rosie is the debut album by K-pop singer ROSÉ, and is titled after one of her nicknames. It’s also the artist’s first solo record, and is mainly pop with RnB influences. It was preceded by two singles, including “APT.”, a collaboration with Bruno Mars, which received major success on the charts and gained 400 million views for its music video in a month.
T R A C K L I S T
1. number one girl
2. 3am
3. two years
4. toxic till the end
5. drinks or coffee
6. APT. (with Bruno Mars)
7. gameboy
8. stay a little longer
9. not the same
10. call it the end
11. too bad for us
12. dance all night
ROSÉ is from Australia and is based in South Korea. She has been a member of BLɅϽKPIИK (BLACKPINK) since 2016, one of the most famous K-pop groups as they have dominated not only K-pop but the rest of the music scene as well. She began her solo career in 2021 with her double single R, and three years later announced her debut album would be released on December 6, 2024.
number one girl
rosie begins with a ballad, although “number one girl” is not fully piano driven, as drums are added to the production halfway through. The core of the song contains a soulful melody and vocals from ROSÉ, belting in the chorus as she asks her crush/love interest to return the same feelings she has for them. She wants them to see her as the main person in their life, and she wants to be appreciated and wants to be the girlfriend for her crush, who she loves and really wants to be with. “number one girl” is powerful overall, lyrically and sonically, but still a song of wanting in regards to potentially unrequited love, and a great way to open an album.
3am
The feelings of intense adoration and wanting spill over into “3am”. This is an upbeat and fun pop song, guitar chords mixed with a trap beat, combined with an addictive chorus and its vocal effects (the line “Eh, eh, eh, eh, eh, eh”). ROSÉ voluntarily ignores all relationship survival instincts and chooses to look past all warnings in the name of love. She is so obsessed with her crush that she sees only the good in them, despite what other people might say in opposition. ROSÉ finds comfort in this person, knowing they will be there for her at any time, including even at moments that aren’t the best, luring her into a false sense of security that this person is fully trustworthy, when they are not.
3. two years
This song is about being unable to let someone go, and in this case, an ex-partner. Despite a lot of time passing, ROSÉ still thinks about this person and misses them, even though she has tried to work past these feelings. She realizes this person was not good for her, during and after the relationship, which is why she ended things with this person. However, she is tricked by nostalgia, making her think the good parts of the relationship defined the entirety of it, which is why she misses it, but this is not true due to nostalgia playing tricks on the mind to make you think something that occurred in the past was positive, even though it was not. “two years” features distinctive vocal effects, which do not disrupt ROSÉ’s amazing singing.
4. toxic till the end
“toxic till the end” describes a pernicious relationship. Being “on-and-off” with a partner adds difficulty to the relationship you have with them, which is what ROSÉ details in the track. Her ex-partner is a bad person, singing “Jealous and possessive // So manipulating”. The toxicity was present throughout the relationship, a different message from “two years”, where ROSÉ sang about missing her ex. She now realizes the relationship was never good, and there was nothing to be nostalgic about or miss. The production of “toxic till the end” consists of a synth reminiscent of an electric guitar that increases in volume and tempo during the choruses, but is more muted during the second verse.
5. drinks or coffee
A unique beat is aligned with a dance and ambient synth to make “drinks or coffee” the dark pop and club anthem song it is. Crushing hard makes its return to this 80s pop inspired track, as ROSÉ knows the feelings between her and her crush are suddenly mutual after realizing she is attracted to them. The crush grows so quickly over a short period of time that it does not matter to her if they share that they have these feelings to each other that night or the next morning, just as long as they end up together, since she is now starting to fall for them. The lyrics presumably take place at a club, which is mirrored perfectly by the production of “drinks or coffee”.
