BLACKPINK’s Rosé has found herself at the center of a plagiarism storm surrounding her latest hit single, ‘APT.’
Rosé dropped “APT.”, a collaborative single with Bruno Mars, on October 18. The song’s addictive melody and Korean drinking game-inspired concept garnered attention.
The song has been accused of borrowing elements from Japanese singer-songwriter Miku Sawai’s 2013 track ‘Gomen ne, Iiko ja Irarenai’ (Sorry, I’m Done Being a Good Girl).
“Sorry, I’m Done Being a Good Girl” became hugely popular in Japan at the time, debuting at #87 on Billboard HOT 100.
Some observers noted melodic similarities between “APT.” and Japanese singer-songwriter Miku Sawai’s release “Sorry, I’m Done Being a Good Girl”, released in November 2013.
The sections in question are the melodies of “Don’t you want me like I want you, baby” in “APT.” and “I’m Not Doing Anything And I Have No Place To Go” in Sawai’s song.
Netizens argue that the similarity in melodies is due to the use of common musical codes and patterns previously used by multiple international artists.
Notably, “APT.” was co-written by a team of 11 accomplished songwriters, including Bruno Mars, Rosé, Amy Allen, Circuit, and Christopher Brody Brown.
Not to mention, similar melodies are heard in One Direction, Lady Gaga, Coldplay, and other artists’ songs as well.
Given that multiple songwriters contributed to the song, it is challenging to determine if the similarities are intentional or coincidental.
Upon releasing “APT.”, the agency stated that they used interpolation techniques to incorporate elements from Tony Basil’s “Oh! Mickey”. They also credited the composer of “Oh! Mickey” in the song’s credits.
Ahead of her official comeback on December 6 with “rosie”, Rosé has released “APT.” as a pre-release single to set the mood.
