K-pop's surprise rally

A scene capture image from Rose and Bruno Mar's "APT" music video Female singer's hit single boosts popularity of genre A "surprise rally" is gaining momentum around the collaboration track "APT," featuring BLACKPINK's Rose and American pop star Bruno Mars. In a year where doubts about the Korean wave, or hallyu, reaching its peak coexist with remarkable accomplishments by Korean artists, Rose's performance marks yet another milestone for K-pop. Rose's chart and streaming success reaffirms how the power of digital platforms enables Korean artists to reach a global audience, much like Psy did in 2012.

As of Nov. 12, the song remained at the top spot on both the Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.



S. charts. IIt first peaked on the British charts and has since climbed to No.

8 on the Hot 100, making Rose the fifth Korean artist to reach this milestone. The music video for the song, featuring both Rose and Mars, garnered 300 million views in just 22 days. The title of the upbeat pop-punk track is a nod to a popular Korean drinking game, while also referencing the word "apartment," often pronounced "apateu" in Korean.

The song’s intricate details about daily Korean life, coupled with its global attention, highlight the increasing worldwide fascination with Korea. Her powerful performance on this pre-released single from her solo album is bringing fresh energy to the K-pop scene, which has been relatively quiet as BTS members fulfill their military service. At this point in Korea's expanding cultural influence, and as 2024 unfolds, there's less intense focus on how high "APT" will rise on the global charts.

Instead, fans and industry watchers celebrate when a member from a popular K-pop group — whether a boy or girl group — achieves solo success. In K-pop, a group’s identity fuels its trajectory, but finding success as a solo artist requires navigating an additional layer of fierce industry competition to fully showcase individual creativity. Rose’s remarkable success with her pre-release song reflects the broader achievements of other Korean women.

This includes writer Han Kang’s Nobel Prize in Literature and badminton gold-medalist An Se-young’s victory at the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics. As more voices from those who were once marginalized and in the background emerge, it will undoubtedly enhance the nation’s potential for growth. Korean Inc.

is currently facing economic challenges, like many major global economies. However, the surge in its cultural content, brands, and other aspects of soft power could drive parallel quantitative growth. Despite its considerable strength in sectors such as semiconductors, Korea's national capabilities, especially in soft power, still have room to grow.

In 2023, ahead of the G7 Summit in Japan, the Federation of Korean Industries highlighted that Korea ranks sixth globally in overall national status, but lags behind in soft power. According to a British Brand Finance 2023 survey of soft power, Korea ranked 15th, while the G7 nations all placed within the top 10. To that end, the government should at least create an environment that allows creators like Rose and Han Kang to bring their creativity to life and into the market.

For the K-pop industry, business models that foster collaboration with global artists can serve as a prime example of how to expand audiences. While "APT" is primarily in English, good music transcends borders and languages, reaching the hearts and ears of listeners worldwide. K-pop and Korean culture have come this far by drawing from both the bright and dark sides of the past.

Interestingly, while Psy’s 2012 global mega-hit "Gangnam Style" sang about the nouveau-rich neighborhood of Gangnam, Rose’s "APT" also carries a deeper meaning. The title symbolize Korea's obsession with high-rise residential properties. Korean audiences will immediately understand these references— the desires and anxieties of modern-day Koreans.

For K-pop and Korean content to reach another level, the environment must be ripe with the competing cultural and social forces that can spark creativity..