“Rosie” (2024) — Rosé Defying K-Pop Standards Through Artistic Expression

Korean pop music, or K-pop, is a genre that has gained global popularity following the debut of the boy group BTS in 2013, with them having over 65 billion Spotify streams in total.¹ The genre has made a name for itself by developing numerous boy and girl groups, each with concepts and storylines that their music follows. Its use of multiple music styles, choreographies, and fashion is unique.

Each K-pop group comprises multiple members, each specializing in a specific area: singing, dancing, or rapping. These members are called “Idols” and are expected to uphold strict standards to maintain their perfect, clean image. One group that has cemented itself as one of the most popular K-pop groups is BLACKPINK.

Debuting in 2016, BLACKPINK is a girl group formed under YG Entertainment consisting of four members, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa, and Rosé, and has obtained over 40 billion streams globally, making them one of the most popular girl groups in the world.² In 2019, BLACKPINK became the first K-pop girl group to perform at the music festival Coachella and the first K-pop group to headline the event.³

Although they have been inactive as a group since 2023, each member has been working on solo music with Jisoo making her solo debut in 2023 and Lisa, Jennie, and Rosé all releasing new solo music in 2024.⁴

As K-pop has begun to grow and receive global recognition through groups such as BTS and BLACKPINK, fans have begun to romanticize K-pop groups and their status as idols. However, despite the glamour and romanticization that surrounds the K-pop industry, the reality is much darker.

“Rosé’s rosie: Redefining K-Pop Standards Through Storytelling”

Music critic Lim Hee-yun described idols as:

“viewed more as products than as humans.”⁵

As a result, they are expected to maintain the “perfect” image of an idol because that is what sells.

To maintain a perfect image, Idols are put through rigorous training that leads to health complications, are sometimes forced to undergo cosmetic surgeries if they aren’t deemed “pretty enough,” and are forced onto strict diets to maintain their skinny and/or muscular physiques. Lim Hee-yun also expressed that idols are expected to remain single and to keep interactions with the opposite sex to a minimum to show absolute loyalty to their fans.⁶

This restriction of personal relationships has led to toxic expectations from fans who expect absolute loyalty from their idols and has caused many idols, women especially, to receive extreme hate in the wake of dating rumors. After revealing her relationship with actor Lee Jae-wook, Karina, a member of the girl group aespa, received extreme hate and criticism with “fans” sending trucks saying things like “Is the love given to you by your fans not enough?” to her company. She was forced to publicly end her relationship with Lee Jae-wook and write multiple written apologies to her fans.⁷

Due to instances of extreme backlash such as this, while many male K-pop idols, including the members of BTS, have explored their past, or even current, relationships within their solo music, it is rare to see a female idol acknowledge their relationship so clearly. There is more pressure for them to be perfect, which includes staying single. With the release of her debut album “rosie” (2024), however, Rosé has broken away from the expectation of idols having to stay single for fans, doing an in-depth exploration of her past relationship.

The album presents a raw and unfiltered look at Rosé as an artist and her experiences with her ex, who is labeled as “The Ex” within the album, in the past, stepping away from her perfect idol image. Rather than putting on a show for her fans, she expresses her own flaws and how she fed into a toxic relationship, showing how the idea of idols being perfect is an impossibility and they shouldn’t be held to such high standards.

The importance of this stance taken by Rosé through “rosie” grows as the standards female idols are expected to adhere to have gotten stricter and more absurd over the years with K-pop’s rising popularity. Everything from their clothes, weight, relationships, interactions, and even facial expressions are criticized to an extreme degree compared to their male counterparts. Despite that, with the release of her first full-length album “rosie,” Rosé has challenged the expectations of female idols to be perfect and abstain from relationships through the exploration of her own past relationship, humanizing herself through a dissection of her own actions.