6. APT. (with Bruno Mars)
While “Mickey” by Toni Basil has been sampled frequently in popular music, “APT.” is yet another creative and expansive take on the song. With Bruno Mars (who is also one of the songwriters for “number one girl”), he and ROSÉ came together to make the powerhouse leading single for rosie. Their singing voices perfectly blend together, partly due to both of them being such talented vocalists with large ranges. An example of this is during the bridge, where ROSÉ raises her voice up an octave, and then Mars echoes his voice along with her’s. Lyrically, the song is another account of ROSÉ asking out her crush due to strong romantic feelings she has for them.
gameboy
“gameboy” has a mixture of different guitar chords with a pop-trap beat, with an increasing and decreasing synth in the background. More vocal effects can be found on this track. The common theme in music of how men like to play games makes the title of the song a play on words. ROSÉ realizes a former love interest was actually not what they seemed at all, revealing themselves to be childish and immature. The song is most likely referencing “3am”, where she saw the signs of this person being a bad partner and proceeded to date them. Now, she regrets not seeing her ex for who they were at the start of the relationship.
8. stay a little longer
A piano pop song that transforms into a RnB one, and the longest track on the album, “stay a little longer” is about a breakup that is taking a mental and physical toll on ROSÉ, who is asking her partner not to leave her, a new definition of the wanting she had previously for them to be with her. She already feels broken at the end of the relationship, and she feels as though if this is the last time she sees this person, she will become more heartbroken. Alongside ROSÉ’s stupendous vocals are beautiful piano and guitar arrangements, making you feel as though you are on the beach listening to the track. Not only is this song outstanding, but the guitar solo just ties everything together.
9. not the same
“not the same” is a bossa nova inspired track, the production solely containing multiple guitar lines, excluding the organ that appears towards the end of the song, as ROSÉ easily switches octaves throughout the song. She regrets putting faith into a relationship that did not work out and a partner that did not actually love her back. The relationship that she put a lot of work into does not appear to be what it once was, which adds to the pain of the reveal of her significant other not sharing the same dedication to the relationship that she had. ROSÉ also regrets giving this person a second chance in the relationship, as this is not the first time they have put the relationship in jeopardy.
10. call it the end
Another wonderful ballad makes up the tenth track of rosie. It is apparent to ROSÉ that the relationship she is in has taken a turn for the worst, and is unsalvageable. She recognizes that the only choice left is to leave her significant other after previous confusion on what their status is. She believes the relationship should end, as it can no longer survive, and she sings “I’m a better me because of you”. She remarks on trying to remain hopeful to repair the romance, and once saw a way that this could have happened, but if something does not feel right, including continuing a relationship, then you should not pursue it, which is the case for this song.
11. too bad for us
ROSÉ uses symbolism in “too bad for us” to represent her failing relationship. Referencing her name, she calls the relationship a “desert” that is unable to grow “roses”, roses being the good parts of what a relationship should be, which is now barren like a desert. Her and her significant other essentially have the right ingredients to a healthy relationship, but they do not know how to combine them, which has led to a break up. “too bad for us” is mostly an acoustic song, but adds in dynamic drums halfway through, similarly to “number one girl”. Towards the end of the song, during the bridge, there is a gradual increase of the tempo, adding a distinctive part to the track.
12. dance all night
A RnB-pop song is the perfect way to close out such an amazing album such as rosie - especially with a piano solo. “dance all night” is as if the end credits of a movie were transformed into a song. The tracks of this album all discussed wanting, whether it was ROSÉ wanting someone or wanting her relationship to end. Now, she just wants to dance to look towards better things beyond the hardships she faced throughout the record. The production of the track is very uplifting and reminiscent of the easy-listening genre, especially with the guitar chords. The melody is very lovely, as well as the harmonies, especially during the choruses and bridge.
I loved this album so much and I think this is a great way to start a solo career - with a 10/10 debut record. Not only do ROSÉ’s vocals encapsulate the heart of each and every track, but the album also has a roster of iconic songwriters and producers in pop, such as Amy Allen and Greg Kurstin, making it pop perfection. ROSÉ is also a songwriter for every track, and she has impeccable literary craftsmanship, describing how it feels to want to be with someone no matter what, and also to experience toxic relationships. This album came in with a bang, not only with APT. being the successful leading single, but this being ROSÉ's first solo album and first debut album, and I believe its release was handled exceptionally.
Written By Ashley Adams
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