Blackpink member Rosé opened the U.S. Grammy Awards stage. Rosé and Bruno Mars raised the temperature of the ceremony at once by performing their hit "APT." as the opening number.
The performance took place on the 1st (local time) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. Wearing a white sleeveless shirt and a tie, Rosé took the stage and, next to guitar-wielding Mars, caught the rhythm to open the song's first chapter. From the start, the two showed chemistry with light physical contact, and there was also a scene where Rosé, kneeling before Mars' guitar, continued singing and unleashed a burst of energy.
As the performance moved into the latter half, the two pressed close to one microphone and sang the chorus together. The structure of trading the "APT" refrain back and forth and then moving into a singalong maximized the festive feel unique to an opening stage. After the song ended, Rosé hugged Mars with a smile to close the set.
The audience reaction was heated. During the performance, the camera caught Billie Eilish singing along to the melody and Bad Bunny and Miley Cyrus clapping in response. Trevor Noah, who hosted the ceremony, introduced the stage and added the backstory that the song was inspired by a Korean drinking game.
Rosé also drew attention as a main award nominee that day. She was named in the categories of song of the year and record of the year, and her collaboration with Mars was also nominated for best pop duo/group performance. However, that category's trophy went during the pre-show to "Defying Gravity," sung by Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.
Meanwhile, HYBE's global girl group KATSEYE also made its presence felt at the ceremony. On a joint stage with the nominees, KATSEYE performed "Gnarly," roamed throughout the venue, and held attention with powerful rap and sharp choreography.
During KATSEYE's performance, Ray Ami and Lee Jae were spotted standing up in the audience to cheer after singing "Golden," the OST from K-pop Demon Hunters. However, best new artist went to Olivia Dean, and KATSEYE did not take home an award.
At the Grammys pre-show that day, Darren Criss and Helen J Shen, leads of the Korean original musical "Maybe Happy Ending," also performed "Maybe Happy Ending."