24 Music Collaborations That Didn’t Live Up to The Hype

We all expect gold when two incredible artists team up. But sometimes, the tune finally drops, falling short of our lofty expectations. And some tracks were disappointing enough for music lovers to voice their thoughts online. We'll be sharing some examples of songs that fans felt were overhyped. Do you agree?

1. “Only One” by Kanye West and Paul McCartney

The song starts with a gentle piano melody, which is good. But then Kanye West's auto-tuned vocals kick in, and it feels like a cat screeching in your ear. His auto-tune dial probably got stuck on “annoying,” and no one bothered to fix it. Poor Sir Paul was relegated to playing second fiddle, or piano in this case, to Kanye's bizarre vocal stylings. As a result, what we got didn't live up to the hype it came with.

2. “Pretty Girls” by Iggy Azalea and Britney Spears

“Pretty Girls” promised a catchy anthem many fans thought they could sing along in their cars with the windows down. Instead, they got a track that was stuck in the early 2000s. It desperately clung to a sound that many believed should have stayed in the past. Their vocals didn't blend, and they kept clashing like two fashion police officers fighting over the last pair of neon leggings.

3. “Next to You” by Justin Bieber and Chris Brown

Bieber and Brown both have their fair share of dedicated fans who will defend them to the end. But when it comes to “Next to You,” some people felt it didn't hit the mark. Imagine ordering a pizza with all your favorite toppings and you end up with something bland and soggy. Yes, it's still pizza, but it makes you long for something more satisfying.

4. “We Are One (Ole Ola)” by Pitbull and Jennifer Lopez

This collabo was the rave of the moment before its release. The song begins with an infectious beat that makes the ear yearn. But as soon as the lyrics kick in, you realize something is missing. “Put your flags up in the sky, wave them side to side.” Really, Pitbull? That's the best you could come up with? You'd think he raided a box of fortune cookies for this song's inspiration.

5. “Fall in Line” by Christina Aguilera and Demi Lovato

Well, their voices soared and intertwined, but the lyrics fell flat. Lines like “Little girls, listen closely, No one told me, but you deserve to know” sounded more like a public service announcement than a chart-topping hit.  We were hoping for a powerful hit but ended up with a lukewarm pep talk.

6. “Beautiful” by Mariah Carey and Miguel

“Beautiful” was more like a gentle breeze than a hurricane of vocal prowess. It may have turned out that way because of too many cooks in the studio kitchen. Mariah's signature diva style crashed head-on with Miguel's smooth R&B vibes. The result was what most people felt was a total lack of coherence. It's like trying to mix oil and water — you end up with a disjointed mess rather than a blend.

7. “Good Time” by Lil Wayne and Paris Hilton

Lil Wayne is a rap legend, and teaming up with Paris Hilton, the socialite-turned-DJ, was an unexpected collabo. So you can imagine the hype it had coming. However, the combination didn't work out. Not to get it twisted, Lil Wayne is a talented artist, and Paris Hilton, well, she's famous for being famous. There's no denying the two would have thrown a party. Theoretically, their collaboration should have been the ultimate recipe for a good time. But it wasn't.

8. “Nobody's Business” by Rihanna and Chris Brown

We all remember the infamous incident where Chris Brown's fists met Rihanna's face. Not the ideal foundation for a musical partnership, right? That could be where the tension sprung from. The chemistry between Rihanna and Chris Brown was about as electrifying as a power outage. They may have had their moments, but “Nobody's Business” definitely wasn't one of them.

9. “Problem” by Ariana Grande and Iggy Azalea

“Problem” had all the ingredients for a hit song but didn't come out on top. Some fans agree Ariana and Iggy shine individually but don't do too well as a duo. The collaboration sounds forced, and fans only give them some points for effort. You win some, you lose some.

10. “All I Want for Christmas Is You” by Justin Bieber and Mariah Carey

It's not that Justin's voice didn't go well with Mariah's powerhouse vocals — it's just that it felt a little forced. They have unique styles, but combined, it is a strange concoction. We're all for festive cheer and holiday spirit, but watching Justin and Mariah frolic around in fake snow and oversized Christmas sweaters didn't quite hit the mark for some people.

11. “Do What You Want” by Lady Gaga and Christina Aguilera

Most of the hype came from the fact that R. Kelly was the original artist on Lady Gaga's “Do What You Want” track. With Gaga's decision to take the original version off streaming services and replace it with the remake, fans were pretty excited to hear what the new version would sound like, but in the end, it wasn't all that good.

