The K-pop star said she never imagined that her song about a drinking game would become everyone’s anthem for the year.
You don’t have to be a K-pop fan to notice that Rosé and Bruno Mars’ APT has taken over everyone’s pop playlist. Since its release on Oct. 18, the catchy collaboration between the Blackpink star and American singer-songwriter has been moving up on global charts and inspired an online dance craze.
The buzz on the funky track continues with Rosé and Mars firing up the first day of the 2024 MAMA Awards, held at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka, Japan on Nov. 21 to 23. On that day, Korea’s biggest music awards show night presented a video of the duo performing live in front of a jumping, singing, and head-banging crowd in a smaller venue away from the Kyocera Dome.
The artists rocked matching oversized gray suits as they belted out the song with a live band and a group of backup singers. Their performance was the highlight of the ceremony, showcasing the creative fusion of K-pop’s dynamic energy and the soul and R&B musical styles of the Western world. The video of their performance has so far earned a whopping 7.9 million views since it was posted on Rosé’s YouTube channel on Nov. 23.
Later into the awards night, Rosé and Mars were honored with the Global Sensation Award for their hit track. The duo went up on stage to receive the trophy, with the Blackpink star telling the crowd, “I wrote a song based on my favorite drinking game and I had no idea that it would be loved this much. Thank you so much for all your love.” Bruno Mars also expressed gratitude to their fans in Korean
Since its release last month, APT has gotten everyone singing along because of the playful energy radiating from its catchy melody and memorable, repetitive chorus The song’s punk-rock vibe also aligns with today’s music trends, making it even more addictive.
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The bouncy track is written and composed by Rosé and Mars, alongside Cirkut, Omer Fedi, and Rogét Chahayed. It was inspired by the K-pop idol’s favorite Korean drinking game called “Apartment.”
In an interview with Vogue last month, Rosé said that she was hesitant to release the track but still went through with it, all thanks to her team. “I remember going home from the studio kind of freaked out. Is this okay, that I’ve written a song about a drinking game?” she said. She then asked her team to delete the song from their phones, only to realize that they were already crazy over it.
She and Mars also opted to honor her Korean roots by sticking to the pronunciation of apartment—apateu—in Korean. Its punchy beat, meanwhile, takes inspiration from the 1982 hit song Hey Mickey by Toni Basil.
On Oct. 23, almost a week after its release, APT entered the Billboard charts at number 96. It rocketed to number one on the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excluding U.S. charts, where it has so far spent four weeks at the top. Not only that, the track became the fastest music video by a K-pop soloist to surpass 400 million views on YouTube—35 days since its release.
The hit track is also the lead single from Rosé’s first solo album, “rosie.” The album features 12 tracks and is described by the K-pop star as her “most personal and candid” project to date. It is slated for release on Dec. 6 through Atlantic Records and The Black Label.
Here are all the winners of 2024 MAMA Awards:
Artist of the Year: SEVENTEEN
Song of the Year: aespa – Supernova
Album of the Year: SEVENTEEN – “SEVENTEENTH HEAVEN”
Music Visionary of the Year: G-Dragon
Best Male Artist: Jungkook
Best Female Artist: IU
Best Male Group: SEVENTEEN
Best Female Group: aespa
Best Music Video: aespa – Armageddon
Best Rap & Hip Hop Performance: Zico – SPOT! (feat. Jennie)
Best Dance Performance Male Solo: Jungkook – Standing Next to You
Best Dance Performance Female Solo: Jennie – You & Me
Best Dance Performance Female Group: aespa – Supernova
Best Band Performance: QWER – T.B.H
Best Vocal Performance Group: (G)I-DLE – Fate
Best Vocal Performance Solo: BIBI – Bam Yang Gang
Best OST: Crush – Love You With All My Heart (Queen of Tears OST)
Best Collaboration: Zico – SPOT! (feat. Jennie)
Best Choreography: aespa – Supernova
Visa Super Stage: SEVENTEEN
Favorite Global Trending Music: Byeon Woo Seok
Favorite Asian Artist: INI
Global Sensation Award: Bruno Mars and Rosé – APT
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