“Neva Play” has arrived. Megan Thee Stallion and BTS star RM released their new song on Friday, September 6.
The video has a futuristic, raunchy vibe and shows Megan rapping as she dances and plays pinball in an arcade.
Animations feature heavily in the “Neva Play” clip and RM only appears in illustrated form. Meanwhile, animated animals such as sharks swim around Megan’s head as she performs.
Megan and RM perform the chorus together, counting up to eight, then singing, “Let them know we on the way. Countin’ zeroes every day. You know that we never play, ayy.”
Making money and being successful continues to be a theme within the verses.
“Talkin’ ’bout never been one to play with. Money talk and it’s my first language,” Megan raps. Me and RM gang and we gangin’. Boss level and you ain’t even in the rankin.’”
Megan, 29, first announced the project on September 1 with an illustration of her and RM, also 29, via Instagram, captioned, “NEVA PLAY WITH RM OUT FRIDAY HOTTIES X ARMY #MEGJOON. ps. This is one of my favorite RM verses I’ve heard! I’ve never heard him rap in this style before.”
BTS confirmed the news via X, posting the same illustration.
“Neva Play” isn’t the first time Megan has worked with BTS. She was featured on a remix of their 2021 single Butter and joined the group later that year for their concert at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles to perform the song live.
“I love BTS, and I was telling my manager, ‘I really want to do a song with BTS, I don’t know what I can do or what we’re going to do,’” she told Entertainment Tonight in February 2022. “Around that same time, they wound up reaching out to me and asking me to do the ‘Butter’ remix. So, I was like, ‘Oh my God.’”
The new song also comes on the heels of Megan’s third album, Megan, which was released on June 28 and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200. The album featured Billboard No. 1 hit “Hiss,” which received both critical acclaim and scrutiny for its apparent shot at rival Nicki Minaj.
BTS, meanwhile, is taking some time off from performing together as they fulfill their mandatory service for the South Korean military. In the meantime, they are working on individual projects. Jimin released a solo album titled Muse in July, while Jin was a torchbearer at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. Jimin and Jung Kook also worked on a travel reality series titled Are You Sure?, which was released on Disney+ in August.