BTS and Steve Aoki’s New Video Is an All-Asian VIP Party

BTS and Steve Aoki’s New Video Is an All-Asian VIP Party

By Jael Goldfine
Nov 19, 2018

For the new video for BTS and DJ Steve Aoki recent sugary bop "Waste It On Me" (the K-pop giants' first fully English language song, though it's billed as an Aoki track featuring the boyband), the musicians enlisted a triumphant panoply of Asian-American celebs to bring to life a soap-opera worthy night at the club.

The scene? Actor (Riverdale, 13 Reasons Why) and BTS fan (he recently shared an acoustic cover of the song) Ross Butler and model Devon Aoki play a starlet couple, chilling in a VIP booth at the club, while Crazy Rich Asians and The Hangover actor Ken Jeong plays the role of a lowly waiter who falls in love with Aoki, pining for her from afar.

Related | Ross Butler Is Redefining the Asian-American Dream

The evening and the plot quickly devolves into an all-star karaoke party featuring Steve Aoki, Leonardo Nam (Westworld), Jimmy O. Yang (Crazy Rich Asians, Silicon Valley), Vincent Rodriguez (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend), Jinny Chung (This Is Us, New Girl), Jessica Lu (Awkward, American Horror Story), Jamie Chung (The Gifted), comedian Jo Koy and YouTuber Tiffany Ma. They all take their turn at the mic, demonstrating a hilariously wide range of lip-syncing skill.

The video was directed by visual artist and Linkin Park DJ, Joe Hahn. Meanwhile, the song itself has been making waves, charting on the Billboard Hot 100, and marking BTS' first foray onto the Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart.

Aoki chatted with People about his decision to enlist an Asian-only cast: "It's bigger than music and we hope to show other Asians they are also a part of the global commercial musical landscape. I feel so deeply about the Asian footprint in music culture that I wanted the music video to have an entirely Asian cast and director."

Please watch, and enjoy the particularly delicious moment when Butler and Jeong nearly get into a fist fight, as well as Jeong's impeccable execution of the "Friday"/Rebecca Black dolphin hand at 2:28.

Photo via Instagram / @steveaoki