“Chicken Noodle Soup” by J-Hope ft. Becky G

“Chicken Noodle Soup” is international in its approach not only because it is by vocalists from two completely-different parts of the world. But more so, they give shoutouts to their respective points of origin. Or as Becky G puts it, the artist ‘always got love from where they come from’.

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for J-Hope and Becky G's Chicken Noodle Soup at Lyrics.org.

In the case of J-Hope this would mean namedropping “Gwangju”, a city in South Korea. And he refers to “Geum-nam Chung-jang Street”, a section of this locality, as his “Harlem”. In doing so, he also points to the strong hip-hop influence behind “Chicken Noodle Soup”, as its tune and many of its lyrics are actually derived from a track of the same name a couple of American hip-hop artists dropped back in 2006. But in general, his verse is dedicated to honoring the work ethic which has ultimately led to him becoming a successful entertainer.

Meanwhile Becky G also gives a shoutout to ‘Latin America’, herself being of Mexican descent. She even drops some lyrics in Spanish (as J-Hope primarily does in Korean). And her verse is similar to that of J-Hope’s, serving as an ode to her success. And whereas she may come off as being a little bit conceited, such dispositions are what’s trending in pop music these days.

What’s the meaning of “Chicken Noodle Soup”?

As alluded to earlier, the title, chorus and other parts of this song were derived virtually verbatim from another track. And even in their original rendition, they don’t seem to really point to any specific idea. That is to say that their main purpose is to be sonically pleasing and boogie-inducing as opposed to meaningful. So as such, “Chicken Noodle Soup” is being interpreted primarily as a dance song with an overt international flavor.

Lyrics of "Chicken Noodle Soup"

Quick Facts about “Chicken Noodle Soup”

  • J-Hope actually set a record within hours of the release of “Chicken Noodle Soup”. And why? Because it became the first song by a Korean artist to have the fastest ascent to the top of the iTunes Chart.
  • Moreover in doing so, it is only the second track ever by a Korean vocalist to top the list.
  • As such shortly after its release, a video that J-Hope posted on TikTok in relation to the song spawned the social-media based “CNSChallenge”. The challenge is based on subscribers trying to replicate the associated dance moves.
  • “Chicken Noodle Soup” was produced by South Korean artists Jinbo, Pdogg and Supreme Boi.
  • They also contributed to its lyrical composition along with J-Hope, Becky and Adora. The latter is a writer/singer/producer who works regularly with BTS. And BTS, of course, is the well-known boy band which J-Hope is a member of.
  • Reportedly J-Hope was inspired to do this song due to him having a strong affinity for DJ Webstar’s original “Chicken Noodle Soup” (2006), which went viral in its own right. In fact with the DJ being from Harlem, J-Hope’s own namedropping of the neighborhood is actually a shoutout to Webstar’s original version.
  • “Chicken Noodle Soup” was released by BigHit Entertainment as a standalone single on 27 September 2019. 

History

“Chicken Noodle Soup” is a single that was released by J-Hope on September 27, 2019. The song was meant to be a tribute to the original song by Webstar and Young B. J-Hope wanted to express his love and passion for music. He originally intended to make the song part of his album Hope World. He wanted it to be a collaboration with another artist. However, the project failed to materialize and the song was shelved.

Eventually, J-Hope met Becky at the 2019 Billboard Music Awards in May. She expressed strong interest in the collaboration. This was particularly true as Becky was also a big fan of the song. Like J-Hope, Becky had also learnt to dance by listening to “Chicken Noodle Soup”. In fact, the song was used for their first ever dance lessons. Her familiarity with it made her share something common with J-Hope. This allowed the collaboration to happen smoothly.

A couple of months later, “Chicken Noodle Soup” was finally unveiled. It would go on to top the Billboard World Digital Song Sales Chart. “Chicken Noodle Soup”‘ continues to be a fun-packed and stimulating experience for music lovers around the world.

All in All…

“Chicken Noodle Soup” is a fun and groovy song that blends multiple cultures like colors on a canvass. It is intended to be a love letter to diversity, identity, and one’s heritage. It is a reiteration of the original song that was released in 2006. The main music video features BTS star J-Hope and American singer Becky G. J-Hope raps in Korean as he makes references to his hometown and the idols who inspire him. Becky displays her multilingual flair by singing in both English and Spanish. Scores of backup dancers are accompanied by cars and monster trucks. They serve as prominent props for the slick and brilliantly choreographed dance moves. “Chicken Noodle Soup” has no particular theme. Instead, it is meant to be a fun sing-and-dance along.

Fans of both artists and casual listeners will no doubt be repeating this catchy song on their various devices.

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