On October 6, 2025, BLACKPINK’s Jisoo dropped a surprise teaser image on Instagram. The post reads Eyes Closed with the caption, “The duet has arrived. ”Fans immediately started guessing who the mystery collaborator might be. The teaser shows Jisoo in the foreground, with a male silhouette behind her, back turned. His face is hidden, but fans noticed the figure looks a lot like British singer Zayn Malik, ex-One Direction.An industry source told The Korea Herald that Jisoo will release a new ballad duet with Zayn later this month. The source didn’t give an exact date but hinted Zayn’s recent appearance at BLACKPINK’s New York concert could be related to the project. If confirmed, it would be Jisoo's first major international collaboration since her solo debut and Zayn’s first music project with a K-pop artist. Fans are already discussing the potential collab."The concept of a member of the biggest girl group in the world collaborating with a member of the biggest boy group ever, this is for the history books," an X user commented.. @pinksviewLINKthe concept of a member of the biggest girl group in the world collaborating with a member of the biggest boy group ever, this is for the history books.Many believe this duet is set to be nothing short of "iconic," with the potential to become "huge."esa @jensoocrumbs_eLINKthis collab is going to be so f*cking iconic like just listen to their voices im actually going insane oh my god if this is real then im so so so excited for jisoo and zaynCookiescherry🧸 @Coklatcuties123LINKMember biggest grup man in the world and member biggest girl in the world colaboration? and two visual and deep voice one project omg😭❤️‍🔥cherry✩ @flowersxzjmLINKThis collab’s gonna be HUGE, we’ve got members from the two most successful bands everEyes Closed will be the BLACKPINK madnae's her first release since her solo EP Amortage dropped in February. The mini-album included tracks such as Earthquake, Your Love, Tears, and Hugs & Kisses.Seven @SneakySeven7LINKZayn and Jisoo?? my 2014 and 2025 selves are shaking hands.Justina @Justina21144961LINKThis collab is literally fanfiction coming true.Summer @oddgirlsummerLINKThis collab bout to heal my teenage wounds 😭Zayn Malik surprises fans at BLACKPINK concert with KhaiZayn Malik made a surprise appearance at BLACKPINK’s DEADLINE concert in New York on July 27 with his daughter, Khai. Later, he dropped a photo on Instagram showing both of them cheering with their hands in the air, captioned,“@BLACKPINKOFFICIAL THANK YOU :) ME & KHAI LOVED IT.”The Pillowtalk star’s concert visit quickly stirred talk among fans, many wondering if a Zayn x BLACKPINK collab might actually be in the works. He and model Gigi Hadid welcomed Khai in September 2020. Having first risen to fame as part of One Direction, one of the most successful boy bands in the world, Zayn parted ways with the group in March 2015. The singer has since continued building his solo career.Meanwhile, BLACKPINK’s world tour, DEADLINE, kicked off on July 5 and 6, 2025, at Goyang Stadium in South Korea. Jisoo, who’s midway through the tour, recently wrapped the London shows on August 15 and 16 and is on a short pause before the next stop in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, on October 18.