ARMY Erupts After Bruno Mars Calls Rosé the ‘First’ Since Gangnam Style: ‘What About 12 Years of BTS?’

Bruno Mars has unintentionally stepped into the centre of a K-pop firestorm after remarks he made in a new interview praising Blackpink’s Rosé and her hit single ‘APT.’ What began as admiration quickly escalated into controversy when the Grammy-winner compared Rosé’s impact to Gangnam Style, calling her rise something he had “never seen before.”

But it was his next line “Rosie is the first time we’ve seen this… the last time we’ve seen something to this effect was ‘Gangnam Style.’” that sent BTS ARMY into full defensive mode.

Mars described PSY’s 2012 mega-hit as a historic milestone that brought Korean music to global mainstream attention. He then said Rosé’s breakout success with ‘APT.’ introduced something similarly unprecedented, even suggesting that he himself was discovering aspects of Korean music through her.

For ARMY, this wasn’t just an opinion it was an erasure.

ARMY Hits Back: “What About BTS?”

Within minutes, “Bruno Mars” and “BTS” were trending worldwide as fans expressed anger over what they saw as a dismissal of 12 years of BTS’ global achievementsincluding chart-topping records, stadium world tours, Grammy nominations, and unparallelled cultural influence.

One fan wrote:
“Bruno Mars acting like he did something for K-pop while constantly discrediting BTS… he’s so wrong for trying to erase BTS’ impact on the industry.”

Others pointed out that BTS not only dominated charts in Korean and English but were instrumental in making K-pop a global cultural and economic force. Memes, timelines and comparison clips flooded social platforms, with ARMY highlighting achievements from ‘DNA’ to ‘Dynamite’, all of which expanded global K-pop visibility far beyond novelty or virality.

A Debate Bigger Than One Quote-

The episode has reignited a long-running tension in the music community:
Who gets to define "firsts" in K-pop history?

Rosé’s fans defended her, saying Mars was praising her unique artistry not diminishing BTS. Meanwhile, neutral fans suggested the controversy stems from how international artists often view K-pop solely through the lens of isolated viral moments rather than its decade-spanning evolution.

What remains clear:
K-pop’s global dominance is no longer a fringe conversation and any attempt to define its history will instantly spark passionate debate.

And for once, the fandom crossover isn’t about collaboration, but confrontation.