Spot!

"Spot!" is a song by South Korean rapper Zico featuring South Korean singer Jennie. It was released as a digital single on April 26, 2024, through KOZ Entertainment. "Spot!" is a hip-hop song written and produced by Zico, Eun Hee-young and No Identity, with lyrics about a casual encounter between two friends at a late-night party.

"Spot!" received critical acclaim from music critics for its catchy hook and the combination of Zico and Jennie's unique styles. It was a commercial success in South Korea, where it peaked at number one on the weekly and monthly Circle Digital Chart, and on Billboard's South Korea Songs chart for three weeks. Globally, the song debuted at number eight on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S., marking Zico's first ever entry and Jennie's third top-ten hit on the chart. It became Zico's first and Jennie's second number-one song on the US Billboard World Digital Songs chart, and entered the top ten in Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan.

An accompanying music video was uploaded to YouTube simultaneously with the single's release. Directed by Yongseok Choi and Ran Ro, the video features Zico and Jennie on a late-night drive, with Zico rapping in various urban settings, and ends with a lively group dance. "Spot!" won the Melon Popularity Award and two first-place trophies on the music program Inkigayo.

Background
After completing his military conscription in May 2022, Zico made his return to music with the release of his fourth extended play Grown Ass Kid on July 27, which contained the pre-release single "Seoul Drift" and title track "Freak". The EP was moderately successful and peaked at number 11 on the Circle Album Chart with 16,085 copies sold in its first week.

In December 2023, YG Entertainment confirmed that Jennie of South Korean girl group Blackpink did not renew her contract with the label for individual activities. The singer announced the formation of her own music label for solo activities in November named Odd Atelier. Since establishing her independent label, Jennie released the single "Slow Motion" on March 8, 2024, a collaboration with former Brockhampton member Matt Champion for his debut studio album, Mika's Laundry (2024). She also made appearances on various South Korean broadcast programs such as The Seasons: Lee Hyo-ri's Red Carpet and Apartment 404.

A representative from Zico's agency, KOZ Entertainment, confirmed on April 2, 2024, that the rapper was preparing a new song to be released at the end of the month, celebrating the tenth anniversary of his solo debut. Local news outlet TenAsia reported on April 4 that Jennie would feature on the song and appear in its music video. In response to the reports, KOZ Entertainment confirmed Zico's comeback but not Jennie's involvement, stating that "it is difficult to confirm other matters."

Recording and composition
"Spot!" is a hip-hop song that opens with Jennie singing the hook. Its lyrics revolve around the special moment between two friends who happen to meet at a party late at night. In a press release, Zico expressed that the "charm of this single lies in its simple arrangement that evokes listeners' excitement and desire to have fun." On Jennie's contribution, he elaborated that she "poured her heart and soul into the recording process. She demonstrated professionalism by suggesting editing even when I complimented the sound. Jennie played a significant role in perfecting this track. The enjoyable collaboration has seen positive results."

Release and promotion
On April 18, Zico posted a 20-second video on social media of him and Jennie in a recording studio singing and dancing along to a snippet of their upcoming single featuring her vocals. Shortly afterwards, he posted another photo teaser captioned "Come vibe with us" of the two artists looking at Polaroid pictures of themselves. Zico then officially revealed the new collaboration titled "Spot!" and its release date of April 26, alongside a schedule of teaser photos and videos from April 19 to 25. On the 19th, he uploaded a behind the scenes video of the song's recording in the studio with Jennie. A 19-second music video teaser was released on April 25. "Spot!" was made available for digital download and streaming on April 26 as a digital single through KOZ Entertainment. To promote the song, Zico released a short-form dance challenge video with Jennie on social media platforms.

Critical reception
"Spot!" was met with acclaim from music critics and was listed by several publications as one of the best K-pop songs of the year. Writing for Billboard, Jeff Benjamin named it the 20th best K-pop song of 2024 and one of the most "dynamic collaborations" of the year, managing to blend Zico and Jennie's "distinctive styles". He further praised the song's "catchy hooks and clever lyrics", which he felt could only be pulled off by the "charismatic" duo. Similarly, Daniel Anderson included "Spot!" on NME's list of the 15 best K-pop songs of 2024, describing it as a "supremely groovy bop" and a "summertime jam to blast on repeat." In particular, he praised Jennie for her performance on the infectious hook, in which she shows off "a delicious trill that reminds everyone of her powerhouse vocal versatility."

Commercial performance
"Spot!" debuted at number 24 on the Billboard Global 200 with 47 million streams and 5,000 downloads worldwide. It also debuted at number eight on the Billboard Global Excl. U.S. with 44.5 million streams and 4,000 sold outside the U.S. The song marked Zico's first-ever entry on the chart, and Jennie's third top-ten hit as a soloist, after "You & Me" topped the chart in October 2023 and "One of the Girls" reached number five in February 2024. In the United States, "Spot!" sold 1,000 copies and registered 2.5 million streams during its initial tracking week. The song debuted at number one on the Billboard World Digital Song Sales chart, marking Zico's first-ever number-one on any U.S. sales chart. It was Jennie's second time topping the chart, after her debut single "Solo" in 2018.

In South Korea, "Spot!" debuted at number 22 on the Circle Digital Chart for the week of April 27 with only two days of tracking. The following week dated May 4, it ascended to number two on the overall chart and number one on the component streaming chart. "Spot!" remained atop the streaming chart for three consecutive weeks. In its fourth week, the song rose to its peak at number one on the Circle Digital Chart, becoming Zico's seventh and Jennie's second chart-topper. It also ranked as the number-one song on the monthly Circle Digital Chart for May. On Billboard's South Korea Songs, "Spot!" debuted at number one and remained atop the chart for three consecutive weeks, earning Zico his first and Jennie her second number-one single on the chart.

Music video


The music video for "Spot!" was directed by Yongseok Choi and Ran Ro of the video production company Lumpens. It was uploaded to Hybe Labels' official YouTube channel on April 26 at 6 PM Korean time. Upon release, the video topped the worldwide trending list on YouTube and exceeded five million views in five hours.

In the music video, Zico and Jennie aim to create a hip atmosphere without relying on flashy effects. Zico sings while locking eyes with Jennie, and together, they take viewers on a late-night drive, exuding their "true vibe." Throughout the video, Zico showcases his dynamic performance, rapping passionately in various settings such as studios, soccer fields, parking lots, and urban streets. The video concludes with an enticing group dance featuring numerous dancers.

Accolades
"Spot!" won the Melon Popularity Award on May 6, 2024.

Credits and personnel

 * Zico – vocals, background vocals, songwriter, producer
 * Jennie – vocals, background vocals
 * Eun Hee-young – background vocals, songwriter, producer, recording engineer
 * No Identity – songwriter, producer
 * Kim Joon-sang – recording engineer
 * Staytuned – mixing engineer
 * Park Nam-joon – assistant mixing engineer
 * Nam‐woo Kwon – mastering engineer