The Conformity Forced On Female K-Pop Idols

Sexist and misogynistic practices within the music industry run deep and have severely impacted the experiences of female artists. This is especially true in the K-pop industry. Within South Korean culture, women have historically been deemed inferior to men and have been expected to follow stricter beauty standards. The standards have gotten so extreme that some companies enforce weight and height restrictions on female employees, oftentimes passing on resumes if they don’t fit the beauty standards.⁸

This practice of policing women’s bodies and enforcing the expectation of pleasing men extends to the K-pop industry. While male idols are free to explore a variety of unique concepts within their work, K-pop girl groups are often limited in their artistic expression.

Rather than being able to freely explore concepts, they are stuck with concepts crafted for the male gaze, with them either being hypersexualized or infantilized and forced to act “childlike” or “cutesy” to please their male fans. They also tend to perform more songs about relationships while male idols are able to shift towards social commentary and personal experiences.⁹

Of course, there are exceptions to this concept restriction. Debuting in 2018, K-pop girl group (G)I-DLE has made a name for themselves as an overtly feminist K-pop group and has released numerous songs providing commentary on sexism, the sexualization of women, and gender norms within South Korea. Being a self-produced group, they have gotten the freedom to express themselves to a greater extent and have taken advantage of that fact.

BLACKPINK

However, this is not the case for the majority of girl groups. More often than not, female idols are forced to conform to pleasing their male fans and are not allowed to express themselves in meaningful ways. This is seen within BLACKPINK. Although they have consistently stuck to the “girl crush” concept within their music, a more “mature” or “sexy” concept that aims to promote female empowerment and confidence, they themselves have continued to adhere to strict beauty standards that aim to please men and have lacked autonomy in decisions towards their music, making the message of empowerment fall flat and feel almost performative.

When considering that, although BLACKPINK is largely considered to be one of, if not the, most successful K-pop girl group in the world, they spent the majority of their time modeling as opposed to creating music and had to carve out hours to practice, it is clear the lack of control they had over their own music and schedules.¹⁰ Their company never allowed them to express themself through their music in any meaningful way. Instead, they were meant to be pretty faces to please their fans.

The “no dating” rule and the expectation of being perfect within K-pop also contributes to this lack of real expression. In an interview with The New York Times, Rosé spoke on the dating standards within the industry. She stated:

“Yeah, it was not normal. It isn’t normal. But also it’s just not normal for me too. I had never really spoken about it too, because I feel like there’s no need for me to ever confirm anything or talk about it. But that’s why this album means a lot to me, because these things are just inspirations for my art.”¹¹

She expressed that her life experiences were things that inspired her to create. This is true for any kind of artist. When those life experiences are monitored and controlled, so is the art people are able to create. Stifling the actions an idol is able to take through no dating rules and limiting their interactions with other idols to maintain loyalty to fans is detrimental to artistic expression for this reason. She also spoke on the inspiration for her song “number one girl” (2024) from her album “rosie.”

She also spoke on the inspiration for her song “number one girl” (2024) from her album “rosie,” explaining how idols have to be perfect for fans all the time and always be ready to give the perfect answers to please fans. She stated that she wanted to make an album that people could relate to like the ones she grew up listening to, going on to say:

“In order for that, I’m sure artists had to be vulnerable, but we hadn’t trained to talk about our emotions and feelings and experiences.”¹²

This emphasizes the idea of idols being “products” rather than people. Being truly vulnerable would not sell albums as that would break the perfect idol image. Instead, idols need to give the fans what they want, including showing only what is necessary to maintain their relatable yet perfect persona.

Rosé, the rest of BLACKPINK, and many other idols have been made to conform to this idea. The abnormality of the “no dating” policy that Rosé criticized as well as the idea of being perfect have led to a lack of true expression for many female K-pop idols. In many of her interviews, Rosé emphasizes how her experiences inspired her art and how she wants people to see and understand her through her art, hence the more personal approach.

This was an approach she was only able to take signing with Atlantic Records for her solo work, only staying with her previous company for her group work due to the expectation to conform to the company’s wants and standards.

“Rosé’s Defiance:” A Personal And Unfiltered Narrative

Having the freedom to fully express herself under a new label, Rosé created “rosie,” an album exploring her experiences over the past four years of her life, including a toxic relationship she was a part of and her experiences as a public figure.¹³ While calling out the industry isn’t an uncommon theme within K-pop music, with artists like BTS doing so throughout their entire career, speaking about one’s own relationships, especially toxic ones, is not common for female idols. Girl groups are typically given songs about romance and relationships that aim to be relatable to fans, not the idols themselves.

