eyes Closed” sets personal records for both artists:
- Fastest million saves for any Zayn song on Spotify.
- Jisoo’s highest solo streaming debut on Apple Music.
- First time an Asian woman and a South Asian-British artist debut a duet in Billboard’s Top 20.
Chart analysts say the collab is, “proof that where music comes from now doesn’t matter as much as who loves it.”
Surprise Factor: Why It Works
Two artists with different fanbases, languages, and image styles managed what “supergroups” often fail, actual chemistry. Zayn “feels” the song instead of oversinging. Jisoo adapts her clear, signature vocals without losing herself. The results sound like they’ve been in a band forever.
Even if you’re not a BLINK or Zquad, you’ll vibe. That’s the mark of a real pop event.
Global Fashion Flex
Let’s talk about visuals again. Every look in “Eyes Closed” is runway-ready.
Jisoo’s outfits: Vintage Chanel, crisp YSL, simple white tee with a pink tulle skirt.
Zayn’s style: Oversized charcoal suit, band tee, iconic tattoos on full display. Both wear the same silver chain in one shot, a fan gift, according to insiders!
It’s fashion as a story, not just an accessory.
Music Experts Weigh In
Streaming editors and old-school reviewers drop early verdicts:
- The Guardian called it “a global pop masterclass.”
- Rolling Stone Asia: “Feels like London, Seoul, and LA at once.”
- Music Week: “This is not K-pop, not UK R&B, it’s just now, perfectly now.”
Pop critics often hype things up. This time, the world kind of agrees.
Echoes and Easter Eggs
Fans notice nods throughout the song and video, a subtle guitar riff reminiscent of Zayn’s “Pillowtalk,” a passing city shot copied from BLACKPINK’s “As If It’s Your Last.” The plane shot matches a famous Jisoo magazine campaign. Both artists drop their real birth years as graffiti in one frame.
Easter eggs keep fan forums busy for days. Can you spot three? Drop a screen grab and join the hunt.
What’s Next? Will This Change Pop Collaborations
Industry chatter already predicts more crossovers with global South artists and K-pop stars. For now, “Eyes Closed” set the bar. Other trends born this week:
- UK-Korea hashtags surge across X and TikTok
- Fans launch translation projects in 13 languages
- Cover contests launched by five major platforms
If you want clout, make a cover, dance, remix, or meme. The faster, the better.
Calls to Action? All Day
- Listen. Relisten. Add it to your top playlist.
- Try the #EyesClosedChallenge. Even bad dancers are winning likes.
- Share this article with a music-obsessed friend or two.
- Spot an Easter egg? Drop your conspiracy in the comments.
- What collab do you want next? Drop fantasy ideas below.
Pop history just got a new chapter written by two icons who see the future with their “Eyes Closed.” Smash save, tag your squad, and let’s see how far this one goes. Follow for every blink, beat, and big moment, because collabs like this change music, one scroll at a time.
