Epik High’s Tablo confirms new solo album and feature by BTS leader RM

Epik High frontman Tablo has confirmed that a fresh collaboration with BTS leader RM is “in the pipeline” as part of his upcoming second solo album.

• READ MORE: Epik High’s Tablo talks ‘Epik High Is Here 下, Part 2’: “I’m still exactly where I started”

The veteran Korean-Canadian musician recently sat down for an interview with Rolling Stone, during which he confirmed that a brand-new collaboration with RM is currently underway. Tablo and RM most recently worked together on ‘All Day’, a track from RM’s debut solo album ‘Indigo’, released last December.

Responding to a question about the possibility of the BTS rapper guesting on his own solo album, Tablo said, “Who leaked that?”

“OK, let me just put it this way. If there is a Tablo solo in the works, RM would definitely be Number One on my list to do a song with,” the Epik High rapper told Rolling Stone. “But I also want to explore that more emotional, sort of painful kind of Epik High vibe, but in a completely new way with RM. And I’m just saying, if it were to happen, I think RM would do it. So that’s all I’m gonna say.”

Rolling Stone then added that Tablo later confirmed that “another Tablo x RM collab is in the pipeline”, as part of the former’s upcoming second solo album, said to also be currently in the works.

• READ MORE: RM of BTS: “My whole twenties were an exhibition… but I chose to be a star”

Elsewhere in the interview, both artists spoke about their past experiences working with one another on music. “To me, Tablo is like a huge mountain that I always look up to,” RM said of Tablo, citing the latter’s two-part debut solo album ‘Fever’s End’ as examples of his artistry. “Among many things, I admire his poetic and insightful lyrics, his musicality, and career as a musician, the way he overcame all the hardships he went through. Just listen to ‘Fever’s End’, and you can feel it.”

RM continued: “Tablo is a genius, but I’m not sure about myself. I just try to give my best effort in everything. We have different backgrounds, but since he’s always been the hero throughout my musical journey so far, I think we could recognise each other.”

The K-pop idol also recalled how “Epik High and Tablo have always been there during my childhood” and how “they definitely influenced my music”. “Tablo is one of those who can handle social issues in sharp and beautiful ways through music… I’ve always wanted to collaborate with him on a song in 2000s hip-hop that touches on a social issue,” he shared.

Epik High are set to drop their new record titled ‘Strawberry’ later today (February 1) at 6pm KST. It comes a little under a year since the trio dropped their last record, the 12-track studio album ‘Epik High Is Here 下, Part 2’ in February 2022. It was headlined by title track ‘Gray So Gray’, which reunited them with Younha, and included two singles initially released in 2021: ‘Face ID’ and ‘Rain Song’.

In a five-star review of the record , NME’s Rhian Daly wrote: “A light in the darkness and a beautifully encouraging portrait of the very essence of life, it’s an album that should be remembered for a long time to come.”

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