How a Korean Drinking Game and McDonald’s Led to the Creation of Rosé’s ‘APT.’

After a long studio session in Los Angeles, Blackpink star Rosé felt the need to unwind. During a late-night meal at McDonald’s, she taught her collaborators, songwriters Omer Fedi and Amy Allen, a Korean drinking game. This game involved a specific chant that casually resurfaced the following day during their work. Producer Cirkut recalls that moment, stating that Rosé randomly started saying ‘Apateu, apateu’. It was at that precise moment they realised they simply had to create that song. That song ultimately became ‘APT.’, a Grammy-nominated collaboration with Bruno Mars that bridges languages, cultures, and genres in a manner not witnessed since Psy’s 2012 smash hit ‘Gangnam Style’.

For Rosé, the phenomenal success of ‘APT.’ has provided a sense of validation. She has stated that the experience feels surreal because the song carries so much of her culture within it. To her, it proves that even whilst staying true to her authentic self, she can still break records and have the entire world singing and dancing along. However, it is quite remarkable that this song was almost cancelled. Rosé admits that she had the track on repeat until the morning, and then, overcome by a rush of emotion, she told everyone to delete it as she felt overwhelmed. However, the genie was already out of the bottle. Everyone she had played it for kept texting her, saying they could not get the tune out of their heads.

G Rouzbehani, the senior VP of A&R at Atlantic Records, enters the story at a crucial juncture. Rosé had expressed how much she looked up to Bruno Mars. Consequently, when she arrived in Los Angeles, they were introduced, and they clicked immediately. When Bruno Mars jumped on the track, they rewrote the first verse together, and he played live drums and bass, elevating the production to another level. According to Cirkut, Bruno’s vocals complemented hers perfectly. regarding her upcoming debut solo album, ‘Rosie’, she describes it as a time capsule of her 20s. It represents her becoming independent, reflecting on her emotions, and being her full, authentic self.

A list of individuals involved in the creation of the song is provided below:

Khaborwala/ASN