BTS‘ V has teamed up with the Bing Crosby estate for a new rendition of the classic holiday hit ‘White Christmas’.
The holiday duet between the K-Pop star and the late Crosby – titled ‘White Christmas (with V of BTS) – is set for release on Friday (December 6). Release in partnership with the Bing Crosby Estate, Primary Wave Music, and Geffen Records, the remix of the 1942 track has been described as an “era-bridging collaboration”.
Crosby famously sang ‘White Christmas’ while starring in Irving Berlin’s musical film Holiday Inn. According to Guinness World Records, His version of the track is the world’s best-selling single (in terms of sales of physical media), with estimated sales in excess of 50 million physical copies worldwide.
Though the song was released 16 years prior to the creation of the US Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1958, ‘White Christmas’ landed a spot on the chart that same year and peaked a Number Two in 1962.
The duet will be available on exclusive holiday-themed Vinyl, CD, & merchandise. Fans will be able to choose from two distinct vinyl variants: a Holiday Picture Disc Vinyl and a Zoetrope Snowflake Vinyl. There are also two exclusive CD versions, the first being a pink picture disc while the second will feature a snowflake. Both the vinyl and CDs are available for pre-order here.
Speaking about the collaboration in a press release, V said: “I’m so grateful to have had the chance to be featured in a song with my all time favorite jazz artist, Bing Crosby. I grew up listening to his song ‘It’s Been a Long, Long Time’ countless times a day, and I feel incredibly fortunate and honored to have sung along on ‘White Christmas’ with the voice of someone I consider an idol.
“Being a huge fan of his, I sang with the utmost sincerity and admiration for him, and I hope many people enjoy it as much as I enjoyed singing it. Lastly, I wish a lovely holiday season to everyone listening to the song.”
Crosby’s daughter Mary also said: “As a family, we are thrilled to have V and Dad singing together on this ultimate Christmas song. Their voices blend beautifully, capturing the holiday spirit in the best possible way.” Harry Crosby, his son, added: “We are incredibly excited about V joining Dad for the duet of “White Christmas.” We are happy that V will help share the joy of this timeless Christmas song.”
‘White Christmas (with V of BTS)’ comes 47 years since Crosby’s last cross-generational collaboration in 1977 with David Bowie on ‘Peace on Earth/Little Drummer Boy’, which was recorded for Crosby’s television special Bing Crosby’s Merrie Olde Christmas and marked one of his final recordings before his death in October of that year.
The collaboration between Bowie and Crosby was unavailable for many years until it was released as a single by RCA Records in November 1982. The track became a commercial success and peaked at Number Three on the UK Singles Chart. It marked Crosby’s final popular hit and became one of the best-selling singles of Bowie’s career.
In other BTS news, BTS member RM has recently released a brand-new trailer for his upcoming documentary, RM: Right People, Wrong Place.
