Rosé becomes first solo K-pop artist to perform at Grammys

Rosé Makes K-pop History Opening 2026 Grammys With Bruno Mars

Blackpink’s Rosé cemented her place in music history Sunday night as the first solo K-pop artist to perform at the Grammy Awards, opening the 68th annual ceremony alongside Bruno Mars with an electrifying rendition of their hit “APT.”

The 28-year-old Australian-Korean singer took the stage at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles sporting a pop-punk aesthetic—white tank top, black tie, platinum blonde hair—as she and Mars delivered a high-energy, rock-inflected arrangement of their viral collaboration. “Ladies and gentlemen, big bad Rosie,” Mars announced to the crowd before Rosé kicked off the song, which is inspired by a traditional Korean drinking game.hollywoodreporter

A Breakthrough Year for K-pop

The opening performance capped a breakthrough moment for K-pop at the Grammys. Rosé entered the evening with three nominations for “APT.”—Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Duo/Group Performance—becoming the first K-pop artist to receive nominations in the prestigious general field categories.cosmopolitan

Earlier in the day, K-pop achieved its first Grammy win when “Golden” from Netflix’s animated film KPop Demon Hunters secured Best Song Written for Visual Media during the premiere ceremony. Songwriters EJAE, Park Hong Jun (Teddy), and Mark Sonnenblick delivered their acceptance speech in both English and Korean, paying tribute to “Pioneer of K-Pop Teddy”.billboard

The Best Pop Duo/Group Performance award went to Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo for “Defying Gravity” from Wicked, defeating both “APT.” and “Golden” in the category.people

From Trainee to Trailblazer

Rosé’s solo debut album, Rosie, released in December 2024, propelled her to household-name status outside of Blackpink. “APT.” dominated the Billboard Global 200 for 12 weeks and became the first track by a K-pop artist to chart on Billboard’s Pop Airplay chart.forbes

In a recent interview on Call Her Daddy, Rosé compared her Grammy nominations to the moment she was selected as a YG Entertainment trainee in Australia. “This Grammy nomination, it feels like, ‘Oh my gosh, I never thought that would be possible,'” she said. “It’s like the second chapter of my life”.elle

While BTS previously performed at the Grammys as a group in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and earned five nominations without a win, Rosé’s appearance as a solo artist marks a new chapter for K-pop representation at music’s premier event.hollywoodreporter