BLACKPINK’s Rose (L) and American pop star Bruno Mars are seen in this photo provided by The Black Label. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Nov. 21 (Korea Bizwire) — K-pop girl group BLACKPINK’s Rose and global pop star Bruno Mars will give the first live performance of their collaboration single “APT.” at this year’s MAMA Awards.
The two artists will perform on the first day of the two-day awards show to be held at the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan, the event’s organizer, CJ ENM, said Thursday.
It marks the first time that the two will deliver a live performance of the global hit.
A prerelease from Rose’s upcoming first full-length album, “rosie,” “APT.” was inspired by a popular Korean drinking game, known as the “apartment game.”
The song is gaining international popularity with its catchy chorus that repeatedly features the word “apartment,” pronounced as “apateu,” a Korean abbreviation of the word.
The track reached No. 2 on the British Official Singles Chart Top 100 and No. 8 on the U.S. Billboard’s Hot 100 main singles chart.
This year’s MAMA Awards, one of K-pop’s most prestigious year-end music events, is set to make its U.S. debut in Los Angeles on Friday, marking the first time in its 25-year history that it will be held outside Asia.
The two-day, cross-continental event will kick off on Friday at 12 p.m. (Korean time) at the iconic Dolby Theatre and will continue at 4 p.m. the same day and at 1 p.m. Saturday at the Kyocera Dome Osaka in Japan.
The U.S. lineup includes rookie K-pop groups like ILLIT, Katseye, TWS and Young Posse, alongside established acts like boy group Riize, JYP Entertainment’s J.Y. Park and American artist Anderson .Paak.
The MAMA Awards Japan lineup is equally star-studded, featuring Boynextdoor, Enhypen, Ive, Lee Young Ji, ME:I, Plave, TREASURE and Tomorrow X Together on the first day. The second day will showcase aespa, BIBI, G-Dragon, (G)I-dle, Meovv, Zerobaseone and Japanese group INI.
(Yonhap)
