Bruno Mars and K-pop star Rosé performed their viral hit “APT” for the first time on Friday at an awards ceremony in Osaka, Japan, the event organizer said.
The duo's title – inspired by a South Korean drinking game famous among students in particular – was released last month and its clip has already been viewed nearly 400 million times on the YouTube platform.
Its 2000s electro-pop energy and its refrain “apateu”, which means apartment in Korean, immediately enjoyed worldwide success and sparked a craze via choreographies on social networks, the song being ranked among the most popular on TikTok in recent years. recent weeks.
South Korean Music television channel Mnet announced on its website earlier in the day that the artists would give the “world's first performance” of “APT.” Friday at the Mnet Asian Music Awards (MAMA) in Japan.
This annual event is a major ceremony for the K-pop cultural phenomenon. Organized in different countries over the years, the 2024 show is divided between one evening in Los Angeles and two evenings in the Japanese city of Osaka.
“The song was born from my favorite drinking game, and I didn't expect it to be so loved,” Rosé said as the duo accepted the “Global Sensation” award.
“Gamsahamnida!” said American singer Mars: the Korean word for “thank you.”
Rosé, 27, is a member of the ultra-popular group Blackpink – the first K-pop girl group to reach the top of the US Billboard 200 and the first Asian artists to headline the US Coachella festival.
She began working with Bruno Mars after signing a solo contract with Atlantic Records, also his label, according to an interview with the cultural magazine iD.
“I knew people would want to dance to it, but I didn't know everyone would jump on it so quickly after release, because we announced it at the last minute,” she said.
Some South Korean students even avoided listening to “APT.” before a crucial college entrance exam last week, deeming the song too catchy and distracting.
Rosé, real name Roseanne Park, was born in New Zealand to a South Korean family and grew up in Australia before training to become a K-pop star.
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