What does 'Apateu' mean? BLACKPINK's Rosé's Korean references on her new track 'Apt' with Bruno Mars leave internet in awe

On October 18, BLACKPINK’s Rosé dropped her highly anticipated pre-release single Apt from her upcoming solo album Rosie. Featuring American pop sensation Bruno Mars, the song quickly grabbed attention for its catchy tune and, more notably, its intriguing title.

Internet was curious about the meaning of the word 'apt', and they wondered if the song was connected to a Korean drinking game. Apt (short for apartment) is inspired by a traditional Korean drinking game called "Apateu," which is derived from the English word "apartment."

The song blends this cultural reference with pop beats, making it stand out from Rosé’s previous releases. Unlike her more mellow earlier tracks, Apt is a vibrant, full-on pop song, with both artists sticking to the Korean pronunciation "apateu" (아파트) throughout the lyrics.

The catchy repetition of "apateu apateu" in the chorus is a direct nod to the chant used during the game, where participants shout the phrase before kicking off a round. In the song's intro, there's another clever callback to the "Random Game," a popular game where the loser of the previous round picks the next game to play.

In this case, the K-pop idol humorously chooses to play "Apateu." This playful element is reflected in the energy of the track, which seeks to bring the fun and spontaneity of Korean culture to life.

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BLACKPINK’s Rosé admits she hesitated to release a song inspired by a drinking game, even asking her team to delete it

Rosé explained the inspiration behind the track during an exclusive interview with Vogue. She shared that the idea for "Apt" came from her love of the Apartment game, but she initially had doubts about writing a song based on it. She stated,

“I remember going home [from the studio] kind of freaked out. Is this OK, that I’ve written a song about a drinking game?”

However, her team quickly grew attached to the song, and the track was soon set for release.

As the song gained worldwide attention, fans immediately picked up on the distinct Korean cultural references throughout the music video.

Viewers were quick to praise the K-pop star for incorporating elements that pay homage to her heritage, ensuring she stays connected to her roots. An X user, @jisooswar wrote:

"THE WHOLE KOREA GONNA WAKE UP TO ROSÉ MAKING BRUNO SING IN KOREAN LIKEEEEEEE."

"rosé not forgetting her roots by adding korean lyrics, using a korean game, putting a mini korean flag in the mv and even making bruno singing in korean a bit," a fan commented.

"She deciding to spread the korean language to the global audience with her bruno collab i know south korea are feeling proud right now," another user wrote.

"She didn’t forget about Korea! She’s great," a person remarked.

In a brief yet notable part of the video, Bruno Mars even sang a few lines in Korean and was spotted holding miniature South Korean flags, further emphasizing the song's cultural nods and delighting fans globally.

"Had him with the flags and everything!," an X user wrote.

"I love that Rosé released an English song but incorporated Korean culture in it. I think it shows that rosie will be an album that represents both her western and eastern side," a fan commented.

Since its release, the music video for Apt has made waves, quickly becoming the most-liked music video by a female-male duo in 2024 within 24 hours on YouTube, amassing over 1.1 million likes.

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Meanwhile, the BLACKPINK vocalist's solo album, Rosie is set to release on December 6, 2024.