"Apateu, apateu." This infectious melody and catchy chant are propelling Blackpink’s Rosé and Bruno Mars’ latest collaboration, “APT,” into a massive global success. For many South Koreans, the tune and its themes feel all too familiar, mirroring the drinking game of the same name that they have nearly grown out of.
“Drinking games are kind of over,” said Lee Ji-won, 22, a university student in Seoul. “People who bring them up seem old-fashioned. The days of pressured drinking are fading as everyone’s tolerance for it wears thin.
” The drinking game that inspired ‘APT’ But before diving deeper into the perspectives of Koreans who are nonchalant about the game that inspired this massive chart-topper, here's what this game is and what Korean drinking games in general entail. Korean drinking games, once a staple of youth parties, are quite varied. In 2016, the local media outlet Money Today noted that while classics like “I Am Ground” and “007 Bbang” once dominated the scene, the list of games had grown so extensive that it became difficult to count.
The game “APT” is one of the time-old classics. This is how it is played, according to Rose’s own tutorial on TikTok. https://www.
tiktok.com/@roses_are_rosie/video/7427960872389102866 (###keeping this for hyperlinking###) Everyone gathers in a circle and waves their hands horizontally, alternating putting one hand over the other. This, while chanting “apateu, apateu” with the same melody feat.