In the hyper-productive universe of K-pop, where success is often a question of algorithms rather than biography, ROSÉ represents an interesting exception: an artist who, in the midst of global triumph, allows herself the luxury of reflection.
In the meeting with Zane Lowe for Apple Music, the voice of BLACKPINK looks back on the year that literally changed her life, starting from the unstoppable rise of “APT.” — the collaboration with Bruno Mars that dominated 2025 — to arrive at a broader meditation on identity, creative time and emotional maturation.
What emerges is a surprisingly human tale, made of hesitations, belated intuitions and songs that grow as autonomous organisms, while the industry runs and the world of pop watches.
THE INTERVIEW
Zane Lowe: Can we take a moment to digest what the last 12 months have been like? Because they were a real life changer for you.
Yes, they were.
Zane Lowe: And I made that distinction on purpose, because you and your BLACKPINK friends all decided to move forward with your projects and did so very successfully and in a very individual way. And I had the feeling that each of you really managed to express your personal life, your passions, your tastes, in a unique way. So having you here today and being able to talk about these 12 months in which you established yourself even more must have been very gratifying for you and for all of you.
There's so much to digest and talk about. First of all, lately, I get to do these really fun things that I've never done or experienced before. The other day I was able to perform at the Grammy Museum. And also just being able to perform my songs on the radio and prepare for all of this. I think it's those moments in between, like those musical moments that we have in between, that make me realize how grateful I am to have my job, in the midst of all the crazy things that have happened. A lot of this is just upsetting and you're not sure how to process it. But I think in the midst of all of that, when you realize — like when I'm rehearsing with my band to play the songs from the album we released a year ago — that this is my job, I pinch myself.
Zane Lowe: It's really interesting because you released “APT.”. It exploded. She went crazy. The album came out, everyone liked it. But I would say that you didn't have a lot of time — tell me if it was a question of time or space — to do what most artists do, which is then spend a year or two honoring that record. You moved in different directions.
Oh, like right after.
Zane Lowe: Yes, right after.
Back on BLACKPINK stuff.
Zane Lowe: More or less, yes, after a few months. And then “APT.” it was doing its job and it went great.
Yes. She grew up with arms and legs of her own and started walking around the world. He did his thing.
Zane Lowe: Totally. And it was beautiful, because it's like saying: ok, but it must have seemed like you were experiencing success almost vicariously, in a strange way.
I mean, that's kind of how it felt to me. I describe all the songs on my album as if I had… how many songs did I have? There were 12 songs. I had 12 children. All with different personalities.
Zane Lowe: “APT.” she's a nerd. “APT.” he has crazy ambition.
Yes, yes. That's exactly how it feels. And so it's as if I were the parent at home, on social media, with glasses.
Zane Lowe: So proud.
Oh my God, … my fourth child. What's happening?
I think my self-awareness was telling me that it could be a life-changing song. It was fifty-fifty because obviously… she's different and I think that's why people are so drawn to her. Because the first thing you think is: what does “APT.” mean? Right? And I understood it because I know what it means and I know what it is. But before you start going around saying, “It's a drinking game,” and really getting people into the mood, it's a little bit… there's a learning curve. And so I was like… I don't know. And then I kept it to myself and I remember I washed myself, I went to bed, then I turned on the phone and I remember being like, “Play.” And then we'll see what happens.
I fell asleep, woke up and was waiting to see when I would get bored. And instead I kept it on loop all night. But as much as I obviously was enjoying it and immediately became addicted to it, there was something in me that said: I have to tell my producers and writers to delete it from their phones. Obviously I didn't want Circuit to delete it from his computer, but… I don't know. I needed it to stay in my hands until I had fully digested it. And it took me months. I kept it in my phone and politely asked everyone if they could delete it from theirs. And I just had it and I played it to people every now and then. And seeing the reactions of friends, parents, people, that's when I thought: “This song does something to people.” They reacted. And so until I naturally had that feeling… I wouldn't even promote it before I played it to someone. I just said, “It was born for fun.” And I would put it on and watch their reactions, and they were exactly the same as when I first introduced the drinking game to the producers in the room, the way they were like, “APT., what is this?”
Yes. And so when I started taking feedback one person at a time, and it all added up, and it seemed like most, if not all the people I played it to, kept coming back to it and texting me like, “Oh my God, I have that song in my head. You only played it to me once.” And I thought, “Okay, but maybe you're just being nice.” So all this has accumulated. And then he completely convinced me. That's when I accepted it as: I think this could be my single.
I always thought that if… because this is also my first experience, by the way, working on an album and writing songs and this whole publishing process. It's all new to me. I was really shocked because I always thought that when you write a song and it was written for something, it's about that, it's about a specific situation or emotion, but a year after it came out and maybe a year and a half after I wrote it, or almost two years, it speaks to me differently. I'm as much a listener as everyone else. When someone releases music and I think, “Oh my God, that song speaks so much to my life,” it's kind of like that. As I perform it, it speaks to my current life in different stories and forms and heals me in different ways. If that's why I wrote it, today it treats me in a completely different way.
Zane Lowe: It changes shape for you as your life progresses.
And I'm really excited to experience my own songs over the next, I don't know, 10 years, to see what they mean to me. It's so funny because I was also listening to some songs that I wrote after the album, but didn't release, even though I was very close to it… so it's like a year ago I wrote a song that hasn't come out yet. And I was getting ready and, out of nowhere, I forgot that song even existed. And I thought, “Let me look for it.” I found it, put it on and it brought back so many memories and emotions that I had forgotten I even had. And it's as if I wrote it and loved it and then I became a little detached from it. I thought: “No, I can't find myself there anymore. I don't…”. And then I listened to it again and it was like a completely new experience and I fell in love with it all over again. And I think it's the same experience even after releasing a song. And playing it, making new versions, it was also fun to do it with a band and explain to them how I relate to the song today and how I need it to sound today. It is continuous creative work. Even though the song is already out, it changes within me as I perform it, as it continues to live, as it continues to grow. And I always thought that once it was out, it was over.
Zane Lowe: Yes, on to the next one.
That's what I thought. But no, it's still evolving and I'm really enjoying this thing right now.
And with BLACKPINK in 2025 after solo projects
I think creative work is all about inspiration and you have to have enough creative freedom to be inspired to make music and create art.
And so, in a way, we all have this, and we brought it together in BLACKPINK. I was really, really excited to see what would happen and how we would evolve. I mean, I feel like “Jump” is just so fresh, and I'm obsessed with “Jump.” I feel like I love this era of BLACKPINK. And I think it has a lot to do with the fact that we went out for inspiration and then came back together. And it's like a completely new, funky thing and I love it. I'm obsessed with it. And then, getting back into the touring aspect and readjusting to how we function as a group, it was, I think, mentally challenging, because I think I had that year to focus on independence. I had to quickly learn to adapt to this life, where it's just me… I don't have three other members.
It's very different. And then adapt to that life. But then take those elements and repurpose them… and bring them back. It's like doing a lot of brain work. And I had already made a lot of it by working alone for a while. And so it was like, one by one, having to quickly readjust again. So a lot of mental work throughout the year. And I feel like I'm just starting to get the hang of it and then it's like: the tour is ending. And I think, “Wait, I was just starting to get the hang of it.” And I feel like that's how life goes. Most of the time you think: I was just starting to understand something and then it's already over.
