K-pop sensation BTS is scheduled to “help” Late Late Show host James Corden drive to work this Tuesday on the show’s viral sensation Carpool Karaoke, and Gossip Cop has several questions about what to expect. All seven (yes, seven!) of the BTS boys will pile into Corden’s car — or, in this case, a large van — to sing along to some of BTS’ biggest hits, including tracks from their newest album, which, of course, are almost entirely in Korean. Hence our questions.
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BTS will join a prestigious roster of Carpool Karaoke veterans, including chart-toppers like Billie Eilish, Ariana Grande, Paul McCartney, and, most recently, Justin Bieber. Though Cordon faced flack last month after it was revealed that he does not actually drive the car during every Carpool Karaoke episode, the segment is still going as strong as ever, with the average Carpool video getting tens of millions of views on YouTube.
It’s a busy week for BTS
The upcoming BTS Carpool Karaoke appearance comes just days after the release of their newest album, Map of the Soul: 7, featuring a highly anticipated collaboration with Sia (yet another Carpool Karaoke veteran) titled “ON.” Over the coming days, you can also catch them on the TODAY Show, MTV’s Fresh Out, and the Tonight Show, where they’ll accompany Jimmy Fallon on a visit to several New York City landmarks and take over Grand Central Terminal for a special performance.
BTS is no stranger to late-night hijinks
By now, the BTS boys have had plenty of experience on American television, most recently taking to the Late Late Show stage to debut Map of the Soul: 7‘s lead single, “Black Swan” (and play hide and seek with Ashton Kutcher, of course). You may have also seen the K-pop superstars on SNL last spring, or watched as they helped Ryan Seacrest countdown to 2020 on Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve.
BTS’ episode will set two new records
Despite having plenty of U.S. TV show experiences comfortably under their belt, this particular Carpool Karaoke will be a first for both BTS and Corden. As a seven-piece act, BTS’ appearance will set the record for the largest band to participate in Carpool Karaoke thus far (a record previously held by the six members of the Foo Fighters). Even more impressive is the fact that BTS will be the first international artists on Carpool Karaoke who aren’t completely fluent in English.
Though there is a bit of English sprinkled into almost every track, BTS’ songs are mostly performed in Korean. And although the boys’ English is quickly improving, the only member of the band who is fluent enough to answer every question during interviews is RM (who, believe it or not, taught himself to speak English by binge-watching Friends).
Will James Corden sing in Korean?
This has led many (including us) to wonder: will Corden translate BTS’ lyrics to sing in English, while they sing in the original Korean? Or will he put in the work to learn the Korean lyrics for every song, despite his obvious inability to speak Korean? And if he does learn the Korean lyrics, will he actually be able to pronounce them correctly?
No matter the outcome, it’s safe to say that this Carpool Karaoke will be quite a wild ride for all involved!