BLACKPINK’s latest single “Jump” debuted at No. 1 on both the Billboard Global 200 and Global Excl. U.S. charts. But according to Diplo, the track almost didn’t make it to the K-pop group at all.

Originally conceived during a writing session at Sony Studios in Miami in January 2024, “Jump” was written by Diplo, Major Lazer’s Ape Drums, and Argentine producer Zecca, best known for his work with Bzrp. The session was intended to produce Latin-inspired music, but Diplo veered off course, aiming to channel the raw energy of early-2000s electroclash artists like Fischerspooner. “It was supposed to be like an ‘Emerge’-style acid song,” Diplo recalls, initially envisioning it as a fun, genre-blending track for Major Lazer.

Despite initial plans to release it under Major Lazer, the song found an unexpected second life. Diplo collaborated with Argentinian duo Ca7riel and Paco Amoroso on arranging and recording the song. But after the duo gained traction in the U.S., particularly following a viral NPR Tiny Desk concert in October 2024, their evolving sound: a fusion of jazz, Latin, and Moroccan influences no longer matched the track’s direction.

Still convinced of the song’s potential, Diplo continued to shop the track around. “I was determined to get this idea across the finish line,” he said. He even considered releasing it as a fallback option on a future Major Lazer album, a common landing spot for his more experimental music.

The breakthrough came when Diplo entered the studio with Teddy Park, the influential YG Entertainment producer and creative force behind many of BLACKPINK’s hits. “I played him a bunch of tracks, and he was polite about them,” Diplo recalls. “Then, just before leaving, I played this one. He immediately said, ‘This is what we need. It’s radical, let’s do it.’”

The group recorded “Jump” in May, with Diplo applying finishing touches after receiving the final studio files. While he briefly connected with BLACKPINK’s Jennie over FaceTime during the process, poor reception prevented deeper collaboration. Diplo had previously co-written and co-produced her 2025 solo track, “like JENNIE.”

In total, the song’s writing credits span multiple continents: Diplo, Ape Drums, Zecca, Teddy, 24, Claudia Valentina, Zikai, Jesse Bluu, Jumpa, and Malachiii all contributed. Production was handled by Teddy, 24, and Diplo himself. “My goal has always been to destroy genres,” he says. “And K-pop is the perfect place to do that.”