Oliver Tree OMB Peezy Bruce Springsteen Nova Twins alternative music artists bands collabs 2020 collaborations

[Photos via Oliver Tree/Spotify, OMB Peezy/Spotify, Bruce Springsteen/Spotify, Nova Twins/Spotify]

Here are 10 of the most unexpected collabs to come from 2020

December 1, 2020

[Photos via Oliver Tree/Spotify, OMB Peezy/Spotify, Bruce Springsteen/Spotify, Nova Twins/Spotify]

What’s better than a new track by one of your favorite artists? That’s easy: a collaboration between multiple favorites.

Despite all odds, 2020 has proven to be the year of collabs. From MGK and Halsey‘s shared pop-punk debut to FEVER 333 and Run-DMC‘s “ANIMAL“ remix and merch line, we’ve been consistently surprised by some great team-ups.

Fresno – “BROKEN DREAMS (STRESS-DOMMAGE-INSOMNIE)” (feat. Jason Aalon Butler)

Jason Aalon Butler already had us stoked on 2020 with the drop of his collab with the Used in December 2019. What we didn’t expect was an appearance with Brazilian emo-rock group Fresno. While Butler brings his characteristic hardcore energy, the collab has him diverging into a more pop-leaning style.

Bring Me The Horizon – “1×1” (feat. Nova Twins)

Bring Me The Horizon didn’t skimp on their return to a heavier style, and their recent album, POST HUMAN: SURVIVAL HORROR, felt like a celebratory party. In addition to features from YUNGBLUD and BABYMETAL, the band pulled genre-bending duo Nova Twins into the mix. The resulting sound in “1×1” is an eclectic blend of metal and radio pop.

Oliver Tree – “Let Me Down” (feat. blink-182)

Both Oliver Tree and blink-182 are known for bringing the unexpected, so maybe we shouldn’t have been surprised by this pairing. The iconic pop-punk group made an appearance on a reimagined version of “Let Me Down,” subbing out the dance-pop vibe for something more 2000s. The original track is featured on Tree’s debut full-length, Ugly Is Beautiful.

Silverstein – “Take What You Give” (feat. Pierre Bouvier of Simple Plan)

Silverstein and Simple Plan once existed in two very different corners of the alternative music scene. In an era of genre-bending and mainstream experimentalism, however, these two bands make a harmonious pairing. Simple Plan frontman Pierre Bouvier appeared on the final track of Silverstein’s A Beautiful Place To Drown, wrapping up the album with a 2000s-reminiscent, pop-punk twist.

Bleachers – “chinatown” (feat. Bruce Springsteen)

Bleachers have proven time and time again that they have serious reach. From collabs with the likes of Sia and Grimes and stages shared with icons, including Foster The People and the Killers, the group have demonstrated their standing too many times to list. Still, we couldn’t help but jump a little when we saw Bruce Springsteen credited on their new single, “chinatown.” Does this mark Bleachers’ greatest musical venture yet? Definitely.

The Hunna – “Lost” (feat. OMB Peezy)

The Hunna rose to prominence in the alternative community seemingly overnight, and their progression is proving to be just as rapid. While the group have been vocal about their long-standing interest in hip-hop, we didn’t expect them to jump right in. Working with rapper OMB Peezy, they reimagined their song “Lost” into something much more indicative of their influences. The original track can be heard on their 2020 album, I’d Rather Die Than Let You In.

All Time Low – “Monsters” (feat. blackbear)

If you’d told us in 2008 that All Time Low would have a 2020 radio hit with a charting R&B act such as blackbear, we might have rolled our eyes. Given the band’s continued mainstream relevance, it’s significantly less surprising today (although still not something we expected coming into 2020). “Monsters” appears on All Time Low’s 2020 album, Wake Up, Sunshine, which also includes a collaboration with the Band CAMINO in “Favorite Place.”

ILLENIUM – “Paper Thin” (feat. Tom DeLonge of Angels & Airwaves)

Not only did 2020 bring us news of an unexpected (albeit apt) directorial debut from Tom DeLonge, but it also marked his transcendence into EDM. The Angels & Airwaves frontman paired up with ILLENIUM in October to bring a pop-punk flair to the dubstep track “Paper Thin.”

KennyHoopla – “ESTELLA//” (feat. Travis Barker)

How much blink-182 can we possibly fit into one list? Consider it a challenge. Drummer Travis Barker‘s really made a name for himself as a collaboration king. However, that hardly primed us to hear his punchy drums on a track by rapidly rising, indie-rock artist KennyHoopla. If we can expect this type of generalized support of next-gen artists by scene greats, consider us anxiously ecstatic for the next wave of alt.

The Killers – “My God” (feat. Weyes Blood and Lucius)

The Killers aren’t exactly known for pulling guests onto their tracks. Remixes aside, one of their few collaborations, “Tranquilize,” appeared on the 2007 compilation album Sawdust, which featured Lou Reed. Fortunately for all involved, they broke the mold with their 2020 album, Imploding The Mirage. Weyes Blood and Lucius bring a powerful new dynamic to the catchy, chorus-driven anthem “My God.”