How Rosé Found Her Voice on ‘APT.’ — With a Key Assist From Bruno Mars

After a long studio session in Los Angeles, Rosé needed to let her hair down. So she taught her collaborators — songwriters Omer Fedi and Amy Allen — a Korean drinking game over late-night McDonald’s. It involved a chant that casually resurfaced the following day. “She randomly started saying, ‘Apateu, apateu,’” producer Cirkut recalls. “And that was it — we knew we had to make that song.”

That song became “APT.,” a Grammy-nominated collaboration with Bruno Mars that bridges languages, cultures and genres in a way not seen since Psy’s 2012 smash “Gangnam Style.” For Rosé, the success of “APT.” provided validation. “It feels surreal, because the song carries so much of my culture,” she says. “It proves to me that even if I can stay true to my authentic self, I can still break records and have the whole world sing and dance along.”

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It’s an incredible outcome for a song that was almost canned. “I had it on repeat till morning,” Rosé says. “Then a rush of emotion came through, and I was like, ‘I need to get everybody to delete it’ — I was overwhelmed.” However, the genie was out of the bottle. “Everyone I played it for kept texting me saying they couldn’t get it out of their heads.”

“Looking back, my biggest contribution to ‘APT.’ was jumping on the idea the moment it hit the room,” Cirkut says. Rosé and the assembled songwriters got to work on the “apateu” hook, while he focused on the beat. “My mind immediately went to pop-punk drums and that high-energy, cheerleader kind of vibe — that helped set the tone for the whole song.”

That approach aligned with another facet of Rosé’s identity: her upbringing in Australia. The song’s iconic chant reminded her of the country’s go-to sporting cry. “It’s kind of like the Aussie ‘Oi! Oi! Oi!,’” she says. “Even if you don’t know what it means, you just want to shout it.” As the crosscultural concoction took shape, the team still felt like an ingredient was missing.

That’s where G Rouzbehani, senior VP of A&R at Atlantic Records, enters the story. “Rosé expressed how much she looked up to Bruno Mars,” Rouzbehani recalls. “So when she came to L.A., we introduced them, and they clicked right away.” Later, Rouzbehani played Mars a handful of demos, and “APT.” stood out to him.

“The skeleton of the record was there from the very beginning,” Rouzbehani explains. “When Bruno No. 20 jumped on, they rewrote the first verse together, elevated the production and took it to another level.” That energy was felt by everyone in the room. Rouzbehani says, “They’d come out of the studio and play me a new version, go back in and come out again.” She adds, “We all felt it was special.”

“One of the biggest turning points was when Bruno heard the song,” Cirkut says. “He got really hands-on, playing live drums over my programmed drums, bass, everything.” Mars turned out to be the perfect creative foil for Rosé. “His vocals complemented hers perfectly,” Cirkut adds. “That’s when I realized it could be huge.”

For Rosé, the record was transformative. “It still feels like I’m dreaming,” she says. That gratitude carried over to her debut solo album, “Rosie,” which she describes as “a time capsule of my 20s. It’s me becoming independent and reflecting on my emotions and being my full, authentic self,” she says. “I poured my heart and soul into it.”

Even with solo success, Grammy nominations and chart records to her name, Rosé is focused on what’s next. “Next year feels like another chapter,” she says. “I have so many ideas, but I’m taking it a day at a time.” She pauses as if to ponder the possibilities ahead of her. “I’m just excited,” she beams. “I’m a human being who’s excited for life.”

Songwriters: Chae Young Park, Amy Allen, Christopher Brody Brown, Rogét Chahayed, Omer Fedi, Philip Lawrence, Bruno Mars, Theron Thomas, Henry Walter, Michael Chapman, Nicholas Chinn

Producers: Bruno Mars, Cirkut, Omer Fedi, Rogét Chahayed

Hitmakers:

Amy Allen, songwriter

Cirkut, producer

Omer Fedi, songwriter

G Rouzbehani, SVP, A&R, Atlantic Music Group

Theron Thomas, songwriter