[talk] Blackpink Rosé, in tears during NYT interview… “I survived loneliness”

BLACKPINK's Rosé, who is receiving love from global fans for her collaboration with world-renowned pop star Bruno Mars on the song "Apartment," she shed tears during an interview with the New York Times (NYT) ahead of the release of her first full-length solo album.

In an interview with the New York Times released on the 23rd (local time), Rosé expressed her overwhelming emotions about releasing her first full-length album after a long wait, saying, “It feels like I’ve been waiting my whole life to release this album.” She confessed, “I grew up listening to the music of many female artists. Their music got me through hard times,” and “I always dreamed of releasing an album someday, but I never thought it would become a reality.”

Born in New Zealand to a Korean immigrant family, Rosé moved to Australia when she was eight and grew up there. In 2012, at her father’s recommendation, she auditioned for YG Entertainment and passed, becoming a trainee. She described her time as a trainee as “a lonely and difficult time,” recalling, “The loneliness I experienced was so traumatic. But I survived in the end.”

In particular, he mentioned his past when he overcame setbacks and devoted himself to challenges, saying, “I didn’t want to go back to Australia and explain my failures because I had come too far away,” about the reason he was able to persevere without giving up.

Rosé opened up about the demands of perfection that come with being a K-pop idol and the challenges of being a female artist. “We’re always trained to present ourselves perfectly, even online,” she said. “It was important to me to be seen as the perfect girl to everyone.”

When asked about the online harassment female artists face, Rosé tearfully revealed that songwriting was a way for her to protect herself and overcome her inner struggles. She laughed as she added, “Songwriting was a healing process for me, putting my big issues into song.”