On December 6, 2024, ROSÉ released her debut solo album titled “rosie.” This album takes listeners on a 12-song journey of vulnerability and honesty as ROSÉ recalls her “terrible 20s” stated in an interview with Paper.
What initially piqued my interest was the album’s lead single “APT. (featuring Bruno Mars). This song is extremely upbeat and catchy, and I wish I listened to it as soon as it was released instead of waiting a few days. The stunning visuals of the album cover also drew me in.
Going into this album, I didn’t have too much knowledge of what it was going to be about. What I initially thought was that it was going to be about different events in ROSÉ’s life, such as fame or the relationships with she shared with the members of her girl group BLACKPINK. Instead, it had more of a focus on a past romantic relationship of hers. The album wasn’t what I expected, which at first turned me off from it.
However, as I replayed the album knowing what its themes were, I started to appreciate the writing and music a lot more.
My current top songs of the album have to be “number one girl,” “not the same,” and “call it the end.” Some notable mentions are “two years” and “stay a little longer.”
“number one girl” is a ballad about ROSÉ’s need of approval and acceptance. Two factors that made me love this song right in my first listen was the writing and music. The honest and vulnerable lyrics of the song added an emotional punch and the beautiful piano in the background really tied the song together.
Another song that I loved was “not the same.” In this song, ROSÉ sings about moving on from a past relationship. The guitar paired with ROSÉ’s vocal range that she displayed was a unique and yet beautiful combination that helped solidify this song on the top of my list.
My final top song that I would like to talk about is “call it the end,” a song about hanging on to a dwindling relationship. ROSÉ’s vocals combined with the heartbreaking lyrics and piano has me replaying the song over and over.
Overall, I would give “rosie” a 4 out of 5 stars. I loved this album’s music, writing, and vocals. As I continue to listen to the album more, I’m sure I’ll grow even more fonder and appreciative of it.
