Blackpink’s Rosé has been booked and busy in the latter half of 2024! Ahead of her highly anticipated debut studio album Rosie, set to release on Dec. 6, Rosé surprised fans by dropping an unexpected collab with none other than Bruno Mars. On Oct. 18, the singers released their new song“Apt.,” along with a 2000s nostalgia, pop-punk-inspired music video. If you had the chance to listen and are wondering what this fun and flirty song is about, you’re in luck. I dissected the lyrics so you don’t have to!
Mars and Rosé first teased the collaboration on their Instagram accounts, where they uploaded pictures together on Oct. 16. Mars’s post, particularly his caption, piqued fan’s interest in a potential joint project, as he wrote, “So this was me hanging on for dear life after @roses_are_rosie introduced me to this Korean drinking game and got me saucy.” He continued, “Soon after, she tried to kiss me, and I was like ‘woah Rosie! what part of the game is this?’ She was like, ‘I ain’t playin games wit you anymore lil boy! Big Rosie bout that BIDNESS!’ Shaken, I replied ‘Stop Rosie, I’m scared!’ But other than that, super chill night.”
So, what was Mars referring to? The name “Apt.” may offer you a clue as to what he was talking about. Rosé told Vogue that the inspiration for the song came from the Korean drinking game “Apartment.” In the interview, she confessed her initial reservations about referencing it in the song. “I remember going home [from the studio] kind of freaked out,” she said. “Is this OK, that I’ve written a song about a drinking game?”
Before I get ahead of myself, we need to talk about the beginning of the song, which introduces the chorus with Rosé singing, “Apateu, apateu/Apateu, apateu/Apateu, apateu/Uh, uh-huh, uh-huh/Apateu, apateu/Apateu, apateu/Apateu, apateu/Uh, uh-huh, uh-huh.”
“Apateu” is the Korean pronunciation of apartment, and it closely resembles the actual game’s rules as it’s generally chanted before the game begins. The game consists of a group of people stacking their hands on top of each other as the first person calls out a number. From then on, each individual, beginning with the one whose hands are at the bottom, must call out a number. If a member of the group calls out the number the first person already said, they must drink.
The song continues with the first verse still sung by Rosé, singing, “Kissy face, kissy face/
Sent to your phone, but/ I’m tryna kiss your lips for real (Uh-huh, uh-huh).” The lyrics connect to what Mars teased in his Instagram caption before the song’s release. The lyrics emphasize Rosé’s casual flirtation while she longs to be closer to the person she’s talking about. She continues singing, “Red hearts, red hearts/ That’s what I’m on, yeah/ Come give me somethin’ I can feel, oh-oh-oh.” Rosé expresses her desire to show the recipient love and hopes they will reciprocate those feelings.
In the pre-chorus, Rosé sings, “Don’t you want me like I want you, baby?/ Don’t you need me like I need you now?/ Sleep tomorrow, but tonight, go crazy/All you gotta do is just meet me at thе-.” The chorus continues with Rosé hoping that the person will return her love for them. She playfully invites the person to enjoy the moment with her as long as they meet at the apartment, which is repeated through the chorus.
Mars begins the song’s second verse, singing, “It’s whatever, it’s whatever, it’s whatever you like (Hoo)/Turn this apateu into a club (Uh, uh-huh, uh-huh.” Mars reiterates Rosé’s desire to relish in the moment. He continues, “I’m talkin’ drink, dance, smoke, freak, party all night (Come on)/ Geonbae, geonbae, girl, what’s up? Oh-oh, oh.” Geonbae is a Korean phrase meaning “Cheers” that directly translates to “empty glass.” This may correspond to the English equivalent of “bottom’s up.” The addition of the term contributes to the song’s upbeat vibe and enjoyable parallels with the game details.
The song begins to close out toward the bridge, as both Rosé and Mars sing about inviting each other to tag along, singing: “Hey, so now you know the game/ Are you ready? ‘Cause I’m comin’ to get ya, get ya, get ya/Hold on, hold on/I’m on my way/Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah/I’m on my way/Hold on, hold on/I’m on my way/Yeah, yeah, yeah-yeah, yeah/I’m on my way.”
I think it’s time to play Apartment with my friends the next time we go out!