Soul and Seoul: Dean & Anderson .Paak Find Their Way Back After a Decade

Nearly ten years after their first link-up, Dean and Anderson .Paak have circled back to each other, reigniting a creative partnership that always felt a little ahead of its time. Their original collaboration, Put My Hands On You, arrived in 2015 as a silky, low-slung slice of alternative R&B, the kind of track that seemed to drift rather than announce itself. It paired Dean’s hazy vocal restraint with .Paak’s elastic groove instincts, and over the years it has quietly matured into a cult favourite—one of those songs that resurfaces late at night and still sounds fresh.

Dean’s trajectory since then has been anything but static. Emerging from Seoul’s underground scene, he first gained traction as a songwriter, contributing to K-pop heavyweights before stepping into his own spotlight. His 2016 EP, 130 mood: TRBL, cemented his reputation as a genre-blurring artist who could slide between R&B, hip-hop, and minimalist pop without losing emotional clarity. Tracks like D (Half Moon) showcased his ability to make introspection feel cinematic, while collaborations with artists across Korea and the US hinted at a global outlook that never felt forced. In the years since, Dean has been selective rather than prolific, surfacing with carefully curated releases, production credits, and features that reinforce his status as an artist’s artist—equally comfortable behind the boards as he is at the mic.

Aespa and Anderson .Paak

Meanwhile, Anderson .Paak has treated the last decade like an open road with no speed limit. Already riding high off his breakout with Malibu, he expanded his reach through a relentless stream of collaborations that blurred borders as much as genres. His connection to South Korea has been particularly notable, linking up with G-Dragon, aespa, and Taeyong, reinforcing his reputation as a genuinely global collaborator rather than a passing guest in the scene.

Taeyong and Anderson .Paak

On the Western front, .Paak’s résumé reads like a modern music hall of fame. His work alongside Dr. Dre helped sharpen his early profile, while collaborations with Kendrick Lamar and Mac Miller revealed his adaptability across different shades of hip-hop. Then came Bruno Mars, with whom he formed the Grammy-winning duo Silk Sonic, delivering the retro-soul triumph An Evening with Silk Sonic—a project that proved .Paak could not only collaborate, but fully inhabit a concept.

Details around the newly reunited Dean and .Paak track remain tightly held, including its official title and release date, but the mere fact of their reunion is enough to spark anticipation. Their first outing together thrived on restraint and chemistry rather than spectacle, and there’s a strong sense that whatever comes next will follow that same instinct—less about chasing trends, more about quietly redefining them.

If “Put My Hands On You” was the sound of two artists discovering a shared wavelength, this new chapter feels like the sound of them returning with intent.

Watch and listen to their 2015 release, ‘Put my hands on you’.

Written by DJ Sam Soju
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