Even if they were relatable to them, it is not something they could openly express due to fear of criticism. Speaking about one’s own relationship and struggles would also be breaking away from the perfect image of an idol. To speak on a toxic relationship and outline one’s own contributions to the toxicity is especially dangerous within the industry.

Instead of being an idol, Rosé shows that she is human through her personal experiences and art, breaking from typical K-pop norms.

“APT.” (2024)

Rosé’s pre-release track for “rosie” called “APT.” (2024) featuring Bruno Mars was a stark contrast to the somber, serious tone of the rest of the album. However, the music video allowed for a new look at Rosé as an individual and as an artist, shifting away from her previous image under idol standards.

The song is an upbeat pop-punk song that perfectly combines Bruno Mars and Rosé’s styles. The lyrics utilized the dual meaning of “APT.” being both a Korean drinking game called “apateu” and an abbreviation for “apartment” in English to create a metaphor about attraction.¹⁴ The music video, however, is one of the most important aspects of the song when looking at the issue of expression within the K-pop industry.

K-pop music videos tend to be highly choreographed. Even in the simplest videos, there are numerous scenes including different outfits for each idol, additional actors, and settings that are featured. This is not the case for any of the music videos for “rosie” released. “APT.” simply featured Rosé and Mars dancing around having fun, combining high-quality camera work reflective of modern technology and scenes that seemed to be shot on a camcorder, or were edited to emulate the style.¹⁵

Through the video, Rosé frequently interacted with Mars going as far as to kiss his cheek.¹⁶ To an international audience, this does not seem like much as artists have done far more to each other in music videos in the past. However, in the K-pop industry, it has become a rarity to see such open and friendly interactions between male and female artists.

This unfiltered look at her friendship with Bruno Mars was the first step in breaking away from the forced conformity of the K-pop industry.

“number one girl” (2024)

Rosé’s next pre-release track was “number one girl,” a song she expressed to be about the unrealistic standards pushed upon K-pop idols and the first track on the album.¹⁷ This song took an even further step away from typical standards within K-pop with the music video simply being her in regular clothes singing the song on a camcorder.¹⁸

The chorus of the song illustrates the gut-wrenching reality of being a female K-pop idol with the lines saying:

"Isn't it lonely? / I'd do anything to make you want me / I'd give it all up if you told me / That I'd be / The number one girl in your eyes."

While these lyrics represent the experiences of all K-pop idols and their struggle to please their fans, they especially reflect the experiences of women in K-pop. Women all over the world have been subjected to being treated as inferior, and, historically, South Korea has had especially strict standards for women.

Women always have to work three times as hard in order to be acknowledged by those around them, and, even then, they are still ignored. This holds true in the K-pop industry.

Rosé depicts the desperation of female idols, and women across the world, to be recognized for their efforts. The lyrics also reflect the impact of conformity within the industry. Both verses within the song follow a similar pattern, each stating:

"Tell me that you need me / Tell me that I'm loved / Tell me that I'm worth it / And that I'm enough / I need it and I don't know why / This late at night."

“Tell me” is repeated consistently, showing the intense need to be accepted and validated by her fans. As the album is a reflection of her own personal experiences, it is clear that the idea of being perfect and showing complete loyalty to fans is one that leaves an impact on idols.

Lyrics such as “I need it and I don’t know why / This late at night” showcase how constant the pressure for perfection is. Keeping up a mask of flawlessness in front of fans is an exhausting task, one that bleeds into every idol’s personal life because of the fear of showing they are not as perfect as fans hoped they were and losing that love from them as a result.

“toxic till the end” (2024)

The final music video release for “rosie” and the most defiant out of all of Rosé’s songs was “toxic till the end.” The music video itself followed the same artistic style as “APT.” and “number one girl” with a very unfiltered mode of storytelling. It simply showcased Rosé and her past relationship, cleverly building the toxicity between her and “The Ex” through subtle hints at premeditated actions to gain the upper hand in the relationship and force the other to stay.

