ROSÉ Aims Straight at U.S. Gen Z's Teen-Pop Memories

ROSÉ is tapping directly into the "2000s teen nostalgia" shared by Gen Z and millennial listeners in the United States.

The BLACKPINK member released her new single "new trick" at 8 a.m. KST on Sept. 18. The track was unveiled as part of a collaboration with Apple, with its music video shot on an iPhone.

"new trick" sits far outside the conventions of typical K-POP. Instead, it draws on the teen-pop and rock textures that U.S. Gen Z and millennial audiences grew up hearing on the radio and MTV. The song puts 2000s high-school pop-punk front and center, pairing rough electric-guitar riffs and aggressive drums with ROSÉ’s signature husky, piercing vocal tone to create a bright, high-energy sound.

The track plays almost like a mission statement. ROSÉ is positioning herself in the lineage of high-energy singer-songwriter pop stars that runs from Avril Lavigne to Taylor Swift to Olivia Rodrigo. Listening to "new trick," it is easy to hear early-2000s Avril Lavigne pop-punk. The bright pop-rock sound of Taylor Swift's early-2010s albums "Speak Now" and "Red" also comes to mind. It shares a lane with the songs Olivia Rodrigo used to win over U.S. teens and 20-somethings by updating that sound for today, such as "bad idea right?" and "good 4 u."

The music video captures that era just as clearly. The lower saturation and soft vintage filter recall the look of Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me" era. Instead of a big set, the video uses locations that feel like everyday American high-school life, with natural movement and no heavy CG work.

Right after the video dropped, English-speaking fans left comments like "I've been listening to K-pop for years, but ROSÉ just nailed that pure teen nostalgia better than anyone," "ROSÉ's solo music is literally the era I grew up in," and "So glad she brought back that 2000s summer fun."

ROSÉ’s move toward the musical lineage of Lavigne, Swift and Rodrigo, while tapping into nostalgia among younger U.S. listeners, is a natural progression. ROSÉ is a singer-songwriter who writes music while playing guitar. All three pop stars also have a strong identity as female artists who take the stage with guitars and lead their own live performances.

Even when they turn to electronic sounds, they lean on husky vocals and an upbeat feel. Above all, each of them is a polished, large-scale pop star, which is common ground with ROSÉ as a K-pop star.

She has been pointing in this direction for a while through her solo studio album and its music videos. The video for "number one girl" used grainy VHS camcorder textures. "toxic till the end" leaned on soft, faded film tones that evoke the memory of a first love. Even "APT.," her track with pop star Bruno Mars, went for a retro feel with simple visuals and vintage color.