South Korean R&B singer Crush, who is in the midst of a comeback after a two-year military service hiatus, has recruited BTS’ J-Hope for his new single, “Rush Hour.”
The celebratory song arrived on Thursday with an accompanying music video which also stars J-Hope and sees both artists skating through elaborate dance numbers in an alleyway. After Crush begins the track, he’s joined by the BTS member, who playfully raps, “Wherever I go now it’s a red carpet feel / Cameras snapping wherever I go like flash, flash,”as a crowd of camera flashes appears behind him.
Crush told the Korean entertainment publication Soompi that his decision to collaborate with J-Hope was natural, as they are both going in a similar musical direction, and added that he “was so grateful for [J-Hope] when he helped monitor and provided coaching.”
Back in April, Crush was featured on Psy’s “Psy 9th” studio album while he was still serving his mandatory military enlistment. “Rush Hour” is his first release since being discharged from that service in August.
Meanwhile, Korean lawmakers are still going back and forth on whether or not J-Hope and his BTS bandmates will be exempt from their military obligations. The South Korean government has already granted the members postponement of their military service until they turn 30. That clock is running down for Jin, who turns 30 this December.
As the debate continues, alternative approaches have been proposed. As reported by the Korea Times, a lawmaker from the main opposition Democratic Party of Korea suggested the global pop stars should be allowed to exchange their military obligations for a different service. There have also been debates surrounding a bill that would lessen military service for international K-pop artists to three weeks from the usual two years.
