Bryan Ke

South Korean students have decided to “ban” Rosé’s “APT.” among themselves as they prepare for the nation’s College Scholastic Ability Test (CSAT) to avoid being distracted. The exam, locally known as “suneung,” will be held on Nov. 14. Driving the news: Several students attributed the song’s catchy lyrics — which loops “apateu” (“apartment”) in the chorus — and addictive melody as the reason for their self-imposed ban. In an interview with Yonhap News, one expressed worries that the song may play in their head while they take the test. “Adults might laugh and say, ‘Why stress over something like that?’ but for us, with such an important test ahead, it can feel unsettling,” the student said. As a result, Rosé’s latest solo song, which features Bruno Mars, has become part of an unofficial list of tunes “best avoided” before the CSAT. Other “blacklisted” tracks include SS501’s “U R Man” (2008), SHINee’s “Ring Ding Dong” (2009), Red Velvet’s “Dumb Dumb” (2016) and the children’s song “Baby Shark” (2015). Released on Oct. 18, “APT.” debuted in the U.S.’ iTunes Top 10 at No. 8 and recently took the No. 1 spot on Billboard Global 200 and Billboard Global Excl. U.S. charts. What they’re saying: On student forums, some Korean students reportedly complained of experiencing an “earworm” — a subjective phenomenon in which a song plays in a person’s mind on an endless loop — after hearing “APT.” for the first time. One lamented, “I accidentally heard the song, and now ‘apartment, apartment’ is stuck in my head; it’s driving me crazy, what do I do?” Other students are finding ways to manage, including deleting their music apps entirely. Another wrote, “I’m avoiding cafes to make sure I don’t hear ‘Apartment.'”

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Home California-based Joby Aviation, backed by Japanese automotive giant Toyota, conducted its first flight test of an electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft (eVTOL) in Japan.