ROSÉ appears in the “new trick” music video, directed by Dave Meyers and shot entirely on Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro. (Photo / Rose YouTube)
ROSÉ has released her new single “new trick,” but the BLACKPINK star’s latest project is also something of a test case for how closely K-pop, music video production and global technology marketing are becoming intertwined.
Released on Sept. 18, “new trick” arrives with a music video directed by veteran filmmaker Dave Meyers and shot entirely on Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro.
The project is part of Apple’s long-running “Shot on iPhone” campaign, which has previously involved artists including Lady Gaga, Olivia Rodrigo and The Weeknd.
For ROSÉ, however, the collaboration arrives at a particularly interesting moment. Her partnership with Apple had already generated attention before the song was released, even drawing a playful response from rival smartphone maker Samsung.
Now that the full video is out, the iPhone is no longer simply part of the promotion. It is part of the production itself.
A New Sound After ‘APT.’
“new trick” moves ROSÉ into energetic garage-punk territory, pairing distorted guitar-driven energy with a lighter, more playful attitude toward heartbreak and adversity.
According to The Black Label, the song is about refusing to be defeated by the wounds and difficulties that life and love can bring, instead finding a personal “new trick” to move forward.
The production also reconnects ROSÉ with familiar collaborators.
Amy Allen, who worked with ROSÉ on the global hit “APT.” featuring Bruno Mars, returned for the new song. Andrew Wells, who previously collaborated with ROSÉ on “stay a little longer,” also participated in the project.
The result gives “new trick” a different emotional character from much of ROSÉ’s earlier solo material. Rather than lingering on heartbreak, the track turns recovery into something more energetic and playful.
ROSÉ told Vogue ahead of the release that the song reminded her of the pop-rock tracks that appeared in Apple commercials during the 2000s — an influence that makes the eventual Apple collaboration particularly fitting.
Why Shooting on an iPhone Matters
The bigger talking point may be the music video.
Directed by Dave Meyers, whose extensive credits include work with major global pop artists as well as BLACKPINK, the entire “new trick” video was filmed using the iPhone 18 Pro.
That distinction matters.
Smartphones have appeared in K-pop advertising and artist partnerships for years. But “new trick” puts the device behind the camera rather than simply in front of it.
Apple is effectively using a full-scale pop music video to demonstrate what its newest flagship phone can do as a video-production tool.
The timing is also significant. Apple recently introduced the iPhone 18 Pro with an upgraded camera system that includes a new 48-megapixel Fusion main camera and expanded controls aimed at giving users more creative flexibility.
ROSÉ anchors the campaign while Meyers captures it behind the camera, demonstrating those capabilities through entertainment rather than a conventional technology advertisement.
From Samsung’s Joke to the Finished Video
The collaboration had already created an unusual K-pop-meets-tech storyline before “new trick” was released.
After ROSÉ teased the Apple project, Samsung drew attention for a playful social media response to the collaboration — a notable twist given BLACKPINK’s previous history with the Korean electronics company.
What initially looked like a piece of smartphone rivalry, however, now has a more substantial creative product behind it.
The finished “new trick” video shows that Apple’s partnership with ROSÉ was not simply about placing a celebrity next to a new device. The phone became one of the tools used to create the visual itself.
That distinction helps explain why global pop stars have become particularly valuable partners for technology companies.
Artists such as ROSÉ do more than provide reach. They allow brands to demonstrate products inside cultural moments that audiences may actively seek out rather than encounter as advertising.
ROSÉ’s Next Era Is Still Taking Shape
“new trick” also should not necessarily be treated as the formal beginning of ROSÉ’s next album cycle.
In her Vogue interview, ROSÉ described the track as a one-off single. She also explained that she is working on new music while continuing to define the sound and identity.
She plans to release her second solo album in 2027. That positioning makes “new trick” an intriguing bridge: a standalone release that experiments with a different sound. But it placed ROSÉ at the center of one of Apple’s most visible music collaborations.
For K-pop, the project is another example of how global brand partnerships are evolving beyond endorsements.
ROSÉ is not simply promoting the iPhone 18 Pro.
This time, the iPhone helped make the music video.
Park Minji is a K‑pop writer and journalist who delivers sharp insights and engaging stories on Korean music and culture for global readers.
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