Despite our contemporary cosmopolitan era, the music of non-Western and non-English speaking cultures is seldom recognized in regions other than their own, as compared to the global reach of Western, English-speaking music. This fact begs the question: what is the most effective way for non-English speaking or Western artists to spread their music globally? Rosé, a member of K-pop group BLACKPINK, gives us an example. With 21.1 million streams, “APT” by Rosé (feat. Bruno Mars) broke the record for the biggest streaming week in Korean YouTube Music history, surpassing “Butter” by BTS. A successful case of cultural exportation, “APT” preserves Korean pop culture by ingeniously elaborating the theme on a drinking game while forging connections with the global audience through English lyrics and the collaboration with Bruno Mars.
Non-Western and non-English speaking musicians often encounter several obstacles when attempting to generate influence on a worldwide scale. An audience’s preference for domestic music, or “home bias,” describes the tendency of listeners to consume music originating nearby and featuring a shared language. For instance, the U.S. and Canada, which share both a language and a border, frequently consume each other’s music. Spain has its most substantial music trading with Chile and Argentina, two Spanish-speaking countries, as well as Portugal, a bordering country.
As a result of this tendency, some artists have tried to break such barriers by singing in the language of target markets. It is not uncommon to see musicians singing in English and K-pop artists releasing albums in Chinese and Japanese, even while not knowing the languages. They simply learn the phonetic pronunciation to complete the songs. The results of these attempts often are a mixed bag: musicians frequently struggle to demonstrate their full strengths or authentically represent their home culture, ultimately failing to establish a genuine connection with foreign audiences due to perfunctory efforts to understand foreign languages and cultures.
However, Rosé avoids these problems in “APT” by delicately setting Korean pop culture as the foundation while songwriting with Bruno Mars. She explains that the song was inspired by her favorite Korean drinking game, Apartment, which usually takes place in a fun social setting. The game-based concept is well suited to the song, as it is neither too heavy and serious nor too superficial. In tribute to Rosé’s Korean heritage, the duo use the Korean pronunciation of “apartment”—“apateu” (아파트)—throughout the song. The repetition of this phrase and the artists shaking and nodding their heads following its rhythm in the music video allow the audience to quickly understand this friend-gathering theme. Also in the music video, Rosé and Mars integrate a Korean cultural foundation by waving two South Korean flags while dancing along with the music, a friendly and lighthearted scene.
The combination of delightful pop-funk melodies and the welcoming lyrics capture a chill vibe and a warm atmosphere that encourages sociality and intercultural communication. Immersing themselves in the song, the audience can automatically energize their bodies by following the grooves. The last line in the bridge presents a warm message in inviting everyone to the party: “All you gotta do is just meet me at the 아파트, 아파트 (apartment)….” Born in New Zealand and raised in Australia, Rosé speaks fluent English in addition to Korean, so her articulation of the vocal lines and English lyrics blends her recognition of Korean culture and intention for intercultural collaborations into a harmonious whole. Together with Bruno Mars’s stylish musical characteristics, the two artists host a musical carnival for audiences across the world to meet each other and be entertained.
The pursuit of a global influence of non-Western and non-English-speaking musicians has always been a complex topic for analysis. With the dazzling accomplishment of K-pop bands such as BTS and BLACKPINK in Chinese and Japanese markets and later globally, the Korean entertainment industry is now deeply invested in further expanding its market share in North America. As a result of this global expansion, many recent K-pop songs are sung completely in English, produced by European, American, and Canadian producers, and are often founded in themes related to American high school culture and hip hop, for example. However, what has also contributed to the global success of K-pop today is the “K” elements—the Korean modern culture itself, rather than the attempt to absorb local cultures. The trend of simply singing in English and embodying North American pop culture will make Korean artists lose the entire essence of K-pop, which is exactly what has attracted millions of people around the world to the genre. Rosé, on the other hand, was able to retain massive success: she preserves the “K” elements of “K-pop” in her music despite singing in English and collaborating with an American singer. She emphasizes and advocates for Korean cultural essence throughout the song. She bucks the trend of conforming to American culture in K-Pop and offers an alternative by rooting her music in Korean culture—an illustrative act for artists who desire to spread influence of their cultures.
As a non-Western musician whose native language is not English, I have long been perplexed by how non-Western and non-English-speaking musicians can increase the global recognition of their music. “APT” by Rosé (feat. Bruno Mars) shows the solution: illustrating the charisma of your own culture while connecting and communicating meaningfully with global audiences. Every culture has its own distinct character. There is no need to compromise; revealing the essence of each to the world is strong enough.
Wendi Wang is a junior in the SFS studying International Economics and minoring in Philosophy and Music.
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