For example, “The Ex” purposefully breaks his bike to meet Rosé and Rosé takes the bolts out of “The Ex’s” skateboard to get him to stay with her for longer.²¹ This artistry and direction completely shift from typical K-pop music videos, breaking the norms within the industry.

This reflection of the toxicity the two of them shared through the direction of the music video is only amplified when paired with the lyrics, helping to break the standard of the perfect idol image by showing the romantic relationship that Rosé was in and her own flawed actions. The pre-chorus of the song highlights this:

"That you were jealous and possessive / So manipulatin' / Honestly, impressive / You had me participatin'."

Throughout the song, Rosé details the toxicity of the relationship and how both she and “The Ex” fed into each other. This line especially highlights that by showing how her ex enabled her to act in a certain manner and they ended up encouraging each other’s toxicity.

This personal admission and look into Rosé’s relationship takes a step in a direction that female idols typically do not take. Many have sung generalized songs about the topic, but they are never so personal. Rosé continues to challenge norms for female K-pop idols with the music video itself. Similar to the “APT.” music video, Rosé is shown to physically interact with Evan Mock, the actor who played “The Ex” in the music video.

There are multiple scenes of them hugging and being affectionate with one another, something that isn’t usually seen in K-pop music videos. This type of interaction is something companies go to great lengths to avoid, even going as far as having members within K-pop groups dress as the opposite sex.

The biggest step taken within the music video is the kiss scene.²³ Hugging and holding hands with one another is one thing within the idol world, but kissing is a whole other matter. It is a firm determination of the nature of a relationship in the eyes of fans. This scene cemented the fact of Rosé’s past relationship and unapologetically acknowledged that idols should be allowed to have these relationships.

Rosé’s music videos directly challenge the idea of what a female idol is supposed to be. Instead of showing herself as a perfect person, she completely separates herself from the world of glamour found in the K-pop industry. She openly fights against conforming to K-pop standards in order to fully express herself through her art.

Rosé’s “rosie” vs. The Conformity Of Other Solos

Rosé’s solo album “rosie” provides a stark contrast to other solo debuts within the K-pop industry, specifically her initial solo debut and those of her own group members. Each member made their solo debut between 2018 and 2023 under their label YG Entertainment.

Although each of their releases experienced immense success with their solos securing over 12 billion streams in total, there is a distinct difference in their work prior to starting or joining new labels for their solo work and after, with Rosé having the biggest shift away from conforming to industry standards.²⁴

Jennie

The first member to make her solo debut was Jennie with her single “SOLO” (2018). Jennie expressed that the song was meant to encourage being true to oneself and inspire confidence among fans who may be going through a breakup.²⁵ This is expressed within the second verse:

"I ain't got no time for the troubles in your eyes / This time I'm only lookin' at me, myself, and I."

Instead of worrying about the actions of others and dwelling on a failing relationship, Jennie encourages focusing on oneself and embracing who you are as an individual. It’s an extremely empowering message that many can find themselves in.

Jennie also had a hand in the overall development of the song. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she stated:

“I loved the song as soon as I heard it. So, I’ve input a lot of my ideas into the concept, the style and everything.”²⁷

While the song was prewritten, Jennie felt a strong connection to it and put a lot of thought into the overall execution of it. This gave a personal touch to the song and allowed the message behind it to be more impactful. However, it still feels flat against her recent releases after joining a new label. This is because it still conforms to K-pop ideals and the standards set for female idols.

The message behind the song follows the “girl crush” concept of BLACKPINK with the theme of female empowerment following it. However, it’s still a song that feels to be more for the fans than for the artist herself which is why it’s gained major popularity.

Even though the concept for the music video was a product of Jennie’s own ideas, the trend of having female idols sing songs about love and relationships to appeal to fans makes the song feel less expressive and more conformative, and, as previously stated, the empowering message promoted by the “girl crush” concept falls flat when looking at the treatment of female idols.²⁸

As a result, whether consciously or not, it conforms to standard norms in the industry. Comparing “SOLO” to Jennie’s most recent single “Mantra” (2024) and her collaboration with ZICO called “SPOT!” the self-expression feels lacking. This can be tied to Jennie’s initial solo being a project under YG Entertainment.

