When K-pop superstars BTS dropped into MTV Unplugged, a Coldplay cover was probably not on many people’s bingo cards for the session. The South Korean hitmakers performed the British rockers’ hit “Fix You,” and it was a superb showcase for the seven-piece’s incredible vocal line. In the 51 million view studio session, Jung Kook opened the song with a breathy vocal with plenty of feeling, while V followed it up with some heavenly falsetto notes.
RM and Jin then sang an aching harmony, and Jimin closed out the verse with an angelic falsetto that was just perfection. The Music Man couldn’t help but notice that many of the commenters were Coldplay fans who were new to BTS, and they were loving what the boys were bringing to the table. BTS presented a somewhat softer, more ambient version compared to Coldplay’s original, which just highlighted the tender emotions of the song even more.
Fans couldn’t get enough of BTS’s take on “Fix You,” as the cover is currently MTV UK’s most popular video on YouTube by a massive margin. Listeners were very complimentary and added comments such as “I don’t even listen to BTS but hearing they did a Coldplay cover brought me over. Their voices are absolutely legendary” and “I don’t know much about BTS, but I do know that this was beautiful.”
BTS covering Coldplay’s “Fix You” was not the last time they would show their love for the English rock icons. On September 24, 2021, Coldplay and BTS dropped their collaborative song “My Universe,” which was released with co-lead billing from both bands. The song became a US number one hit and also went to number two and three in the bands’ homelands of South Korea and the UK, respectively.
Ten songwriters collaborated to create “My Universe,” with the writing team including all of Coldplay and BTS members RM, Suga, and J-Hope. “My Universe” was created during the pandemic, but despite that, Coldplay’s Chris Martin took a trip to South Korea in order to work with BTS on the song. The frontman was very complimentary about BTS after working with them on “My Universe.” He said on The Kelly Clarkson Show that “I love them, and we love them, and it’s been such a joy… They’re just so talented and so dedicated and so cool, and it’s been a real joy to do that song together.”