Rosé (BLACKPINK) carries APT., harms young people, South Korea orders widespread ban on listening

The song that is taking the world by storm, APT. by Rosé and Bruno Mars, continues to stir up the internet when Korea considers it a banned song, especially for young people and students preparing for the university entrance exam in the land of kimchi.

Known as “banned songs” in South Korea, these are tunes that are considered too catchy or distracting to listen to while studying, especially when preparing for the grueling college entrance exams. The unofficial list of songs that students are banned from listening to includes popular songs like aespa’s “Next Level,” Red Velvet’s “Zimzalabim,” and SHINee’s “Ring Ding Dong.”

And this is a true testament to its irresistible appeal. Even other K-Pop idols have said so. The song's playful melody and concept went viral, making it easy for students to lose focus while listening, and APT has been labeled as one of the most unforgettable songs.

Even students and fans have warned each other online, joking that it is “impossible to escape” due to its captivating nature. Perhaps this is just a “ban” that every Korean artist tries to achieve.

This is practically a badge of honor in the Korean music scene, showing that the song has actually caught on with listeners. While it was meant to be a soft ban, this distinction only fueled APT's popularity as fans and even other K-pop idols shared their views on the song's ordeal.

Ultimately, becoming a “banned song” on college entrance exams solidified Rosé’s latest release as not only a chart-topper but an undeniable cultural phenomenon.

Released on October 18, Rosé and Bruno Mars' "APT." topped domestic music charts such as Melon and Genie shortly after its release. The song also took the No. 1 spot on Spotify's global and U.S. daily charts, and reached No. 1 on iTunes' Top Songs chart in 40 regions.

Notably, Rosé made history by becoming the first Korean female solo artist to top both the US Spotify chart and the Global Spotify Daily Top Songs chart. In just five days, as of the afternoon of October 26, the music video for APT. surpassed 155 million views on the YouTube platform.

The song swept Top 1 on all major Korean music streaming platforms including Melon, Genie, Bugs, FLO, VIBE, and YouTube Music, as well as taking No. 1 on Instiz iChart's real-time and weekly charts.

The song APT. was inspired by the popular Korean game Apartment Game. Rosé explained, "Apartment Game is one of my favorite games. It's simple, fun, and perfect for brightening up the mood.

One night in the studio, I introduced this game to the staff, and as we all played together, the idea for the song was born. Then Bruno Mars joined the process and we finished the song together."

APT. has taken social media, YouTube, and short video channels by storm. In addition to the song's success, Apartment Game is also trending among the global K-pop fan community.

Many people are even sharing videos of themselves challenging themselves while playing the game. Among them, K-pop stars such as: J-Hope (BTS), An Yu Jin (IVE), Kazuha (LE SSERAFIM) and Kim Chaewon have also posted videos of themselves performing the choreography, contributing to the stir.

Previously, under the song APT. many young people left comments expressing their "addiction" to listening to this song over and over again. "I've been listening to this song over and over again for many days and I'm not bored", "This song is dangerous. It's been seven days, and I can't stop watching it", "It's truly an addictive song. I can't stop listening"... some comments from netizens.

Rosé "knocked out" the Anh Trai group in Vietnam, completely defeated with a great all-kill Gia Nhi5 months agoWith just one English single, no promotion, no teaser, Rosé and Bruno Mars are all-killing on all achievement fronts. As of the afternoon of October 24, after nearly a week of releasing the song APT., Rosé has broken all platforms, setting new milestones.