Rosé is taking over the world right now, and her heart-breaking performance of “Number One Girl” shows exactly why! The Blackpink megastar dropped into KBS Kpop recently to perform her new single, and the ballad is such a great showcase to see what makes Rosé such a special performer. The New Zealand-born star is well known as the best singer in Blackpink, and she puts her expressive voice to great use here, making the performance a real tear-jerker.
Rosé sings the romantic piano ballad with real conviction, and a certain sadness that makes the song hit hard. The Music Man readers may recall that she has been killing it recently with a number of high-profile performances, and her KBS Kpop appearance was no exception. The live cut has blown up to 9.6 million views since it was uploaded on November 30, 2024, and with Rosé’s gorgeous live vocals and magnetic stage presence, it’s no secret as to why.
We all know Rosé has been a big star with Blackpink for several years now, but she’s hit another level with her December 6, 2024, debut solo album Rosie. The first single from the album, “Apt.”, was a Bruno Mars collab that blew up to mind-boggling levels on charts worldwide, and I’m sure The Music Man readers have all heard that one by this point. The second single, “Number One Girl,” made a respectable showing on charts worldwide, and its stripped-back arrangement is perfect to show off Rosé’s unique voice.
In a year of big performances for Rosé, the biggest in 2024 was definitely her rambunctious cut of “Apt.” with Bruno Mars at the MAMA Awards in Osaka, Japan. Mars brought over his band and backing singers, and man, they sure know how to have a good time. Rosé delivered the goods with high energy and charismatic delivery of her opening verse, and you def don’t want to miss her duet chorus with Mars in this 48 million-view performance.
Bruno Mars co-wrote and co-produced two songs on the Rosie album, namely “Apt.” and “Number One Girl.” Rosé discussed Mars’s role in making the album when she appeared on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon in December 2024, calling him a “great mentor and friend.” Rosé also explained how Mars tipped the scales in the debate about naming the album. She said that she and her team were initially considering calling the album Number One Girl. However, she said that Mars went into bat for Rosie, saying “so Bruno actually tried really hard to convince me because Rosie was one of the options, he’s like, ‘It has to be Rosie because your friends and family call you Rosie.'” I guess Mars was onto something because the album has become a big hit for the K-pop star, as it hit the top five in South Korea, US, and UK. “Apt.” went particularly far on the charts, with the single topping the charts in South Korea, Japan, Australia, and over 30 other countries, breaking several records in the process.