Explaining Rosé’s ‘APT,' Plus Other Asian Drinking Games You Can Try
Loving the “APT” craze? If you’re having last-song syndrome (LSS) with Blackpink’s Rosé’s new single, you’re not alone. Who wouldn’t when it’s all over TikTok and other social media platforms? It’s even played at clubs and malls, too!
"Apateu, apateu! Apateu, apateu!"
Released on Oct. 18, Rosé’s “APT” is a pop rock track featuring American singer-songwriter Bruno Mars. With its upbeat rhythm, percussion and guitar-heavy instrumentals, catchy lyrics, and West-meets-Korea charm (plus Rosé and Bruno Mars’ captivating vocals, duh), the song has taken the world by storm and is dominating music charts.
Recently, the track has also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Global Charts and No. 8 on the Hot 100 chart, a not-so-easy feat for Asian acts. It is also a lead-up to the K-pop sensation's upcoming solo album, "rosie," to be released on Dec. 6.
But why is this song a massive hit in and out of Korea? And what exactly does "Apateu" mean?
‘APT’ is Actually From a Korean Drinking Game
For those who didn’t know, the repetitive “Apateu, Apateu” (Korean term for the word ‘apartment’) lyrics from the song’s chorus are not just random onomatopoeic words. In fact, they are derived from a Korean drinking game, Rosé revealed in an interview with Vogue. Adding Korean flair to the rather Western music-sounding track was a stroke of genius, capturing fans' hearts all over the world.
To play the “Apartment Game,” players must form a circle and begin the game by chanting the word “apateu” four times (yes, much like the song). After the chant, players will need to stack their hands on top of each other's. A starting player will then scream a number, and then whoever’s hand is on the bottom will start the count by putting their hand at the top of the pile, followed by the next hand at the bottom, and so on, until the players reach the number set by the starting player.
The person whose hands land on top at the last number loses. The penalty? A shot of whatever the group is drinking!
More Asian Drinking Games to Try at Your Hangouts
Asians are known to love not only drinking but also making the best moments with their loved ones during their alcohol-infused hangouts. If you’re looking for other games aside from APT, here are more Asian drinking games that you and your best buds will surely enjoy. Some might also burn bridges, so make sure to bring some sportsmanship with you!
Titanic
Koreans love soju and beer, especially when they’re combined together to make somaek (soju and maekju, which means beer). Putting a twist on the beloved drink, Koreans have created the “Titanic” game, which, from the name itself, is quite similar to the concept of sinking ships.
To play, you’ll only need a glass, half-filled with beer. Then, place a shot glass with soju on top of the beer, making sure that it floats. Players must then take turns pouring soju on the shot glass, no matter how much they want, as long as the shot glass stays afloat. Whoever sinks it loses and drinks the whole thing.
Be careful not to lose though, because too much of this drink may knock you down pretty easily.
Image Game
The Image Game is quite simple because it is basically Koreans’ version of the “Who’s most likely to” game. Here, you and your friends must sit together and take turns asking this kind of question, like “Who’s most likely to get lost in a foreign country?” or “Who’s most likely to get married first?” and the like. Then, everyone will point to the person who they think is the perfect answer to the question. The person who gets the most votes must drink!
When you play Image Game, be ready to lose a friend (we hope not) or learn some spicy revelations.
Pocky Game
This game is not for the faint of heart! Originating from Japan, Pocky Game uses a stick of Pocky, a chocolate-covered biscuit stick that’s popular among snack lovers. In the game, two players must put one end of a Pocky stick in their mouths and nibble until the stick shortens. The first one to get embarrassed loses and must take a shot.
If you're looking for a game to play with your crush, this is the one! *winks* But consent is the key, folks! So make sure everyone's on board before grabbing a box of Pocky.
Finger Guessing Game
No need to rack your brains, because the rules of this game are simple. Here, each player can hold up any number of fingers but must not show them immediately to their opponents. The assigned “guesser” will need to guess the total number of fingers everyone is holding up. After guessing, each player must reveal how many they are holding up. If the guesser got it right, the other players should drink. Otherwise, he or she must take the shot.
These same rules apply to the Chinese drinking game "Shi Wu," except players can only hold up zero, five, or all ten fingers.
If lady luck is on your side, then this game is for you.
Dice Game
Contrary to the Finger Guessing Game and “Shi Wu,” Dice Game, also known as Liar’s Dice, is tricky. Basically an iteration of “bluff,” this drinking game will require you to have some insane lying skills.
Each player will start with a cup with five pieces of dice inside, which they must shake and turn upside down on the table. Once everyone has their cup placed on the table, each player should peek at their dice without revealing them to the opponent. Then, player one needs to call out how many dice of a certain value are in their cup, like “two fours” or "three two’s,” whether it’s a lie or not.
The next player will then need to shout a value higher than the previously called numbers, such as “three fives” or “four threes.” At any point, other players can call the player “bu xing” or liar. A player who’s called a liar must show his or her dice. For example, if a player calls "two fives," then they should have two dice in their cup with the number five facing up.
If the player fails to show an accurate value of dice, he or she must take the shot! Otherwise, the one who accuses the other player of being a liar must drink.
Chicken Head
Chicken head is a popular drinking game in Vietnam, which, from the name itself, uses a cooked chicken’s head. To play, one of the players should put a piece of chicken head on a plate, and then cover it with an opaque lid. After a few shakes, the player must put down the plate and remove the lid. The person who the chicken's beak points to gets to drink the booze!
If you don’t have a chicken head, you can also use pen caps or other stuff with a pointy end.
Important note: Enjoy these games, but make sure to drink responsibly!
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