Despite the message of “SOLO” being empowering, it was still stifled due to the necessity of conformity within the song. With her now being signed to Columbia Records for her solo work, her own personal style is able to shine through rather than her being put into a box of limitations.

However, even with her newfound freedom within her most recent solo “Mantra,” the adherence to K-pop standards can still be seen. Within K-pop music, one of the most important aspects is the concept. While “Mantra” showcases Jennie’s personal style and attitude, it still follows themes reminiscent of the “girl crush” concept that female idols are often made to follow.

Female empowerment is an important subject, especially within South Korea. However, the way the K-pop industry has used it to appeal to female audiences despite hypocritically mistreating their female idols consistently makes the message harder to grasp, despite Jennie’s attempt to reclaim it as her own.

Lisa

Following Jennie’s solo debut, Lisa came out with her first solo album “Lalisa” in 2021 featuring the title track “Lalisa” and a b-side track called “Money.” Like Jennie’s solo, “Lalisa” faced major success making her the first solo K-pop artist to reach a billion streams.²⁹

In an interview with Billboard, Lisa expressed the personal elements within her solo debut. She stated:

“People don’t really know that Lalisa is my real name, because they just know me as Lisa from BLACKPINK. So I’m really happy that I get to do this project with the title Lalisa.”³⁰

She expressed that she wanted to be able to pay homage to her Thai heritage, which she had her songwriter Teddy Park do with the English and Korean lyrics within the song. She also stated that there was traditional Thai music within the background of the dance break.³¹

Within the music video, there were also brief scenes of her in traditional Thai clothing. However, that was where her personal touch as an artist ended. Lisa had no involvement in the writing of the songs, which is in no way a bad thing and is usually the process within the K-pop industry.

It is rare for a girl group to be self-produced with the most notable being (G)I-DLE who have faced a lot of criticism towards their work. Because of this, there is less personal and expressive music given the female idols. Instead, they stick to the same concepts of either cutesy or sexy and empowering that they have always been expected to follow. Lisa is no exception.

Even though “Lalisa” is titled after her own name, from the perspective of a listener, the song isn’t personal and lacks Lisa’s own artistic vision. Even though it was meant to embrace her Thai background, there are no Thai lyrics. Instead, Thailand was mentioned in an English lyric saying:

“I came to Korea from Thailand, and I went for the throat.”

While this could be to make the knowledge of her background more accessible to her demographic of Korean and English speakers, there is also the fact of xenophobia within the K-pop industry. Foreign members within K-pop groups are expected to adhere to South Korean standards which means not being able to embrace their own cultures and often being judged if they do.

The second song within the album titled “Money” is another example of the lack of artistic expression. The song is well-liked and for good reasons. It’s catchy, and fun, you can dance to it, and the music video is glamorous — it is everything a fan wants from a K-pop song. It is also completely soulless.

The core theme of the song is money, specifically having and spending a lot of money. The majority of the song was spent repeating the same lyric:

"I came here to drop some money, dropping all my money."

This song emphasizes the success and wealth of a female artist, following the theme of female empowerment that the industry takes advantage of as a result.

Lisa’s most recent solos have begun to stray away from traditional K-pop standards in terms of production and she has been able to express her heritage in a more emphasized manner, but it is still not completely free of conforming to K-pop standards.

“Rockstar” (2024) was her first release following “Lalisa,” and was very popular for the fun tone it provided. Lisa was able to better show her heritage by embracing her natural brown skin rather than lightening it to adhere to South Korean beauty standards and by shooting the music video in various locations in Thailand.

Like the majority of BLACKPINK songs and solos, “Rockstar” is about empowerment. Lisa reflects on her experiences as an Asian rapper as well as cultural influences within her life.³⁴ The song is reflective of the style of her previous solo releases and has a similar tone. It also follows the sexy and empowering concept, dampening the message and, instead, coming across as conformative.

