Rosé and Bruno Mars - Apt.

As a millennial in his 30s, I know very little about Blackpink and more specifically Rosé, a member of said girl group. However, I’m a huge Bruno Mars fan and was instantly intrigued about how this intergenerational (millennial & Gen-Z) and intercultural (American and Korean) duet would blend in such a high-stakes song. Three of the Blackpink members are in the midst of moving towards a solo pop career. It’s a tale as old as time. Blow up in a group, collect millions of fans, and then go an extended, oftentimes permanent hiatus, so each member can pursue new opportunities in music, movies, etc. This is very normal and almost cliche at this point. What is unusual is when a pop group member swings for the fences with a left-field song that deviates so much from their group’s core sound.

Enter Rosé with the official debut single “Apt.” from her forthcoming debut album. Sure, the singer came out with a 2021 EP to test the solo waters, but that doesn’t really count since people only care about your debut album at the end of the day. Therefore, “Apt.” is quite the introduction. Harkening back to the pop-punk music of Avril Lavigne and Charli XCX, “Apt.” finds the two powerhouse singers belting over an instantly catchy pop-punk beat. With Bruno Mars, you’re never going to go wrong. He has an innate ability to make catchy hit songs, as seen by his most recent smash duet with Lady Gaga, “Die With A Smile”. Inspired by a traditional Korean drinking game called "Apateu,", the song is a fiery debut from a member of a pop group known for their ultra sleek kpop dance pop sound.

Pop stars past and present live and die when it comes to their debut album. Many play it safe, especially if they are embarking on solo careers vis-à-vis a popular group. There is often a lot of pressure to continue with a similar sound in order to ensure a successful solo debut. It totally makes sense since you already have a built-in audience who love you for your core sound and it’s always a risk to test the waters with a new sound that can easily fall flat and ring untrue to the general public. Thankfully, with a fun, lively video and the amazing blending of their voices, “Apt.” is already a big success a day after it’s debut. With nearly 10 million Spotify streams and nearly 50 million views of their video, Bruno Mars has yet another smash duet on his hands. For Rosé, this is a very promising start to an exciting solo pop career.