After a long studio session in Los Angeles, Rose I needed to let my hair down. So she taught fellow songwriters Omer Fedi and Amy Allen the Korean drinking game at McDonald's late night. This included a chant that coincidentally surfaced the next day. “She randomly started saying:Apathetic, apathetic“- recalls producer Tsirkut. “And that’s it – we knew that we had to write this song.”
This song became “APT.”, a collaboration with Bruno Mars that bridges languages, cultures and genres in a way not seen since the success of Psy's “Gangnam Style” in 2012. For Rosé, “APT” is a success. provided validation. “It feels surreal because this song carries so much of my culture,” she says. “This proves to me that even if I can stay true to myself, I can still break records and make the whole world sing and dance along.”
This is an incredible result for a song that was almost canned. “I repeated this until the morning,” says Rosé. “Then a rush of emotion came over me and I thought, 'I need everyone to delete this' – I was overwhelmed.” However, the genie is out of the bottle. “Everyone I played for kept writing to me saying they couldn’t get it out of their head.”
“Looking back, my biggest contribution to APT was.” “I jumped on the idea as soon as it came into the room,” says Cirkut. Rosé and the assembled songwriters began working on the “apateu” chorus while he focused on the beat. “My thoughts immediately went to the pop-punk drums and that energetic, cheerleading atmosphere that helped set the tone for the entire song.”
This approach suited another aspect of Rosé's personality: her Australian upbringing. The famous singing of the song reminded her of the country's sports cry. “It’s kind of like the Australian ‘Oops! Oh! Oops!” she says. “Even if you don’t know what it means, you just want to scream it.” As the cross-cultural blend took shape, the team still felt there was an ingredient missing.
This is where J. Rouzbehani, senior vice president of A&R at Atlantic Records, comes into the story. “Rose expressed her respect for Bruno Mars,” recalls Rouzbekhani. “So when she came to L.A., we introduced them and we liked them immediately.” Rouzbekhani later played several demos of Mars and “APT”. stood out to him.
“The skeleton of the record was laid out from the very beginning,” explains Rouzbekhani. “When Bruno No. 20 stepped in, they rewrote the first verse together, taking the production to the next level.” This energy was felt by everyone in the room. Ruzbekhani says, “They would come out of the studio and play me a new version, and come back and come out again.” She adds: “We all felt it was something special.”
“One of the biggest turning points was when Bruno heard the song,” says Cirkut. “He really got hands-on, playing the drums live instead of my programmed drums and bass and everything else.” Mars turned out to be the ideal creative backdrop for Rosé. “His vocals complemented hers perfectly,” Cirkut adds. “That’s when I realized this could be huge.”
For Rosé, the record was transformative. “I still feel like I’m dreaming,” she says. That gratitude carried over into her debut solo album, Rosie, which she describes as “a time capsule of my 20s. It's me becoming independent, reflecting on my emotions and becoming my full, authentic self,” she says. “I put my heart and soul into this.”
Even with solo success, Grammy nominations and chart-topping records, Rosé is focused on what's next. “Next year feels like a new chapter,” she says. “I have so many ideas, but I bring them to life every day.” She pauses, as if contemplating the possibilities that lie ahead. “I’m just excited,” she beams. “I am a person who enjoys life.”
Songwriters: Chae Young Park, Amy Allen, Christopher Brodie Brown, Roger Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Theron Thomas, Henry Walter, Michael Chapman, Nicholas Chinn
Producers: Bruno Mars, Kuru, Omer Fedi, Reed Chahanid
Amy Allen, songwriter
Circus, producer
Omer Fedi, songwriter
J. Rouzbehani, Senior Vice President, A&R, Atlantic Music Group
Theron Thomas, songwriter
