BLACKPINK Get 2nd ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ Feature In Rosé ‘APT.’ Lip Sync

RuPaul’s Drag Race delivered a rare and electrifying nod to K-pop in an exciting display of cultural and musical crossover. The popular competition series show incorporated Rosé’s hit single “APT.” with Bruno Mars into its signature Lip Sync Battle, marking the second notable reference to BLACKPINK on the series and signaling a further merging of global-pop music with mainstream queer culture.

For Episode 15 of the current 17th season that aired on April 11, 2025, the eliminated queens were spotlighted by returning to battle for a $50,000 prize in a series of emotional and high-energy lip syncs, as was the popular Korean drinking game that Rosé and Mars sing about in their duet. For the final round of Drag Race’s aptly named “Lip Sync LaLaPaRuza Smackdown,” Season 17 fan-favorite Kori King squared off against fifth-place finisher Suzie Toot to deliver their takes on “APT.” The showing encapsulated the fierce competitive spirit of the show’s signature “Lip Sync for Your Life” performances with the track’s bilingual blend of English and Korean lyrics, all creating an atmosphere that should help the song continue its rule on the charts.

Historically, RuPaul’s Drag Race has been a top tastemaker for promoting music to its viewers, with a few instances of amplifying global sounds in its Lip Sync for Your Life performances. While most lip syncs are done to English songs for the show’s premiere franchise in America, the first major shift was when the Spanish version of Toni Basil’s “Hey Mickey” was used in a lip sync by Spanish-speaking queens Carmen Carrera and Yara Sofia during the third season from 2011. Then, in the show’s fifth iteration, Peruvian soprano Yma Sumac’s track “Malambo No. 1” off her 1954 Mambo! was featured in the last episode before the season finale.

Rosé and her bandmates made their first appearance in Season 13 via Chicago-based queen Denali’s performance of BLACKPINK’s “Kill This Love” was aired during a virtual reunion episode, giving the group’s 2019 Korean hit a major television platform. The appreciation shown by Denali for “Kill This Love” went beyond the song’s banging beat, but the queen incorporated BLACKPINK’s signature colors and even some of the song’s choreography into her performance.

Including “APT.” is more than a popular musical choice; it’s another sign of the increasingly globalized nature of pop culture and underscores Drag Race as a unique convergence point for global pop.

Alongside record-breaking performances with social-media dominance, BLACKPINK is showing they have also carved into a significant niche within the Western entertainment industry with the recurring appearances on Drag Race underscoring the affinity between the world of K-pop and the expansive LGBTQ+ community. Despite challenges at home in South Korea — given the conservative cultural and political climate that offers limited legal protections or visibility for queer individuals — the alluring artistry of K-pop acts continues to break new ground internationally.

Drag Race has already demonstrated its ability to boost streaming numbers and revive interest in featured songs. Billboard data has shown that performances, especially those marked by emotional finales or unexpected stunts, often lead to notable increases in streaming activity. The spotlight on “APT.” not only brought a surge of appreciation from longtime BLACKPINK fans but also had the chance to introduce Rosé, her group, and K-pop to an even broader, more diverse, and likely open-minded audience that passionately tunes into Drag Race week after week.