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Anderson .Paak Reunites With alt-R&B Artist DEAN For His New Single “AFTERTASTE”
- Rosa Gulliver
- 6 days ago
- 4 min read
Rosa Gulliver of TINYGMUSIC | May 8, 2026
Nine-time GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Anderson .Paak reveals his infectious new single “Aftertaste” featuring South Korean alt-R&B artist DEAN. The propulsive track reunites the duo more than a decade after their last collaboration and draws inspiration from .Paak’s feature film directorial debut, K-POPS!, which will be available for streaming on Netflix on May 30.
Produced by Dem Jointz (Jennie, Eminem), “Aftertaste” captures the clear creative chemistry of .Paak and DEAN as they shoot their shots at love. Over hard-hitting drums and soft synth strings, DEAN sweetly serenades his subject, while .Paak cuts to the chase: “That bass, that shake, that walk, I’ma need that! / That taste, that waist, that uh, that pretty-*ss face, I’ma need that!” The driving mix of club rhythms and bedroom R&B only furthers the undeniable energy of the pair’s 2015 single “Put My Hands On You.”
“Aftertaste” follows .Paak’s February drop, “Keychain” featuring superstar girl group aespa, the first release in what’s shaping up to be a broader K-POPS! inspired album. Built around the fusion of aespa’s genre-mixing K-pop sensibilities with .Paak’s hip-hop, R&B, and funk roots, not to mention his own Black and Korean heritage, the song reflects the cross-cultural spirit at the heart of the family film.
Set against the backdrop of a Seoul K-pop competition show, K-POPS! explores generational connection and cultural exchange through music, following a father and son whose paths collide in unexpected ways. .Paak wrote and directed the movie, and also stars alongside his real-life son Soul Rasheed. K-POPS! is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes, and has earned critical praise and coverage from major outlets including Forbes, Variety, Billboard, The Boston Globe, and Los Angeles Times, among others.
.Paak has been on an incredible run in 2026, ringing in his 40th birthday at his acclaimed West Hollywood restaurant and lounge, Andy’s, the same month he scored his 15th GRAMMY® nomination — Best Dance/Electronic Recording for “No Cap” with Disclosure. He also made a standout appearance at this year’s Met Gala, and was recently named among TIME’s 100 Most Influential People of 2026 in the “Artists” category, with a profile written by actress and director Natasha Lyonne, who noted, “Anderson .Paak is the genuine, multihyphenate article.”
A relentless collaborator, .Paak has recently shown up on songs by Argentine duo CA7RIEL & Paco Amoroso (“Ay Ay Ay”) and NCT member TAEYONG (“Rock Solid”). He is also currently on the road with Bruno Mars’ The Romantic Tour, performing as his party-starting alter-ego DJ Pee .Wee across stadiums in North America and Europe, marking one of his largest global touring runs to date and reuniting the Silk Sonic collaborators on the road.
Visit .Paak’s website HERE for his full itinerary.
ABOUT Anderson .Paak
Multi-hyphenate global superstar Anderson .Paak has never stopped evolving. Raised in Oxnard, California, where he honed his musical instincts playing drums in his church band, .Paak first broke through with his debut album Venice in 2014, followed by Malibu, which earned his first GRAMMY nomination and cemented him as one of the most dynamic voices in modern music. Over the years, his fearless creativity and genre-defying approach have earned him 9 GRAMMY Awards, including multiple wins with Silk Sonic alongside Bruno Mars, a collaboration that produced the global smash “Leave The Door Open,” amassed over a billion streams, and led to a sold-out Las Vegas residency.
Now, .Paak is channeling that same boundary-pushing spirit into film with his feature directorial debut, K-POPS! The music-driven film, inspired by stories he created with his son during the pandemic, premiered to strong acclaim and marks a defining new chapter in his career as a storyteller. Alongside K-POPS!, .Paak continues to expand his creative universe, performing globally under his DJ alter ego DJ Pee .Wee, leading his label APESHIT in partnership with Universal Music Group, and maintaining his commitment to community through the Brandon Anderson Foundation and its annual .Paak House initiative. Whether through music, film, or live performance, Anderson .Paak continues to redefine what it means to be a modern multi-hyphenate, with K-POPS! standing as his boldest creative leap yet.
ABOUT DEAN
DEAN is a Korean hip-hop/R&B artist, singer-songwriter, and producer, and the leader of the creative collective you.will.knovv, home to artists Tabber and Rad Museum. Before his debut, DEAN was already an accomplished songwriter, contributing to major K-pop hits such as EXO and Block B. He made his official debut with the single “I’m Not Sorry” featuring Grammy-winning artist Eric Bellinger, followed by his Korean debut “Pour Up” (Feat. ZICO) in 2015; which won Best R&B & Soul Song at the 2016 Korean Music Awards. His first EP in 2016, 130 mood: TRBL, earned him R&B Track of the Year at the 2017 Korean Hip-Hop Awards and international recognition as one of the year’s best new artists, leading to his SXSW 2016 performance in Austin, Texas. In 2017, DEAN became the first Asian artist to appear on A COLORS SHOW, and later that year joined ‘Show Me the Money 6’ as a producer, further solidifying his status as a pioneering artist bridging R&B and hip-hop. His 2017 single “Instagram” became a chart-topping cultural phenomenon. After a long hiatus, DEAN made a triumphant comeback in 2023 with “DIE 4 YOU,” which reached No.1 on Melon just an hour after release. His 2024 double single “3:33,” featuring FKJ, further showcased his evolution as a global singer-songwriter.
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