The Rose - A Korean rock band among the crowd of K-pop idols

Since their first single, "Sorry," was released, The Rose has consistently been one of my favorite bands. As soon as I heard it for the first time, I was dying to hear more. Fortunately, it didn't take long for the band to come out with their second single "Like We Used To."

The Rose is a South Korean band composed of four members. The group made its debut in August 2017 when it came out with "Sorry" under J&Star Company. Woosung Kim is the leader of the group as well as the lead vocalist and electric guitarist. Dojoon Park is a main vocalist and plays the keyboard and acoustic guitar. The drummer and rapper of the group is Hajoon Lee, while Jaehyeong Lee is the bassist and sub-vocalist.

To learn more about the members, visit Billboard's article https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/k-town/8460215/the-rose-talk-artistry-k-pop-adjacent. It takes a closer look at the members' lives and includes parts of interviews Billboard had with the group.

"Sorry," written and produced by the members themselves, is about the feeling of regret after a breakup. Though this sounds like another typical breakup song, it sets itself apart in multiple ways. First of all, the emotion in Woosung's voice in the first few seconds is raw and pure, something which he and Dojoon manage to carry throughout the entire song. The song is full of passion and is heartbreaking as the vocalists paint a picture of their regrets.

Another thing is the lyrics. Like most Korean songs, the lyrics are much more meaningful and beautiful than anything I've heard in English. It's always nice to read the English translation at least once while listening to the song, but it's not necessary. The vocals and instruments alone can communicate the song's meaning, maybe even clearer than the lyrics themselves in English or Korean. I would highly recommend diving into this group by beginning with "Sorry."

The group's second single, "Like We Used To," followed a few months later. This single has a much different feeling compared to "Sorry." Despite also being about moving on after a breakup, it's calmer, gentler, and more upbeat. The vocalists are happy as they look back on good memories.

It wasn't until April 2018 that the artists finally put out new music. They came out with their first mini-album Void. The album features three new songs, as well as "Sorry," "Like We Used To," and three instrumental tracks. The new songs on Void are all quite different from each other, each having its own sound. But, in all of them, The Rose's unique style shines through.

Though The Rose only has a few songs out right now, the members' natural talent and distinct sound makes them stand out from the mass of groups in the K-pop industry. Speaking of K-pop, I wouldn't categorize them as that.

When people think of K-pop, what comes to mind is usually a bunch of pretty boys singing and dancing in weird outfits. While that might not always be completely untrue, it isn't the case with this group. The Rose is in a whole different category from K-pop. There's no dancing, no flashy clothes, and the music is perfectly chill.

I look forward to hearing more of their music in the future, and I suspect I won't be alone in that.

Listen to "Sorry" to The Rose here:

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