Hot off the success of his chart-topping duet with Lady Gaga, Die With a Smile, Bruno Mars is back with another high-profile collaboration—this time teaming up with K-pop superstar ROSÉ for their new single APT., which dropped on Friday, October 18.
The track serves as the lead single from ROSÉ’s highly anticipated debut solo studio album rosie. The singer promises to be a deeply personal project, describing it as a “little journal” of her experiences. The album title reflects a more intimate side of her, as “Rosie” is the name her friends and family use. This project marks a significant step in her career, allowing fans to get closer to her as an artist beyond her BLACKPINK persona.
The inspiration behind the song is rooted in ROSÉ’s favorite Korean drinking game, Apartment, which gives the single a unique and personal touch. She revealed to Vogue: “I remember going home [from the studio] kind of freaked out. Is this OK, that I’ve written a song about a drinking game?”. The K-pop singer even asked her team to delete the song, only to find out they really loved it. She also revealed that the duo sticked to the Korean pronounciation of “apartment” (apateu, or 아파트) to honor ROSÉ’s Korean roots.
APT. is Mars’ first release since teaming up with Lady Gaga on Die With a Smile, which reached No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100. The artist previously collaborated with Andreson .Paak on An Evening With Silk Sonic (2021), however, his last solo album was in 2016, with 24k Magic. His collaboration with ROSÉ is just another example that showcases Mars’ versatility as a genre-crossing artist.
In the days leading up to the release, the duo teased the collaboration on social media. Mars humorously recounted how ROSÉ introduced him to the Korean drinking game that inspired the song and jokingly revealed that she “tried to kiss” him.
The track’s accompanying music video, amplifies its playful vibe. Set against a punk-pink backdrop, the video features ROSÉ and Mars sporting leather jackets as they energetically perform in a retro-style setting. Their chemistry on screen matches the lighthearted tone of the track, making it visually as captivating as it is musically.
