Rosé turned the Grammys stage into a club (uh-huh, uh-huh), kicking off music’s biggest night as the opening performer alongside her collaborator Bruno Mars.
The Australian-Korean singer-songwriter — a member of supergroup Blackpink — made K-pop history at Sunday’s 2026 Grammy Awards, becoming the first soloist to perform at the awards ceremony. The 28-year-old performed “APT” with Mars. The pair were the first shot of Sunday’s telecast, posing together before Rosé gave Mars a kiss on the cheek.
“Ladies and gentleman, big bad Rosie,” Mars screamed to the crowd as Rosé belted out the beginning the song. The song, which propelled Rosé to household name status as a soloist, is inspired by a Korean drinking game and co-written by Rosé herself.
Rosé, a first-time nominee, went into Sunday with three nominations, including nods in the general field categories, a first for a K-pop idol. She and Mars nabbed nominations in record and song of the year, along with a nod in the best pop duo/group performance category for their smash hit “APT.” The latter award went to Wicked’s Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande during the premiere ceremony.
“I’m getting chills right now,” Rosé said earlier this year when asked about the potential to make history at the Grammys during her Hollywood Reporter cover interview.
“I think it’ll be a moment that proves to myself so many things that I grew up doubting,” she continued. “I think if this happens, then it’s going to mean more to so many more people than myself. It’ll just prove a lot in me as well. It’ll just be a moment of celebration for everyone who believes.”
Rosé also earned herself an MTV VMA Award last year. The 28-year-old took home the song of the year trophy for “APT,” which spent 45 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100. Her debut album Rosie, which “APT” served as the first single on, was released in December 2024 and debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200.
Both Rosé and KPop Demon Hunters were up for major awards, one of which KPop Demon Hunters already won during the Grammy’s premiere ceremony, K-pop’s first-ever Grammy recognition. The Blackpink member and Huntrix singing voices’ presence at Sunday’s show marks a huge milestone for K-pop in the U.S. overall, an indicator of the genre’s mainstream status. Rosé’s performance is a huge moment for the world of K-pop, particularly having it open the show, showing just how mainstream K-pop has become in the U.S.
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