Rosé's "APT" Is Sung Partly in Korean, but What Do the Song's Lyrics Mean?

K-pop continues to be one of the most dominant forces on the American charts, and some Korean artists have even teamed up with American stars on music. One such collaboration is between Rosé and Bruno Mars for their new song "APT."

Now that the collaboration is out there in the world, many want to know what the meaning behind the song's lyrics is. Since it's partly sung in Korean, "APT" is a particular song for many American audiences to decipher. Here's what we know about what the song means.

"APT" is a romanized abbreviation of the Korean term "아파트," which is pronounced "apateu." It translates to apartment, and it usually refers to a popular drinking game that many Koreans play in their apartments.

"'APT.' is the name of my single that just dropped and 'APT.' is actually a Korean drinking game that I love to play with my friends," Rosé explained in an interview with Vogue.

"Basically, we were hanging out in the studio and I was like how about I teach you guys some Korean drinking games and then I started doing it," she continued.

To actually play "apateu," you shout the word repeatedly as everyone puts their hands in the middle of a table. Then, someone shouts a number, and people pull their hands from the bottom of the pile and put them on top as they count to that number. Whosever hand winds up on top has to take a shot.

The song, then, is basically just about a popular drinking game, and Rosé said that the two of them wrote it together after playing the drinking game themselves.

"I remember going home freaking out, thinking, 'Is this OK? Writing a song about a drinking game. Is this too unserious?'" she told Vogue, before realizing that those she showed the song to loved it.

It doesn't seem like there is any deeper meaning to the song's lyrics beyond the desire to evoke the party game and the good vibes that are typically associated with it. Bruno even gets on the Korean, saying "건배, 건배," which translates to "Cheers, cheers."

What's clear, then, is that Bruno and Rosé got together with the goal of creating an impeccable party tune, and they have succeeded in making one of the year's best tracks. It may not have much emotional significance, but there's definitely a place in the pop lexicon for music that just makes us feel good.

"APT" has the added benefit of introducing a bunch of people to a new drinking game that seems almost guaranteed to leave someone absolutely conked. While learning the meaning behind "APT" doesn't reveal any deeper significance beyond referring to a great drinking game, it's an important reminder that Koreans like to have a good time, and they know how to write good songs about it too.