Rose from Blackpink – New Zealand-born K-pop singer with the unique voice and difficult dance moves
Auckland-born Rose left high school in Australia to train at YG Entertainment aged 15, and showed she could hit the high notes easily while performing tough dance routines
A member of one of the most popular female K-pop girl groups, Rose is gaining popularity in her own right for the sweet timbre of her voice.
Since the band’s debut two years ago, Blackpink (Rose, Jisoo, Jennie and Lisa) have become firmly established as one of K-pop’s most popular groups. Their music can be heard in shops and malls across South Korea, yet not much is known about the foursome. Unlike other K-pop idols, you’d be hard pushed to see them in commercials or posters advertising soju.
Blackpink have the largest number of Instagram followers among K-pop female idols – at more than 12 million – yet they seldom appear on variety shows or take part in interviews. This aura of mystery seems only to have boosted the band’s popularity.
The first girl group to be promoted by YG Entertainment since 2NE1, there had already been rumours that a big new female supergroup was being planned for several years before their official debut in August 2016.
The sleek teaser posters unveiled ahead of their debut revealed that audiences were in for a surprise. Unlike other run-of-the-mill K-pop female idols, with their cute or sexy looks, the Blackpink girls seemed to be on an altogether different level: their look more sophisticated and feisty, with a sexy touch. It was obvious that they were not catering to the garden variety male-oriented fan base.
Blackpink’s members have also become fashion icons: they are regulars in the front rows of fashion shows at home and overseas. Rose recently appeared on the cover of the British magazine Dazed and Confused’s 2018 autumn edition along with Lisa.
Despite a huge demand for them to appear in commercials, YG Entertainment has resisted overexposing Blackpink, preferring them to focus on their music and performing. Blackpink are known for their eye-catching choreography: their dance practice YouTube videos have the highest numbers of views among all K-pop artists.
Early life
Rose, 21, was born Roseanne Park Chae-young in Auckland, New Zealand in 1997 and has an older sister. She was educated in Australia until she left high school to train at YG Entertainment at the age of 15, after being selected at a YG Australia audition. She was a cheerleader at high school, which may explain her proficiency in complex dance moves.
Role in Blackpink
Rose is the group’s lead dancer and is also known for her unique, dreamy voice. She has an ability to hit high notes easily while performing extreme dance moves on the stage – something even veteran K-pop artists cannot always manage.
As a native English speaker, Rose’s diction when singing pop songs is excellent compared to other K-pop artists.
Her image
As the members of Blackpink seldom appear on variety shows or do interviews, they come across as mostly mysterious. When Blackpink have appeared on variety shows, Lisa has done most of the talking and Rose seems to be the quiet one.
Rose is also well known for her slim and lithe figure, despite admitting to being a voracious eater when she is away from the limelight. Unlike the other band members, Rose has said she is quiet and shy in private.
Solo work
Thanks to her unique voice, Rose has appeared on several music programmes, including King of Masked Singer, as a solo artist, where she has been well received. She also recorded Without You with male idol G-Dragon.
In her own words
“I love cooking, eating and watching TV with Jisoo, Jennie and Lisa,” she said in an interview published in YG Life.
After performing on King of Masked Singer in 2017, she said: “I didn’t know if the audience would like my singing. I’m so happy and relieved that they did.”
“I feel 100 per cent Korean and also I sometimes feel like a foreigner,” she said during an appearance on JTBC TV’s Give Me a Meal.
