The Rose

Founded in the busking locales and practice studios of Seoul in the mid-2010s, the Rose debuted their thoughtful adult alternative pop/rock in 2017 with the single “Sorry.” It took on a life of its own, leading to millions of streams as well as international headlining tours by the time the band’s first two EPs, Void and Dawn, appeared in 2018, both reaching Korea’s Top 30. The Rose’s full-length debut, HEAL, returned them to the Top 30 upon its release in 2022. Their follow-up, DUAL, fared even better a year later, making the Korean Top Ten and charting in American too. Singer/guitarist/keyboardist Dojoon Park and bass player/singer Jaehyeong Lee first met while busking in the Hongdae neighborhood of Seoul. Jaehyeong met drummer Hajoon when they had practice time in the same studio. The three got together to form indie band Windfall and worked on writing songs together while busking and posting covers on social media. Fourth member Woosung, a singer/guitarist, was brought into the group through a mutual friend. They signed with J&Star Company in 2016. Now calling themselves the Rose and led by Woosung, the band made their official recording debut with “Sorry” in 2017. It made its way onto Billboard world side-charts and was written about in publications including international editions of Rolling Stone and Billboard. Meanwhile, the song’s video racked up millions of views, and the Rose launched a sold-out European tour. Their December 2017 stage debut in Seoul consisted of their first two singles (“Sorry” and “Like We Used To”), some unreleased songs, and covers of English favorites. The group’s debut EP, Void, arrived in April 2018, with a second EP, Dawn, following that October. Both EPs charted in the Top Ten of Billboard’s World Albums chart as well as hitting the Top 30 in Korea. The Rose’s music appeared on television series including Hell Is Other People in 2019, the year the expanded single “RED” charted at number eight in Korea. After a legal dispute with their label, mandatory military service for three members, and a solo album by Woosung (2021′s Genre), the Rose returned with their first album, HEAL. It arrived on the Transparent Arts label in October 2022 and debuted at number 21 in Korea. A world tour including dates in North America, South America, and Europe followed in support of the release. Working quickly, the Rose were back in the studio to record their follow-up. DUAL, their second album, arrived in September 2023, reaching number eight in Korea and making a strong impression in the U.S., where it reached number 83 on the Billboard 200. ~ Marcy Donelson