Blackpink's Rosé said she once went so far as to disguise herself for a secret relationship.
On the 28th (local time), Rosé appeared on the hit U.S. podcast "Call Her Daddy" and shared candid thoughts on dating and protecting her privacy.
Asked whether public dating is difficult, Rosé said, "It's because I want to protect the person I love. It's hard even when friends are attacked, and it hurts more the closer that person is to me." She added, "I chose a job that draws the public eye, so I'm fine. But it's hard to bear when people around me get hurt."
Recalling an extremely sensitive period while dating in the past, Rosé admitted, "I was obsessed with the idea that I absolutely could not get caught." She said, "I bought a short permed wig on an online marketplace that's like Amazon in Korea, and after watching how grandmothers on the street dress, I ordered the exact same clothes."
She continued, "Because we couldn't go out anywhere together, I disguised myself like that when I went to the other person's house. It was in case someone might recognize me."
Rosé also said there was a "grandma clothes only section" in her closet for a while. She said, "I bought a lot of clothes like long floral skirts that wouldn't show my figure. I lived like that for at least six months," adding, "Thinking back now, it was really crazy." She then added, "Later, that disguise coat actually became my grandmother's favorite piece of clothing."
She was cautious when asked whether she is currently dating. Rosé said, "I want to simply answer 'yes' or 'no,' but I'm afraid that one word will define me as a person," adding, "I can already see the headlines pouring out." She continued, "Just because we come from a K-pop group doesn't mean we're a different kind of human. We are people who feel emotions just the same."
Born in 1997 in Auckland, New Zealand, Rosé debuted with Blackpink in 2016 and gained global popularity with numerous hits including "Boombayah," "Whistle," "Ddu-Du Ddu-Du," "Kill This Love" and "As If It's Your Last."
Continuing a successful run as a solo artist, Rosé drew attention after being nominated at the 68th Grammy Awards for song of the year, record of the year and best pop duo/group performance. Blackpink, the group Rosé belongs to, is set to make a comeback next month.