12. “Turn Me On” by David Guetta and Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj's verses are usually filled with clever wordplay and wicked punchlines. But it felt oddly subdued and uninspired in this song. It's as if she left her A-game at home and settled for a B-minus effort instead. Fans expected fireworks, but all they got was a damp sparkler. It felt more like a generic blend of repetitive beats and forgettable hooks. No offense, Nicki!

13. “Walk on Water” by Eminem and Beyonce

The track outrightly lacked the magical chemistry everyone hoped for. Beyoncé's vocals, although undoubtedly impressive, didn't quite mesh with Eminem's raw, intense style. You could liken the sound they made to hearing opera at a rap concert or hip-hop at the opera. Something just didn't click.

14. “Goin' In” by Jennifer Lopez and Flo Rida

Both J-Lo and Flo Rida are incredibly talented artists in their own right. They've given us some good music and killer dance moves over the years. But when they joined forces for “Goin' In,” it turned out to be a mismatched duet at a karaoke bar rather than a powerhouse collaboration. The lyrics were forgettable, the beat was just there, and it missed out on that special spark that makes a collaboration genuinely shine.

15. “Perfect” by Ed Sheeran and Beyoncé

The OG version of “Perfect” was perfectly okay. I don't know whose idea it was to get the Queen Bee on this song, but even though the remix was pretty neat, most fans believe it did not give what it was supposed to give.

16. “Alone” by Kim Petras and Nicki Minaj

When Kim first teased the collaboration with Nicki, it caused quite a stir, probably because Kim had just had a long run at number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with Sam Smith. However, even with the hype, “Alone” performed less than expected despite Kim's efforts at promo and putting out several versions of the song. It's still an adorable song, though.

17. “Karma” by Taylor Swift and Ice Spice

The hype surrounding this song was mainly because news about the collaboration broke shortly after Taylor Swift's alleged boyfriend, who has been accused of being racist in the past, was caught making racist comments about Ice Spice. Even though Ice was the hottest new rap chic on the block, the song was a sorry excuse, and so was the lackluster performance the duo put up at Taylor's concert afterward.

18. “Bongos” by Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion

When news of this collaboration first hit the media, everyone claimed it would be WAP 2.0. With claims that it'll be a cultural reset, especially since this is Megan's comeback music after her recent court battle. Disappointing doesn't even do justice to what the song turned out to be. It's just full of weak bars, disses, and clown outfits.

19. “Snow on the Beach” by Taylor Swift and Lana Del Rey

Taylor and Lana meshed their unique vocals on this song off of Swift's groundbreaking Midnights album. Both artists have a cult-like following, so there was a lot of hype, but even that couldn't save the song.

20.”Lick” by Shenseea and Megan Thee Stallion

Since WAP dropped, Megan and Cardi have hoped to have a moment like that again. Cardi may have succeeded with “Up,” but Megan has gone on to have failed attempts, and hopping on Sheenseea's “Lick” was one of such desperate attempts. The video is just a mixture of green screen and cringy moves.

21. “Put It in a Love Song” by Alicia Keys and Beyoncé

Not everyone's voice, not even Queen Bey, can blend appropriately with Alicia's unique husky tone. Whenever Beyoncé hops on a record, there's bound to be a lot of hype around it, but “Put It in a Love Song” was not an excellent record. It's safe to say both artists must have realized the errors of their ways and spared the world the trouble of dealing with a music video, too.

22. “Ice Cream” by Blackpink and Selena Gomez

One thing the fans of Black Pink, BTS, and other K-pop artists know how to do is hype and buy a record. Even with all that, the song was basic at best; don't let the nearly one billion views fool you. Cute video, though, if you're into Barbie aesthetics.

23. “Ashtrays and Heartbreaks” by Snoop Dogg and Miley Cyrus

When news broke that the legendary Snoop Dogg and the wild-child Miley Cyrus were joining forces, many fans couldn't help but envision a musical masterpiece that would blow minds. They imagined Snoop's laid-back rap style and Miley's edgy pop vibe. But it turned out to be a nicely wrapped shocker. And then the music video didn't salvage the situation either. Instead, it was a mishmash of random imagery rolled into one reel.

24. “Sweetest Pie” by Megan Thee Stallion and Dua Lipa

The world will definitely heal once female rappers and pop girlies stop trying to feature each other on tracks to appeal to a broader audience. We can blame Nicki for merging Pop and Rap. Since that turned out to be profitable, we would keep getting records like “Sweetest Pie” utill we realized we do not need to hear that kind of collab for the sake of mass appeal.

Source: Reddit.