The Rose gaining global fame as 'K-rock's BTS'

Kim Woo-sung, left, and Lee Jae-hyeong of rock band The Rose perform at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., April 13. Courtesy of Transparent Arts

Rock quartet performs at America’s largest music festivals

In the realm of music festivals dominated by iconic K-pop groups, The Rose stands out as a unique Korean rock band that’s better known overseas than at home, earning them the nickname “The BTS of K-Rock.”

The four-member rock band’s performances at renowned festivals like Coachella and Lollapalooza have solidified its reputation internationally.

The Rose captivated audiences at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California, performing from April 12 to 14 and April 19 to 21.

The band’s journey to international recognition included stops at Lollapalooza in various locations, such as Chicago, Argentina, Chile, Brazil and Sweden, leading up to its recent triumph at Coachella.

The Rose is the only Korean act to have graced the stages of both Coachella and Lollapalooza.

The Rose consists of four members — singer and guitarist Kim Woo-sung, bassist Lee Jae-hyeong, drummer Lee Ha-joon and Park Do-joon. The quartet released its first single “Sorry” in 2017 and released its first full-length album “Heal” in 2022 which earned the group a No. 4 spot on Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums chart.

The Rose performs at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, Calif., on April 13. Courtesy of Transparent Arts

From obscurity to global recognition

In a recent interview, The Rose’s leader, Kim Woo-sung (main vocalist and guitarist), reflected on the band’s journey: “After performing at Coachella, the past seven years felt incredibly rewarding.”

Born in Korea and raised in Los Angeles, Kim reminisced about the band’s humble beginnings when only 20 people attended its first show in Hongdae (Hongik University) neighborhood, a popular arts district for young musicians, half of whom were friends.

Now, they are celebrated worldwide.

Starting their musical journey on SBS’s audition program “K-pop Star” in 2011, all four members have evolved from trainees at different K-pop agencies into well-rounded artists with skills in singing, instrumental performance and songwriting, as well as looks.

The Rose’s performance at Coachella even brought up memories of those early days, highlighting its significant growth. Jae-hyeong credits K-pop for paving the way to global stages, making the band’s international activities smoother.

Its music, reminiscent of British bands like The 1975 and Coldplay, blends Britpop styles with a modern, universally appealing yet distinctively Korean emotional depth.

The band’s performance at Coachella was as fervent as any K-pop act, with the audience enthusiastically participating, raising hands and singing along to all 11 songs it played.

The four-member rock band The Rose / Courtesy of Transparent Arts

Delicate emotions and explosive energy

The Rose’s music, much like a rose’s beauty and its thorns, embodies the dualities of life. Kim articulates this essence, “Just as a rose possesses both beauty and thorns, life is full of dualities, and finding harmony between them is our greatest challenge.”

The members’ approach to music offers solace with tender melodies and releases energy through explosive power, a theme that runs deeply through their second full album, “Dual,” which reached number 83 on the U.S. Billboard album charts last year — a historic achievement for a Korean rock band.

Over the past year, The Rose has toured across America, Europe and Asia, drawing over 66,000 fans in North America alone.

Despite its rising international fame, it firmly considers Korea as the foundation of its activities.

“It would be dishonest to say I’m not disappointed by the lesser popularity in Korea, but I believe that if we continue to convey our message through our music, it will resonate both here and abroad eventually,” Lee Jae-hyeong said.

The Rose plans to release new songs this summer and winter, with a third album slated for early next year.

“Even when we first performed in front of just 20 people, we were strangely confident. Many told us ‘this music won’t work,’ ‘you need to change it,'” Lee said. “But our confidence that we could become a band that performs globally if we stuck together has brought us here.”

The Rose aims for listeners to engage with its music on a personal level, viewing the band’s songs as a personal companion.

“Sharing our music with more people and spreading joyful energy is our ultimate dream,” Kim said.

This article from the Hankook Ilbo, sister publication of The Korea Times, was translated by generative AI and edited by staff of The Korea Times.