Jisoo

Jisoo was the final member to make her initial solo debut. She released “ME” in 2023 featuring “FLOWER” and “All Eyes On Me.” While “All Eyes On Me” did do fairly well, “FLOWER” was the most popular with it amassing 1 billion streams on YouTube Music and over 600 million streams on Spotify.³⁵ She has yet to make another solo release.

Two key features made “FLOWER” stand out in comparison to other solos: the simple choreography and the relatable, poetic lyrics. Similar to “SOLO,” “FLOWER” is a song that reflects on the end of an unhealthy relationship and how it feels to free oneself from that.³⁶ The flower is used as a metaphor throughout the song to express this:

"Now goodbye, goodbye / Never looking back / A leaf named hesitance / Falling away from you by a spring shower / Nothing left but a scent of a flower."

Though the original lyrics were all in Korean, when translated into English the message and metaphor come across just as clearly. The song is both empowering and beautiful, allowing fans to better relate to it. The music video is also elegantly put together and presents Jisoo as a a strong figure breaking free from a toxic relationship.

This message of empowerment is continued within “All Eyes On Me.” While “FLOWER” details breaking out of an unhealthy relationship, “All Eyes On Me” tells the story of a woman who finally understands her worth with no one telling her she’s not good enough.³⁸ Translated into English, the pre-chorus says:

"Make me feel alive / Don't fill it up with meaningless words / Focus on me now / So that I can know your mysterious feelings."

These lyrics emphasize not dwelling on other people and instead, embracing who you are. This is just another example of solo music being made to conform to K-pop expectations for female idols to please fans. Even though the lyrics could be applied to Jisoo’s career, the lack of autonomy that female idols are given makes that interpretation harder to view as realistic.

When considering the no dating rule in K-pop, the theme of relationships makes the song seem even more conformative. While it is possible that it could be a representation of Jisoo’s own experiences, given the fact that she’s never commented on any relationships there is no way to know for sure. Jisoo is not credited as a writer on either song, so it’s even less likely that the album was meant to be a method of personal expression.

Idols are meant to do things solely for their fans. Every action and word they say has to be carefully considered to ensure they please everyone, and it can be hard to break out of that. Jisoo expressed this in an interview with Billboard:

“The music I listen to, the music I can do, and the music I want to do — what should I choose? I love songs with lots of instruments. I love different bands and rock music. What do people want from me?”⁴⁰

Even her solo music — which is meant to allow fans to understand each idol and their style as an individual — has to be made with fans in mind. The songs have to conform to the standards set within K-pop because that is what sells. As a result, although her solo debut is wonderfully made and helps to empower fans, it still follows the same concepts that female idols have been limited to, not breaking free of those standards.

Rosé

Although “rosie” has gained global popularity and has quickly become what people associate Rosé with in terms of music, she previously released a solo album. “R” was released in 2021, not long before Lisa’s solo debut, and featured two songs: “On the Ground” and “Gone.” The album became the fastest album by a Korean soloist to surpass 700 million streams on Spotify and has continued to wrack up streams.⁴¹

“R” immediately separated itself from other solo debuts with it feeling more raw and personal in comparison to other members. Similar to “Lalisa,” “R” was given its name from Rosé’s personal nickname reserved for family and friends. The songs featured in the album are all very introspective and vulnerable, showing a new side of Rosé and helping to cement her style as an artist.

The lyrics found within “R” are reflective of her personal experiences, both as an individual and as an artist. “On the Ground” states:

"I worked my whole life / Just to get right, just to be like / 'Look at me, I'm never coming down.'"

She highlights the work that all idols have to go through to reach their goals but also shows her experiences as a female idol. Women tend to have to reach an extremely high level to seem untouchable to gain recognition. These lyrics reflect that. The vulnerable side to the lyrics also helps them to appeal to fans as they can relate to them.

The lyrics and music video for “Gone” express a relationship through various stages, finally ending in heartbreak. This is another song that fans can deeply relate to due to how common heartbreak is. The pre-chorus states:

"You broke my heart just for fun / Took my love and just left me numb / Now it's eight in the morning / Hate in the morning (All because of you)."

