Bruno Mars is a household name for those who listened to pop radio in the 2010s, while ROSÉ is very popular in the K-pop world as ¼ of the mega-successful girl group BLACKPINK and is now a solo artist. Together, they’ve created the latest song to sweep TikTok and Instagram titled “APT,” a fun bubblegum pop song with a one-word chorus bound to stick in your head.
The song comes from an interesting origin, as it is based on a Korean drinking game that ROSÉ taught to Mars and others while they were creating the song (rules below). The lyrics switch back and forth between English and Korean, with the chorus featuring the Korean word, “apateu“ and the first line of the song also mentions ROSÉ’s Korean name, which is Chaeyeongiga. The lyrics are flirty yet simple, but despite the simplicity, the two bring them to life with their unique voices and charismatic personalities.
"To play 'APT.', you chant "apateu" and then everyone puts their hands in the middle of a circle, someone calls out a number and whoever's on the bottom puts their hand on top as you count to that number. Whoever is last to place their hand on top, has to take a shot." - Sam Prance (Capital FM)
It appears that the two became close friends while making “APT,” as seen on social media and during the music video, which dropped on October 18th alongside the song. The music video is filmed on an all-pink backdrop with touches of black (such as the animated lightning bolts and when the song’s name appears), more than likely a reference to BLACKPINK. Mars and ROSÉ are also wearing almost matching outfits and alternate between dancing, playing the drinking game and instruments, singing, and having a good time.
The popularity of the song is great news for ROSÉ, as her debut album, Rosie, is dropping in just a few weeks on December 6th. According to ROSÉ, the formation of the album came once BLACKPINK’s last tour ended in late 2023. Mars also seems to be preparing something as well, as he released the hit song “Die With A Smile” with Lady Gaga in August, which has since been nominated for 2 Grammys.
