Album Review: “rosie” by ROSÉ
Upon listening to the single “APT.” off of Rosé’s freshman album, rosie, I knew I needed to review the rest of the songs when it came out. The album, rosie, is an excellent example of pure pop music but with its own freshness and personal flair. With slower, more vulnerable songs like “number one girl” – the second single off the album, “stay a little longer”, and “call it the end”, Rosé manages to convey raw and genuine emotion while still making songs accessible for everyone. At the same time, Rosé demonstrates her versatility with playful, danceable songs like “3am” and “APT.”, and cements herself as ROSÉ, not “just” a member of BLACKPINK.
The power of the K-pop girl group, BLACKPINK, is very well known, as they have dominated charts, filled popular media with their songs, and performed exquisitely. With 9 Billboard Hot 100 entries from BLACKPINK, most notably “Pink Venom” and “Ice Cream” with Selena Gomez, Rosé no doubt had big shoes to fill. Rosé’s first solo singles, titled “On The Ground” and “Gone”, are two beautiful and interesting songs released in 2021 but they struggled to gain the same commercial success as her work with BLACKPINK. “APT.” and its mother album, rosie, have already received far more success despite only being released in October and December respectively. “APT.” peaked on the Billboard Hot 100 at #8 and has spent 8 weeks on the chart while rosie debuted at #3 on the Billboard 200. Despite holiday songs typically filling the charts during this season, as of writing, Rosé’s “APT.” has maintained its #1 spot in the Global Hot 200, a feat not easily accomplished.
While on first listen some of the tracks felt muddled, upon re-listening, each of the 12 tracks on rosie are well-utilized and serve a purpose within the record. However, three particular tracks stood out for me.
3. Track 10: “call it the end”
Towards the end of the album, Rosé’s song “call it the end” stands out as an emotional ballad that expresses confusion and heartbreak as she reflects on her past relationship. Through her lyricism, Rosé expresses a lack of meaning of the end of the relationship and struggles to move forward.. seems to struggle finding a meaning for the experience and isn’t sure how to move forward. With a heart wrenching chorus and painful verses, the song is undoubtedly sad, but with lyrics like “So if we don’t see it through, I’m a better me because of you”, the song becomes more bittersweet. Despite the pain portrayed in the song, the underlying appreciation for her ex partner remains. Though the songs are tailored for a mainstream audience, the poetic nature of her lyrics remains, “We’re at a crossroad/And we don’t know which way to go/Part of me lost hope/And part of me just can’t let go/We said we’d cross those bridges when they came/Now it’s time to give it a name.” Similarly, Rosé plays with contrast in the chorus with the lines, “Do I call you my ex or do I call you my boyfriend?/Call you a lover, do I call you a friend?/Call you the one or the one that got away?/ Someone I’ll just have to forget/ Do I call you every night you’re gone or never call you again?/ Do we have a future or should I call it the end?” By comparing the opposing options, Rosé shows the contradictory emotions associated with a breakup and the confusion felt upon losing an ex partner. Her lyricism is clever in the way she uses wordplay, relatable in the incorporation of her personal experiences, and genuine in her decision to address her previous partner rather than directing questions to listeners or simply telling a story. We hear the intimate thoughts in Rosé’s head and listen to her going through the motions.
2. Track 6: “APT.” with Bruno Mars
It is no surprise that “APT.” with Bruno Mars is in my top 3 picks from the album. The song incorporates personality, playfulness, and a seamless mix of vocals from the two pop stars. As is demonstrated by the song’s popularity and success, “APT.” is catchy and sonically pleasing while also having an interesting backstory. The only song on the album that has Korean lyrics, “APT.” is short for “apateu” or “apartment”. Specifically, Rosé references a Korean drinking game at the beginning of the track by recreating its iconic chant and tying it back together in the bridge with the lyrics, “Hey, so now you know the game/Are you ready?/Cause I’m coming to get ya!”. Rosé’s inclusion of Korean culture in the song adds her own personal flair and celebrates her culture in a subtle but significant way. The pre-chorus of the song easily gets stuck in your head and builds up to its unforgettable chorus. The rest of the lyrics are lively and fun, combining well with Rosé and Bruno’s flirtatious dynamic and the song’s unique but danceable backing track.
1. Track 8: “stay a little longer”
My favorite song off the album has to be “stay a little longer”, a song that grieves the loss of an unhealthy relationship in a relatable yet raw way. Of all the tracks, the vocals on “stay a little longer" stuck out as the strongest and the lyricism was clever and intentional. It is a beautiful ballad showing desperation and pain upon seeing a partner leave but reaffirms the harmful nature of the relationship. Rosé’s voice, particularly in the chorus, is raw yet composed, heartbreaking yet beautiful, and vulnerable yet powerful. She conveys a feeling of longing and loss both in the use of words and by honing her instrument, her voice. Along with “call it the end”, the lyrics of this song amazed me, especially upon learning that “stay a little longer” has the fewest songwriters of any of the songs along with “dance all night”. The lyrics, “Make me want to hate you/So I don’t have to miss you”, “Make a mistake/So someone’s to blame”, and “Stay a little longer/Take a little longer/To pack up your bags/You’re moving too fast” feel like a punch to the gut as they convey both longing for her ex partner and the desire to forget about them. Rosé still holds affection for her ex partner and yearns for an easier way out. Her lyricism adds to the personal feeling of heartbreak in the song while still being easy to connect with.
The album is very cohesive yet each song remains original and can stand alone. The storytelling in the album is beautiful, showing several stages of grief, conflicting feelings, and a whirlwind of emotions, only for the end to inspire hope. On the albums first track,” number one girl”, Rosé sings of her desire for reassurance from her partner and a feeling of inadequacy. The second track, “3am”, details an unhealthy relationship that Rosé chooses to stay in, going as far as to say, “I just saw a red flag/Gonna pretend I didn’t see that” in the beginning lines. Much of the other songs of the album are about recovering from this relationship with songs like “two years”, “stay a little longer”, and “call it the end” exuding the feeling of mourning and loss. In contrast, songs like “gameboy”, “toxic to the end”, and “not the same” similarly detail the aftermath of the relationship but have a more angry, bitter feeling. The second to last track, “too bad for us”, again demonstrates a feeling of loss and sadness, but also of acceptance. While Rosé is sad that it happened, she recognizes that there was no other way. The final song, “dance all night”, still has a sad undertone but houses a very hopeful message. It focuses on dancing through the rainstorm and allowing oneself to be sad while also enjoying life. With the lyric in the chorus saying, “I would dance all night/Not care about the heartache in my life/Oh, and I would not obsess/Over all the little things I don’t regret.” It is the perfect end to an emotional album and ends the story with a feeling of acceptance.
It is clear that Rosé is still finding her voice and style, but this album demonstrates that she is a pop force to be reckoned with. Overall, I would strongly recommend this album, as it seems to have something for everyone. From slow ballads, to bitter bops, and finally, playful tunes, the album carries a wide range of songs yet each of them fit together to make a beautiful record.