“Gone” encapsulates the feeling of heartbreak through vulnerable lyrics such as these. The entire album was a great representation of Rosé as an artist. However, it doesn’t compare to “rosie” in terms of truly being a form of artistic expression and breaking K-pop standards.

What sets “rosie” apart from all of these solos is the fact that it was meant to show Rosé’s life through art. While each BLACKPINK member had a message they wanted to convey to fans within their initial solos, they were still limited to standards set up for them. As a result, the “girl crush” theme dominated, and in some cases still dominates, their work leading to a conformative tone within their work. This is the case even for “R.”

The music videos for “Gone” and “On the Ground” are similar to a standard K-pop video even if the overall serious tone differs. They are glamorous and meant to entertain. They are also meant to put idols on a pedestal of perfection, showing a choreographed depiction of them rather than a realistic representation. As a result, even though the lyrics within “R” are vulnerable, they still provide the image of a perfect idol.

In comparison, “rosie” redefines what female idols are able to create. The unfiltered narrative challenges to standards of perfection that the K-pop industry perpetuates and the unabashed exploration of Rosé’s past relationship allows for the songs to come across as less of a performative attempt to relate to fans and more of a realistic depiction of her experiences.

Online Backlash & It’s Broader Implications

Misogyny within the K-pop industry has always been rampant with female idols being held to higher standards and mistreated in extreme ways. Although many international fans criticize this and push for change, because of misogynistic views being pushed at a higher rate online, these harmful standards are perpetuated and accepted within the industry.

There have been numerous cases in which female idols have been criticized online due to sharing feminist ideals while men were praised. In 2018, Irene, a member of Red Velvet, shared that she read the best-selling novel Kim Ji Young Born 1982 by Cho Nam-joo. The novel is a reflection of how normalized sexism has become within South Korean society.

While other famous idols such as BTS’s RM reportedly read the same novel, Irene was the one who faced intense backlash for her feminist views.⁴⁴ Due to the gender norms and expectations that have become a part of South Korean culture, feminism is not viewed in a positive light. A female idol associating herself with feminist views leads to hate as a result.

(G)I-DLE has also received backlash from fans for the feminist view they promote within their music. Within K-pop fan forums, it has been expressed that (G)I-DLE needs to “move on” from feminist music. User Ripia on the allkpop forum stated:

“This song super lady I just heard for the first time, I assumed it would get big like their other songs but man it’s THAT bad that even the gimmick about super lady can’t save them, move on Soyeon. Tempted to tag their akp account but I won’t.”⁴⁵

This has become a common take from (G)I-DLE fans. They don’t want female idols to provide commentary, they want them to conform to K-pop standards and be pretty faces. This is especially clear when considering that fans support male idols when they make social commentary but criticize female idols for doing the same thing.

Misogyny and mistreatment towards female idols are also perpetuated through the role of “the visual.” In addition to there being a lead dancer, singer, and rapper in K-pop groups, there is also a “visual.” They are meant to be the face of the group and always look their best. The one chosen is the one that best suits South Korean beauty standards.⁴⁶

Due to the existence of a visual within groups, toxicity is bred within fan spaces, and harmful beauty standards are supported. Fan wars are sparked over who deserves the title of visual leading to female members being pushed against one another and criticized for their looks. This encourages harmful dieting to stay skinny and unnecessary surgeries to change their features to better suit South Korean standards.

The visual role also leads to harassment from fans. It builds the idea that the one given the title is only a pretty face, causing fans to see them as useless. If fans don’t view them to be pretty enough, they also receive hate, with girl group visuals facing the most hate. An example of this is Sulli, an idol from the group f(x), who faced extreme levels of harassment for being a visual.⁴⁷

People constantly criticized her appearance because she wasn’t deemed pretty enough by South Korean standards. She faced bullying, death threats, and sexual harassment. This on top of the immense pressure being an idol provides ultimately leads to her passing in 2019 because of her declining mental health.⁴⁸

The concept of a visual is extremely harmful to female idols as it pushes beauty standards and discredits their work. Women already struggle to be seen within male-dominated spaces like the K-pop industry, and the role of the visual exacerbates that. Fans have shown companies that they want the perfect face and body to look up to, so female idols continue to be controlled.

