‘Solo Debut’ ROSÉ, “I Put in My True Self in ‘R’”

[YTN Star=조현주 기자] ROSÉ of group BLACKPINK will return as a solo artist. It is the second solo debut from the members of BLACKPINK, following ROSÉ.

Since ROSÉ is a member of BLACKPINK, a group established as a global top girl group, and is a vocalist with unrivaled vocal tone, the music fans are paying keen attention to her solo debut.

On March 12, an online global press conference was held to celebrate the release of ROSÉ’s solo album.

She began by stating, “I’m nervous since it’s my first time and I’ve prepared for a long time” and added, “I’m also excited that I can finally present what I’ve been preparing”. She continued, “I thank BLINK(fandom) for waiting on me for so long, and hope they enjoy it”.

The album title ‘R’, which is also the first letter of ROSÉ’s name, signifies her first step as a solo artist. ROSÉ explained, “I named the album ‘R’ as meaning of my first beginning as a solo artist”.

She revealed, “It is the first time introducing myself as a solo artist, I wanted to put in my true self” and added, “I’ve had time to look back at myself while preparing for the album, and thought I’m a person who heals and learns through music.

ROSÉ’s first single album contains a total of 2 songs, including the title track ‘On The Ground’ and ‘Gone’. ROSÉ participated in writing the lyrics of both songs, adding more sincerity.

ROSÉ stated, “I recorded ‘Gone’ for the first time 2 years ago, and liked it every time I listened to it. I wanted to share with everyone as soon as possible”. She also shared, “I met ‘On The Ground’ a couple months ago. TEDDY shared it with me, and it was so good. I naturally chose these two songs. It came to me like destiny, without a lot of thinking”.

Regarding ‘On The Ground’, YG Entertainment introduced, “It is a song which states, ‘Although I’ve come this far aiming for a higher place, the most important value is within myself’.

YG The Black Label’s representative producers TEDDY and 24, who have worked on all of BLACKPINK’s mega-hits since debut, have been included in ROSÉ’s solo album track list in addition to talented singer-songwriters from overseas. Jorgen Odegard, one of Justin Bieber’s producers, along with Amy Allen, who have helped produce songs by Harry Styles and Halsey, have collaborated for ROSÉ’s solo debut.

The song ‘Gone’ was previewed through BLACKPINK’s livestream concert ‘THE SHOW’. The ROSÉ – COMING SOON TEASER is about to surpass 50M views. Despite being a short 33-second clip, it is stacking huge amounts of views. ROSÉ’s soulful vocals calmly expressing one’s mind of letting go of her ex-lover received favorable reviews.

ROSÉ’s emotional acting stood out on the MV teasers for ‘Gone’ and ‘On The Ground’. ROSÉ explained, “A song is another form of storytelling” and added, “I record after creating a character. I tried to capture the natural emotions of the character while shooting for the MV as well”.

On both songs written in English, ROSÉ explained, “I feel that there are languages that fit certain tracks. I’ve thought a lot about what language would raise the title track’s level of completion”. She emphasized, “English went well the most with these tracks. I was concerned that the fans may be disappointed, but I thought it’s more important to present a satisfying track with a high level of completion”.

On the question asking if there’s a favorite line from ‘On The Ground’, ROSÉ chose, “I’ve worked hard every day throughout my entire life to go higher. But what I really needed was in the lowest place” and explained, “It simply matched my life”. She added, “I’ve lived everyday towards my dream since I was a trainee and asked myself what my motive was, and the lyrics expressed myself”.

When asked about what has changed from her being a member of BLACKPINK as a solo artist, ROSÉ replied, “I’ve tried new sounds and singing methods. You will meet my new musical aspects”. She smiled and added, “You’ll also hear a verse where I sound like I’m half-rapping, which you probably didn’t hear from existing songs of BLACKPINK”.

Regarding the reaction of BLACKPINK members, she answered, “Each member supported me. I felt like having support is important. I was reassured”. She also recalled, “I had more work to do and since I had bigger responsibilities, I felt their absence. I’ve learned a lot from BLACKPINK. I recalled how precious it was to grow and learn together, and how special our members are to me”.

ROSÉ stated, “I tried to express my true self with this album” and added, “I’ve learned a lot, felt empathy, and was consoled while preparing this album. I hope the listeners would feel the same. I’d especially be happy if BLINK will like the songs”.

In the end, she hoped, ““I’m frustrated that I can’t meet my fans in person, and I imagine many will be going through hard times”.  She also added, “I hope this situation ends and I will meet my fans in the near future. Stay healthy and cheer up”.

ROSÉ is expected to set a milestone in K-Pop history. The pre-orders on her physical album, to be officially released on the 16th, has already received over 400 thousand pre-orders. It is the biggest record in K-Pop solo artist album history.

The album ‘R’ will be released on the 12th at 0 AM in US EST, and at 2PM KST.

2021. 3. 12.