The world of K-pop is much less glamorous than it seems, according to the megastar. The Blackpink singer, who has just released her debut solo album Rosie today, recently shared in a candid interview about the struggles of being “perfect” in an industry that has been so highly glamourised in years past.
For Rosie, the 27-year-old singer, whose full name is Roseanne Park, released 12 tracks as part of the full-length album, including the earworm “APT.” featuring Bruno Mars and number one girl. Alongside the catchy tunes, the Korean-Australian singer-songwriter also opens up about some of the most raw and vulnerable parts of her life through her music. For “number one girl”, the proud songwriter said, “I’m always just trying my best to be my best version, but I felt a little lost and like I was never good enough. I was a bit cranky against the world. And I wanted to write a song that’s just so, like, disgustingly open and honest. Things that I hate myself for thinking—all those thoughts that are written in those lyrics are thoughts that I don’t want to admit that I actually think.”
After being in the K-pop system for four years as a trainee before debuting as a quarter of the worldwide sensation Blackpink in 2016, the idol realised she was tired of constantly being perfect in every way. Becoming a K-pop star doesn’t just happen overnight, it’s a long, gruelling process that often begins when trainees are mere teenagers. Rosé was just 19 years old when she made her debut with Blackpink, but by then it was already made clear to her that expectations were high. After all, she needed to show the world that she was worthy of being on stage, worthy of the spot that thousands of other people longed for. And when you factor in the pressures of coming from one of the most successful management labels in Korea, it could almost be too much.
In these conditions, Rosé admits to struggling to keep up, especially at the start. During the first few years after making her debut, she started to realise that she wasn’t allowed to make mistakes. She frankly shares, “The first few years were very difficult for me, personally. But a few years in, I started picking it up and learning.” She began to realise that she wasn’t allowed to make mistakes. “I feel like the transition of now having to be on camera and being an artist and presenting to the world who I am, that’s something we [as members of Blackpink] just had to learn as we went,” says Rosé. Learning to find her footing in the world was something that no training at YG Entertainment could have prepared her for.
Another aspect of being trained in the K-pop system is the industry’s ‘no dating in public’ rule. While the reason for this remains unconfirmed, people suspect that it’s part of labels’s desires to allow idols to be seen as attainable and approachable, allowing fans to form a parasocial “relationship” with their favourite stars. But that aside, with the album, Rosé opens up about her previous relationships, in an unprecedented move for the star (and for her Blackpink teammates, as well). In one song, “toxic till the end”, she includes the line “Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you: the ex”; and it seems the pop star is no longer hiding her relationships away from the world. Now, fans online can’t stop speculating about who this “toxic” ex is, but Rosé doesn’t seem bothered by the attention her love life has been getting.
For her, the point of her telling these stories about her lived experiences is more about the art of her music, and less about the love stories. These love stories, according to Rosé, are not commonly talked about in the idol world. She shares, “It isn’t normal. But also it’s just not normal for me too. I had never really spoken about it too, because I feel like there’s no need for me to ever confirm anything or talk about it. But that’s why this album means a lot to me, because these things are just inspirations for my art. I do want to make sure that that’s very well addressed: The fact that it’s not about the story of who Rosie has been with or whatever. It’s really more about the art.”
This story first appeared on GRAZIA Singapore.
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