This active denial and criticism of feminism within K-pop fan spaces and the perpetuation of beauty standards through “the visual” that fans participate in allows for the mistreatment of female idols to continue and even encourages it. By refusing any sort of feminist ideal and promoting the policing of female idols’ bodies, it maintains the idea that the lack of autonomy that female idols have over their body, actions, and music is okay.

Rosé challenged these harmful narratives with “rosie.” Her album showed her humanity, something many fans try to deny to maintain her idol image. By taking away the fancy choreographies, the high fashion, and costume changes, and allowing a raw, unfiltered depiction of her as a person and artist, she fights back against the control fans encourage.

Her album shows the effects K-pop standards had on her and shows fans that they can’t control her. Even though they expect absolute loyalty, “rosie” tells a story that sends a message of defiance. She’s a person who should be allowed to date and express her own opinions and experiences as an idol without facing hate.

Why “rosie” Matters In K-Pop’s Global Evolution

Prior to the release of “rosie,” K-pop had already become recognized on a global scale. BTS was the reason for this. They opened the doors for other idols to be recognized internationally and have been deemed to “pave the way” for the K-pop industry as a whole. This is a fact accepted in fan spaces and by other idols. However, “rosie” helps to push the boundaries of how K-pop is viewed by global audiences and what fans come to expect from it.

Unlike many traditional K-pop albums by female idols, it wasn’t made with the intention of pleasing fans. Although it is an album where a relationship is a center focus like girl group albums tend to be about, it is clear in both the artistic execution of the music videos and the song lyrics that the album was meant to be a way for Rosé to express herself.

The album is completely in English which helps to target a more global audience, making it even more accessible. The glamour of K-pop is completely detached from it and even the mode of advertisement differed from standard K-pop methods. Typically, K-pop albums all follow a specific concept and go through a series of teaser images to get fans excited. This has been the case for all previous BLACKPINK releases and the case for all other K-pop groups. However, there is no real concept followed in “rosie” and teaser images were limited.

There is an aesthetic that is consistent within the music videos, but that’s as far as any concept goes. It doesn’t follow the typical “girl crush” or cutesy concepts female idols are limited to. This leads to the album coming across as a more genuine depiction of Rosé’s personal experiences.

Considering the content of “rosie,” the album also opens up the doors for female idols going forward. There is no room for argument in the song’s meanings and the messages they convey.

Rosé was exploring her past relationship and the absurdity of K-pop standards. By making a completely English album and targeting a global audience, the standards of perfection and complete loyalty to fans that idols must adhere to are exposed to a greater audience, allowing more people to understand the toxicity within the K-pop industry.

Opening the conversation on K-pop standards up to a larger audience builds the opportunity to change those standards going forward, giving a greater voice to those who wish to speak up in the future.

As a result, while BTS may have paved the way for the K-pop industry as a whole, “rosie” has paved the way for the industry to continue to develop and for the treatment of female idols to improve.

A New Era For Female K-Pop Idols?

It is no secret that the K-pop industry is flawed. The standards that have taken over the industry have caused toxicity to settle and harmful expectations to become normal. This is especially true for female idols.

They have been subjected to the sexist culture that runs rampant within South Korea, causing them to be mistreated at extreme levels. With companies policing the bodies, actions, and relationships of female idols, and fans feeding into it as the norm, the environment has continued to worsen. Female idols have no choice but to conform.

Through “rosie,” Rosé allows all of that to change. She showcases her past toxic relationship, showing fans and companies that they can’t dictate her actions, and breaks away from the conformity of girl group concepts, allowing for her own artistic style to shine through.

By targeting a global audience, she sheds greater light on the experiences of female idols, allowing action to be taken to correct the mistreatment. Rosé took the first steps in breaking free of K-pop standards, and in the future, more and more female idols will follow her lead.

It may be slow and not always be accepted by fans, but change will happen. “rosie” has opened the door, and all that is left to do now is step through.

Footnotes

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