Is ROSÉ's "APT." Era Going on Too Long? 23 Months Without an Album

BLACKPINK's Rosé doesn't seem to have the same pull with the American public that she once did. Industry watchers say she has slipped somewhat out of the public eye after going nearly two years without releasing a full-length album. In contrast, the other BLACKPINK members have continued to release EPs and make television appearances in Korea and abroad.

A video of Rosé's performance at the 2026 Art+Film Gala on Nov. 7 (local time) drew attention online on Nov. 10. The clip, posted to the X account of U.S. entertainment outlet The Hollywood Reporter, reached 3.36 million views.

Rosé performed songs including "A.P.T." and "New Trick." The video showed little visible reaction from the crowd, with no loud cheers or audience singalong audible.

Reactions from viewers overseas were not kind. "I'm sorry but her vocal is a mess on this performance," one user wrote under The Hollywood Reporter's post. That comment reached 45,000 views and about 1,500 likes. Another comment, saying she lacked the charm to win over the audience, received about 1,800 likes. The posts drew a wave of similarly critical reactions.

It's a clear shift for an artist who was one of the most popular K-POP acts in the world in 2025. Last year, "A.P.T.," her duet with pop star Bruno Mars, peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100, the magazine's main songs chart. Rosé became the first female K-POP soloist to land a song in its Top 10. The track was also known as the song everyone in North American and European clubs would sing along to, no matter where they were from.

Industry watchers point to her lack of new releases as the main reason for the cooling response. In an interview with Vogue Korea in September, Rosé said she plans to release her second full-length album next year. Even if it arrives on schedule, that would still mean a gap of roughly two years since her last album.

She has not released a solo track of her own, outside of collaborations and other projects, in 23 months. Her first full-length album, "rosie," came out in December 2024. Since then, she has released a track for an iPhone 18 Pro advertisement,one for the "F1" film soundtrack, and a collaboration with U.S. singer Alex Warren.

Some in the industry say she missed a window. They argue that the sustained success of "A.P.T." gave her an opportunity to release and promote more of her own music while public interest was still high, rather than waiting before it faded.

Her bandmates took a different path. Jisoo, Lisa and Jennie have all been releasing music and promoting it actively. Since 2025, Lisa has put out a full-length album, one EP and six solo tracks, including collaborations. Jennie released her first full-length album and one EP over the same period. Jisoo dropped a solo EP in February of last year and has since released two solo songs and one collaboration.

Another issue is TV. Even when she had new music out, Rosé did not make appearances on major North American talk shows. She has not appeared on a U.S. talk show since "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" in September of last year.

In North America, it is common for artists to promote singles and soundtrack releases on television, even without a full album comeback. Pop star Olivia Rodrigo released a single from the soundtrack of "The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes" and performed live on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert," then a popular CBS talk show. Billie Eilish took the stage on "Saturday Night Live" with her song from the "Barbie" soundtrack. Jennie did the same in 2024, performing on ABC's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" after releasing her single "Mantra."

That's the lesson for Rosé. Instead of focusing only on her next full-length album, she needs to stay visible in the market through regular promotional activities. A full-length album shows where an artist is headed musically. However, building and maintaining an audience that will actually pay attention to it is just as important.

Rosé is an artist with her own world, but she is also a pop star. She shines brightest when the public is watching. And in pop, out of sight can quickly become out of mind.