ROSÉ sat down with Zane Lowe on Apple Music 1 ahead of the release of her debut solo album rosie. In the interview, the two discussed how finishing the album was therapeutic, the relationships that inspired some of the songs, collaborating with Bruno Mars and the importance of her BLACKPINK members.
On completing rosie
Zane Lowe: Are you a different person today, now the album is coming out than you were when you started making?
ROSÉ: Oh, completely. I literally think this album is just a little capsule. When I listen to my songs, I remember every minute of it and everything I went through. And without this album, I think I would've carried a lot of the past version of myself through till today, because to be honest… It was like a therapy session. So I've bottled it up into this thing called, “rosie.” And so I've walked out of every single studio with a story and walked out feeling like I left it in that song. There are some days where it's like, "Okay, I don't like that song," and the emotion bounced back into me and I felt like that didn't really get the story out. So in that case, those songs actually didn't make it to the album, but every single song that has made it to the album have–
Zane Lowe: Served a purpose.
ROSÉ: Yeah. Served a purpose in my life actually and literally. And there are days where I'm like, "Wow, I don't talk about that anymore." Ever since that session, I don't talk about it anymore.
On the pressure of release solo music
Zane Lowe: When the last BLACKPINK tour came to its natural conclusion, did you feel any pressure from outside of yourself to make a solo album? Was there even a reality where you wouldn't dive into the studio and make your proper full length debut?
ROSÉ: First, I felt pressured, to be honest. We were kind of coming off of the year long tour. And us as BLACKPINK, as mature as we are, we got together and decided, “Let's promise ourselves a good year to be inspired.” We've worked so hard for the past eight years, and I honestly believe we've done so well and I'm so proud. But we all got together and just promised ourselves a good year to work on our solo stuff. And the first thing that happened was anxiety, because I was privileged to have this one year in my hands to do whatever I wanted with it, but I wanted it to be the right decision and it had to feel right. And I was getting anxiety from the get-go. I think I had anxiety all through.
On collaborating with Bruno Mars on 'APT'.
ROSÉ: I remember the session and it was like... Obviously I was so nervous because here I'm still a fan. Right now, I could be like, "Bruno," because we're much closer now, but he played a few parts that he thought. He's like, "What do you think of this? And what do you think of that line?" I was like, "Wow, I think it's great." And he was like, "Oh, let's record." And so he recorded me. And oh my gosh, I was so nervous. I was so nervous because by that time, I'm like, "I'm usually better than this." In my head, I'm like, "I'm better than this." I'm just so nervous that I'm failing at this line. And he's like, and he was vocal coaching me like, "ROSÉ, you have to throw it out there." And I remember- I choked on water accidentally before I had to record the bridge. And he's like, "You have to shout it like, 'Hold on!'" And he was singing it, and I'm like, "Hold on," because I choked on water and I was like, "By the way, I just choked on water. I don't usually sound like that."
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