Ideal music collaborations

Recently, music collaborations have been dominating the scene – with the paramount success of Post Malone’s feature on Taylor Swift’s ‘Fortnight’, as well as impactful releases such as ‘Die with a Smile’ by Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga, and ‘New Woman’ with Lisa and Rosalía. This domination is not coming to an end, with Charli XCX releasing her remix album brat and its completely different but also still brat, which features collaborations with an extensive list of artists, including Troye Sivan, Tinashe, Bladee, Ariana Grande, and more. Therefore, we’ve all been thinking about some ‘dream collaborations’ that we would love to see – so let me show you mine.

Isabel LaRosa x Ari Abdul
LaRosa and Abdul, best known for ‘i’m yours’ and ‘BABYDOLL’ respectively, have a public relationship with each other as friends and creatives. They both consistently work together – with LaRosa possessing writing credits for many of Abdul’s singles – and share a trademark dark pop sound with Thomas LaRosa producing for both artists. However, they have yet to share a collaborative track. Following performances from their joint tour, GOD’S WATCHING TOUR, it is undeniable that their styles, vocal tones, and artistic directions align. Therefore, a collaboration would effectively demonstrate their synergy, while also highlighting their unique qualities, which is why this is a ‘dream collaboration’.

Wisp x Whirr
From San Francisco and California, respectively, Wisp and Whirr are two shoegaze artists. Wisp is a soloist, most popular for her debut in 2023 with the single ‘Your Face’, whereas Whirr are a band formed in 2010 – best known for their 2014 track ‘Ease’. Sonically, the two artists are incredibly compatible, which essentially ensures that a collaboration would be effective. Furthermore, the delicate and soft quality of Wisp’s vocals would complement the grainier and rougher vocals that are present in Whirr’s discography. It is undeniable that Wisp was heavily influenced by Whirr – and is clearly a dedicated fan based on her Instagram handle. Therefore, as a fan of Wisp, it would be wonderful to witness a collaboration between herself and one of her favourite artists.

Britney Manson x COBRAH
A collaboration to celebrate queer identities and champion feminine energy would be done just by LGTBQ+ artists: Manson and COBRAH. They both apply distortion effects in their music and have similar lyrical themes – primarily focused on fashion, sex, and entertainment. Additionally, they both use lots of repetition in their songs. However, where they differ is in the types of beats they generally use. COBRAH is known for the use of minimalist beats, notably in the track ‘IDFKA’, while alternatively, Manson generally uses more complex beats. The deconstructed club sound, however, comes through in both artists’ music, and thus, an electropop collaboration between these two artists would be breathtaking.

Poppy x Vana
Poppy and Vana are two female heavy metal artists – with industrial rock and experimental elements. The two artists are highly compatible with aligning darkcore aesthetics, and both present a range of sounds and vocal techniques in their music. Notably, they both engage predominantly in the alternative metal genre. However, Poppy’s ‘What It Becomes’ and Vana’s ‘You’re Not the Only One’ demonstrate their ability to create in a darker genre, with both of their discographies also involving pop-rock and electronic influences. Poppy and Vana alike have diverse vocal skills, with powerful singing, aggressive screaming, and soft whispers. Their range, if put together, would result in an irresistible and otherworldly alternative metal sound, in opposition to the male-dominated nature of the genre.

Beabadoobee x Sunday (1994)
Beabadoobee has not been afraid to collaborate, most recently with Clairo and Laufey, and previously with Girl in Red, PinkPantheress, Cavetown, and Luna Li. Nevertheless, the indie rock artist has not yet collaborated with British-American indie band Sunday (1994). The two artists share inspirations, such as Mazzy Star and The Sundays, and therefore, a jangly guitar pop song blended with aspects of trance-like shadowy dream-pop represents the convergence between the two artists. Paige Turner, the lead singer of Sunday (1994), and Beabadoobee’s vocals are incredibly distinct – with Turner’s being more polished, whereas Beabadoobee has a more emotional and raw quality to her voice. This dichotomy has the potential to create something artistically beautiful.

Sabrina Carpenter x The Smashing Pumpkins
Arguably the least realistic collaboration in this article, however, after listening to a mashup between Carpenter’s ‘Taste’ and The Smashing Pumpkins’ ‘1979’ – it’s undeniable that Carpenter’s vocals are amplified and emboldened on an alternative rock instrumental. Therefore, it would be phenomenal to witness a collaboration between one of the most iconic and influential bands of all time and the biggest star in the pop industry. It would probably sound similar to a Beabadoobee or Momma song – something like ‘Cologne’ – but that warrants absolutely zero criticism or complaints.